Is there a way to figure out how much wattage my computer is taking up?

Question

Is there a program? If not, where can I find out how much each of my peripherals are using?

i have an athlon 64 3700+ (oc to 2.6), 512 mb ram, 3 case fans, 1 160 gb hd, 1 dvd burner, 1 128 geForce 7300 pci-e card, 1 tv tuner

is 300 watt power supply sufficient? or do i need 350 or 400?

thanks for the help amd.com was the best solution. need to dl the watt monitor.

Answer 1

Well if you want to know how much it is actually using, use one of the tools someone else suggested. Now if you wanna know how big a power supply you NEED, here is a link http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
I did a quick run-through and it said you needed 346W, but you could probably do a more accurate one yourself.

Answer 2

Though there is a calculator on the web, it is actually pretty easy to take the powersupply size in watts, and realize that it is the MAXIMUM, and probably runs at 50% of that number.

If your Desktop advertised a 500 watt supply, under normal running conditions, it is probably pulling 200 to 250 watts.

The CRT monitors usually consume about 300 to 350 watts, and in sleep mode, about 30 to 40 watts.

ALSO, you really need to consider the 'heat load' on your home air conditioner! That can be considerable, and a reason to switch to LCD monitors! figured our LCD higher cost to purchase was amortized in 8 months, when we calculated the heat load of the old CRT!

Now, to convert my other seven monitors to LCD!

The LCDs usually consume about 30 to 45 watts when on, and 10 to 20 watts, in sleep mode.

I bought a 'kill-a-watt' device that I can plug stuff into, and then it plugs into the outlet, and measures over time, and tells me the useage, for a week, a month, a year... It was $38 delivered.

Answer 3

There is a tool called the "Kill-A-Watt" which allows you to plug in appliances and see how much wattage they are using.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/7657/
It's a great tool, description follows:
The Kill-A-Watt allows you to connect your appliances and assess how efficient they are. A large LCD display counts consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, just like utility companies. You can figure out your electrical expenses by the hour, day, week, month, even an entire year. Monitor the quality of your power by displaying Voltage, Line Frequency, and Power Factor.

Answer 4

You need a power meter to measure the wattage. There's no such program to measure power unless it's part of a piece of digital test equipment.

You could measure the current with an ac amp meter.
amps x volts = watts

Answer 5

There are some AMD tools like Cool 'n' Quiet that show wattage and Mhz. www.amd.com

Answer 6

a lot of home improvement stores have a device that you can buy that plugs into your outlet and then allows you to plug into it. it will tell you how much wattage you are using up.