Save power by choosing the right system and software configuration.
A computer’s power consumption is driven by a number of more or less power-hungry components: In addition to electronic components such as the CPU, RAM, and motherboard are mechanical components such as optical drives and the hard disk. The biggest power hogs are the monitor, the CPU, the mechanical components, and the graphics card. Notebooks are less power hungry in general because vendors tend to use more economical hardware to improve battery life. Whereas a portable PC requires about 20 watts for normal operation, even the most frugal desktop will want 80 watts – not counting the monitor (see the box titled “Desktop Consumption”).
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