Gaming PC vs. Space Heater Efficiency

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Just for giggles, the folks at Puget System decided to compare the heat output of a common space heater to a high-end gaming rig. The results might not be what you expect. :cool:

You may think that a space heater, which is created solely for producing heat, would be better suited to the task of warming up a room than a computer. But when you think about it, nearly everything that a computer does ends up creating heat. And if you have ever touched a high-end gaming PC after an intense gaming session, you know that computers can be very good at generating heat.
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My AMD FX-8120 will keep your home nice and toasty! No more frozen pipes in the winter!
 
copy that, I cant use my desktop in the summer. my office goes from 75 to 90 in no time, the AC cant compete with the sun on the blinds and the volcano PC
 
I have a 6-ton unit on a 2250 sq foot highly insulated house and I still had to put one of those Window AC units in the computer room. That was after I had the AC guy run a second duct to my computer room from the main ac lol.
 
The electronics in my house will maintain it at 67 degree's down to about 50 outside.
 
And remember to have the kids throw another log on the xbox to keep warm as well. =)
 
People generate more waste heat when they exercise we should be mandated to be couch potatoes.
 
I moved my FX8120 rig from a desk to a cabinet my 3DTV sat on. After gaming for 15-20 minutes the thing would suddenly freeze, or BSOD. NEVER did this before. I figured out it was a heat issue. The cabinet was totally open in the front but closed in the back with the exception of a 2" hole for cables. I stuck my hand in the cabinet area and it was like sticking my hand in an oven. The solution was remove the back cover and add some metal brackets to keep the cabinet square. Now heat can't build up and the system does fine.
 
Sweet, I wonder how much I'd have to spend to upgrade my rig so it matches the heat output of my 2000W heater?
 
ryuen said:
Sweet, I wonder how much I'd have to spend to upgrade my rig so it matches the heat output of my 2000W heater?
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I think more to the point this is a great way to convince the wife you need a new system/sever. Look dear we could buy a new space heater, but a new server will actually be slightly more efficient and it will be able to ...
 
Just get a couple old Pentium D systems and you're good to go!
 
Known that for years. lol. My PC tends to run 24/7 and has allowed me to shut off the Radiator in my PC room, even in winter. For reference I live in Minnesota, not the warmest of winter states... :)
 
To save on dough I keep my house a balmy 55-58 in the cold months. Even though my computer doesn't match some 1000W heater, closing the door to my office and working/gaming away will up the temp a good 5-10 degrees depending on length of time. If I leave the door open, that whole section of the house is up 2-3 degrees. With the electrical cost of heating by computer so much lower than the heating oil cost, I don't mind the small bump in power bill each month.
 
Is this really not what we expect? Watts in = Watts out, there is no such thing as "efficiency" when it comes to electronics as far as power dumped off to the air, the power has to go somewhere it doesn't magically disappear just because it was used to compute some numbers. If you have computer pulling 1000 watts, it will dump the same amount of energy into the room as a 1000 watt space heater.

I always say this in my hobby that's more expensive than this, saltwater reefs, 100 watts of pumps moving water makes the temperature rise just as much as 100 watts of heaters, only difference is that's 100 watts that's on all the time, it doesn't have the ability to turn off and on if it gets too hot. Just like a computer, if it's a hot day you probably wouldn't want to turn on your space heater, but you might flip your computer on and play a bit :D
 
Sounds like some in this thread need proper cpu cooling installed.
 
Back when I ran two GTX 480s I had to keep my window cracked during the winter they made it so hot.
 
Those crappy little heaters are pretty wasteful.

If you get the larger oil heaters, they use less energy while keeping the room at a more even temperature.

In fact, pretty much any electric coil/radiator space heater is very inefficient unless modified with a better fan (squirrel cage fan). They go from way under-performing to being able to heat up a room about 3-4x as fast.
 
Rahh said:
Sounds like some in this thread need proper cpu cooling installed.
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Heat is heat. If your machine uses 1000w, no matter what, it is expelling that much heat.

I have a 4 CPU rig that uses a Honda radiator and 5 water pumps. While the CPU's stay cool, it freaking spews heat. Not high temp air, but an arse load of warm air.
 
I have three servers, an HTPC, and my main machine with a Core i7 3930k and dual GTX680s, in a 730 sq ft apartment. I never need to turn on my furnace, but my A/C bills in the summer are killer.
 
Prescott Pentium 4 machines. Those things were a nuclear plant.
 
maademperor said:
copy that, I cant use my desktop in the summer. my office goes from 75 to 90 in no time, the AC cant compete with the sun on the blinds and the volcano PC
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Ditto, it was to the point I was considering enclosing the desktop and routing the exhaust into the adjacent guest bathroom.

Instead for now I just have a supplemental 6000BTU window AC unit in my game room, to supplement the central air.

That way I don't have to chill the whole house to get one room cool in the summer when the computer is on.
 
