Computer Energy Saving – 10 Useful Tips

During this time of going green, many companies and individuals are trying everything they can to be more eco friendly. At the same time, cutting energy usages reduces costs. Useful computer energy saving tips can help you save money and power.

The first tip is to verify that your computer has an 80 Plus Certification power supply, meaning that it is at least 80 percent efficient across different ranges of loads. The second computer energy saving tip is to consider updating an older monitor to a flat panel monitor. LCD screens use about a third of the energy that older models do. Thirdly, create a setting on your computer that will shut off the monitor or at least put it into power-saving mode after about 10 to 20 minutes of non-use. Similarly, set your hard drive to shut down after 30 minutes of inactivity. These settings can be accessed through Windows Control Panel. Next, set the monitor’s brightness to a level appropriate for the lighting of the room it is in. A dark room does not require the screen to be as bright, and therefore use as much energy, as one in a bright room. The buttons on the front of the monitor can be used to change this setting.

When you leave your home or office for more than two hours, you should turn the power off to contribute to your computer energy saving efforts. This saves energy, and it is good for proper computer maintenance to power off daily. Similarly, tip number six is to enable the power-saving mode of your computer that puts the computer to sleep until activity is sensed by the movement of the mouse. A screen saver, as this tip attests to, is not the same as putting the monitor into power-saving mode. It was designed for older monitors to prevent burn in. For gamers, the next tip may come as a surprise. Upgrade your video card to the most recent on the market. The newest cards not only perform at a higher level, they also use about 10 percent less energy to run.

Consider purchasing and using laptops more than desktops when possible, as they use far less energy. For laptops, turn off the wireless capabilities when they are not in use. This will allow you to get extra time on your device because it uses less battery. Hopefully these ten tips satisfy your computer energy saving desires and contribute to the money-saving efforts you are making. You can expect to begin making substantial savings immediately!

This entry was posted on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 9:10 am and is filed under Eco-Friendly. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.