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View Full Version : Is this a normal power draw?

matrix563
03-12-2009, 07:41 AM
i just installed again my power management software for my 1500va ups:

ouch
http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/products/management-software/pppe.html?selectedTabId=overview&imageI=#tab-box

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/quasarsky/ups.png


i have the following things in my case:

Q9450 at 3.2ghz
8gb ram
1 card reader
1 audigy 2zs card with front bay
1 dlink wireless pci-e N card
4870x2
2400pro
24 port areca raid card with 2gb ram
several quiet case fans
3 5 in 3 athena hot swap cages. only 1 harddrive currently however
1 dvd burner.

is 450 watts loaded running seti normal? its about 369 watts idle when i pause seti.
Elledan
03-12-2009, 11:15 AM
Seems rather high, yes. I would expect idle to be around 200-250 Watt or so. Of course, my experience is mostly with more basic systems. I have no idea how much power a RAID card for example uses.

For comparison, my dual-core X2 Athlon, 4 GB, 3 HDD, 8800 GTS system uses around 70 Watt idle. 369 is many multiples of that :eek:
matrix563
03-12-2009, 11:37 AM
well the raid card basically has its own cpu on it (a p3 variant). maybe it is correct :eek:
soulesschild
03-12-2009, 11:42 AM
That's including your monitors, etc?

My setup including monitors idles @ about 360, loaded around 567 (Crysis)
Copyright
03-12-2009, 11:44 AM
Its probably right.. I idle around 200-220W but dont have as much in my rig. Your monitor is probably pulling a good chunk of that also.
matrix563
03-12-2009, 11:46 AM
nope not including monitor i don't think, and besides, the ups wouldn't show me what other things are pulling would it, only the computer?
Copyright
03-12-2009, 11:47 AM
nope not including monitor i don't think, and besides, the ups wouldn't show me what other things are pulling would it, only the computer?

The UPS will show you whatever you have plugged into the battery side that is pulling power. Including routers etc. When I turn my monitor off it drops by quite a bit.
matrix563
03-12-2009, 11:52 AM
The UPS will show you whatever you have plugged into the battery side that is pulling power. Including routers etc. When I turn my monitor off it drops by quite a bit.

ah u may be right, it shows 360 watts when i turn the monitor off :D. i feel stupid :(;)
Copyright
03-12-2009, 12:19 PM
ah u may be right, it shows 360 watts when i turn the monitor off :D. i feel stupid :(;)

I wouldn't have known if I hadn't just bought a UPC my self recently. With my monitor off im around 160-170watts idle.
epimetheus
03-12-2009, 12:36 PM
UPS's are not known for measuring power accurately...
Copyright
03-12-2009, 12:38 PM
UPS's are not known for measuring power accurately...

I kind of thought this already but atleast it can give us some sort of an idea of power consumption.
matrix563
03-15-2009, 08:48 AM
UPS's are not known for measuring power accurately...

what about a ups attached by usb to the pc? that should be pretty accurate no?
matrix563
03-15-2009, 08:51 AM
its about 270 watts idle, monitor off, 369 with monitor and 450 with seti going. only monitor currently is the westy at 20% brightness.

however, i may have my wireless N router and cable modem plugged in. so thats like 230-250 watts idle? that sounds about right :).
Blue Fox
03-15-2009, 09:45 AM
well the raid card basically has its own cpu on it (a p3 variant). maybe it is correct :eek:
RAID card uses about 10w. They're also nothing like a Pentium 3. Only similarity would be clock speed since they are ARM based.
matrix563
03-15-2009, 10:08 AM
well i saw 800mhz and assumed p3 like. oops ;) :p

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XScale :D
Zero82z
03-15-2009, 12:29 PM
what about a ups attached by usb to the pc? that should be pretty accurate no?
Not really.
Dad_of_Three
03-16-2009, 08:22 PM
My system shows 386w on my CyberPower 1500va UPS. This is with monitor on in idle. With i7 on full load it shows 495w.
thebeephaha
03-17-2009, 02:53 AM
UPS's are not known for measuring power accurately...

I dunno, my CyberPower unit which uses the same software as the OP is very close to my Kill-a-Watt. Not like that is super accurate either but they give a good ballpark.

OP, I think that is plenty normal for your setup.

My rig in my signature with two monitors, a 24 and a 20, pulls like 450-475 sitting doing nothing at all. Over 600w when I am gaming or around 500ish maxing out my CPU.
Zero82z
03-17-2009, 11:25 AM
I dunno, my CyberPower unit which uses the same software as the OP is very close to my Kill-a-Watt.
That's because both measure power usage in the same way, and therefore are both equally inaccurate when dealing with APFC PSUs.