Rahh said:
Sounds like some in this thread need proper cpu cooling installed.
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I was going to write "In before better heatsinks or water cooling keeps your room cooler" but seems I'm too late.

Back in the day I was living in a tiny room and just left my PC on to keep the room warm at night.
 
Works out perfectly for me. Summer time I get outside time, riding my bike, hiking, or whatever, winter time I'm at home lazy-gaming and the cold temperature keeps my PC cool but the heat generated from gaming keeps my loins warm. Aaaah the life of balance.
 
I remember years ago there was a guy that buried the radiator for his PC outside deep enough so the ambient temp of the soil was able to dissipate the heat. IIRC the pump wasn't even in his room either so he didn't need fans, had zero pump noise and the PC radiated very little heat.
 
Aren't all electric heaters 100% efficient, PC's included? Excluding heat pumps of course. But other than heat pumps, all heaters take X watts of electrical energy and dump the same X watts of thermal energy in to a room. The only question is how much they spread it around the room vs how much the heat stays close to the heater.
 
My room is 10 degrees warmer on average than the rest of the house which is temperature controlled. If the PC has been on + the plasma especially.
 
This article is pretty dumb. Who actually games with THREE TITANS? I think the majority of gaming PC power draw is around 300 watts or less. almost all of my rigs have been around 250watts while gaming. maybe 300 while benchmarking.

a space heater uses 1000-1500 watts, to get a PC in that territory you would have to spend some serious cash and id also like to point out electric heat (unless solar) isn't nearly as efficient as natural gas.

The only thing i agree with, if your going to game anyway then the free heat is a bonus in the winter time.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Is this really not what we expect? Watts in = Watts out,...
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Well, it's a legitimate question.. The computer does "work", computing, etc. So it's understandable people being curious how much energy that might use. There's probably some energy lost in the fans/wind turbulence too, but that helps distribute the heat. It's expected there to be some small amount of energy loss, and they tried to determine how much. I thought it was a good idea to try testing it. They need to use something graphical that has a consistent power load, and do a bit better controlled experiment. The lines might be even closer.

The cool thing about their findings is, if they can find a way to engineer a CPU that doesn't waste nearly as much energy as heat (as current cpu's do), we can have really high powered computing that will run on just a few watts. This could lead to some amazing things. With a few solar cells, you could carry a really powerful computer. Likely cell phones will get better battery life. Stuff like that.
 
lol, that's why I prefer desktop systems (including the monitor) which don't exceed 100W during normal/light use.
 
This is basically what I was doing a year ago with bitcoin mining. I had a rig in several rooms and most of them remained warm throughout the winter. I didn't need to turn the heater on as much.
 
J So said:
I remember years ago there was a guy that buried the radiator for his PC outside deep enough so the ambient temp of the soil was able to dissipate the heat. IIRC the pump wasn't even in his room either so he didn't need fans, had zero pump noise and the PC radiated very little heat.
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My wife won't let me use the PC's as a pool heater. :( Pity.

I was going to make a heated toilet for upstairs, but the newer toilets do not hold enough water to keep the CPU temp down, you end up with very hot toilet water, and limited overclocking headroom. Get it. Headroom? I slay me.
 
pxc said:
lol, that's why I prefer desktop systems (including the monitor) which don't exceed 100W during normal/light use.
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If it don't dim the streetlights when you boot, watt good is it? (sic)
 
I get my serious folding on in the winter to keep the house warm. My boiler is just not that efficient.

;)
 
Tudz said:
Aren't all electric heaters 100% efficient, PC's included? Excluding heat pumps of course. But other than heat pumps, all heaters take X watts of electrical energy and dump the same X watts of thermal energy in to a room. The only question is how much they spread it around the room vs how much the heat stays close to the heater.
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Efficiency is a funny thing depending on your definition. Ultimately, most things are 100% efficient at converting energy to heat. Heat = vibrations/motion of molecules. But realistically - a PC isn't 100% efficient at direct conversion of electricity to heat. Some of that energy goes toward fan motion, light generation on your monitor, battery and capacitor recharge, etc. But give it long enough and ya, all of that eventually translates into molecular motion somewhere outside the system boundary of the PC.

But to be less technical - yes - gaming PCs make great space heaters. I know my SLI 670s and my overclocked chip warm up a good size office significantly. If I close the door - it gets downright hot while gaming. I don't think electricity is the cheapest form of home heating - but I'll take the bonus since I'll be gaming anyway :p
 
Ponder said:
I think more to the point this is a great way to convince the wife you need a new system/sever. Look dear we could buy a new space heater, but a new server will actually be slightly more efficient and it will be able to ...
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Yep, that is the only was to interpret this article :p

Heh, here in Ottawa Canada come winter time my apt living room is toasty, I keep the bedroom cool so I have to keep the lady warm.
 
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