IS Electric Ltd

How much power does my ‘whats-it’ use?

I recently picked up a UPM EM130 Electronic Dual Rate Energy Meter. Now I can take convenient and I hope reasonably accurate measurements of the power consumption of some common equipment. These numbers are from what I have handy to measure. Bear in mind that different brands and models will give different numbers.

Item Use Watts

Microclient Sr (USB keyboard, laser mouse, running Damn Small Linux from CF card) Booting 6 - 8 watts

Microclient Sr (OK, maybe the Microclient isn't “common equipment”) Web browser, text editor in use 7 watts

Microclient Sr (But it is interesting to note the power saving compared to a standard PC) Idle 5 watts

17” CRT monitor (ViewSonic G771) Powering on, momentary 246 watts

17” CRT monitor Power saver mode 0 watts

17” CRT monitor Text mode (colour) 32 watts

17” CRT monitor Graphical mode 43 watts

19” LCD monitor (LG Flatron L1952TX-BF) Power saver mode 0 watts

19” LCD monitor Graphical mode 17 watts

Acer Aspire One ZG5 Power supply alone 0 watts

Acer Aspire One ZG5 Plugged in to computer (battery fully charged) 0 watts

Acer Aspire One ZG5 Booting Mandriva 2009 runlevel 5 (graphical boot) from internal SSD 14 - 18 watts

Acer Aspire One ZG5 Booted, idle 13 watts

Acer Aspire One ZG5 Browser, email with attachments, image viewer in use 13 - 18 watts

Samsung CLX-2160 multifunction colour laser Starting 830 - 839 watts

Samsung CLX-2160 idle 11 watts

Samsung CLX-2160 Colour copy - scanning 14 watts

Samsung CLX-2160 Colour copy - printing wild fluctuation 11 610 820 516 31 413 24 11

PC (Generic AMD XP-M 1900+ 1.6 GHz with 768 Mb ram, 80 Gb HD, CD/DVD combo drive, floppy (yes it's that old), PS2 keyboard and PS2 ball mouse (why haven't I changed that?)) Shutdown 4 watts (nearly as much 'off' as the Microclient running!)

PC Booting Mandriva Linux from HD 53 - 58 watts (PF 60)

PC Idle 52 - 54 watts (PF 60)

PC Wordprocessor, spreadsheet, calculator, ftp downloading and tv show streaming, load average 2+ ~55 watts

Small stereo (JVC MX-J300) Off 10 watts

Small stereo On, idle 15 watts

Small stereo Playing FM 15 watts

Small stereo Playing CD 17 watts

Item	Use	Watts
Microclient Sr (USB keyboard, laser mouse, running Damn Small Linux from CF card)	Booting	6 - 8 watts
Microclient Sr (OK, maybe the Microclient isn't “common equipment”)	Web browser, text editor in use	7 watts
Microclient Sr (But it is interesting to note the power saving compared to a standard PC)	Idle	5 watts
17” CRT monitor (ViewSonic G771)	Powering on, momentary	246 watts
17” CRT monitor	Power saver mode	0 watts
17” CRT monitor	Text mode (colour)	32 watts
17” CRT monitor	Graphical mode	43 watts
19” LCD monitor (LG Flatron L1952TX-BF)	Power saver mode	0 watts
19” LCD monitor	Graphical mode	17 watts
Acer Aspire One ZG5	Power supply alone	0 watts
Acer Aspire One ZG5	Plugged in to computer (battery fully charged)	0 watts
Acer Aspire One ZG5	Booting Mandriva 2009 runlevel 5 (graphical boot) from internal SSD	14 - 18 watts
Acer Aspire One ZG5	Booted, idle	13 watts
Acer Aspire One ZG5	Browser, email with attachments, image viewer in use	13 - 18 watts
Samsung CLX-2160 multifunction colour laser	Starting	830 - 839 watts
Samsung CLX-2160	idle	11 watts
Samsung CLX-2160	Colour copy - scanning	14 watts
Samsung CLX-2160	Colour copy - printing	wild fluctuation 11 610 820 516 31 413 24 11
PC (Generic AMD XP-M 1900+ 1.6 GHz with 768 Mb ram, 80 Gb HD, CD/DVD combo drive, floppy (yes it's that old), PS2 keyboard and PS2 ball mouse (why haven't I changed that?))	Shutdown	4 watts (nearly as much 'off' as the Microclient running!)
PC	Booting Mandriva Linux from HD	53 - 58 watts (PF 60)
PC	Idle	52 - 54 watts (PF 60)
PC	Wordprocessor, spreadsheet, calculator, ftp downloading and tv show streaming, load average 2+	~55 watts
Small stereo (JVC MX-J300)	Off	10 watts
Small stereo	On, idle	15 watts
Small stereo	Playing FM	15 watts
Small stereo	Playing CD	17 watts

back to tips page