How can i customize my pc for power savings?

Question

i am always leaving my pc on to download stuff and how can i turn down the power imput or make it to the minimum so that my electric bill won't go to high? i remember there was a way to do something in control panel but forgot how to...

Answer 1

Your computer won't go into "sleep" mode if the network connection is active. The simplist thing to do is turn the monitor off. Next, take the side off the case and disconnect all the case fans (not the one on the CPU or power supply, though). If you are really interested in saving power, buy a laptop. A typical desktop draws 150W on average, a laptop draws around 30W. If you have a CRT, switch to an LCD screen.

For power management when the network connection is not running, read this:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/sleep.mspx

Answer 2

In control panel you have Power Options from which you can customise what your computer does when the computer is not used to a particular amount of time.

But since you would be downloading files you cannot put ur system on standby or turn off the hard disk. So the best you can do is select turn off monitor after 2 min. Monitor would turn off after 2 min and would get down your power Bill.

If you are a power user. And need some more saving go to BIOS by pressing Del or F2 when ur system is booting and disable the CD ROM, USB (if u dont have a USB Keyboard), Sound and other unused devices.

Further more you can select a Lower Clock speed for your Processor( IF your Mother Board supports) which would make the system run at lesser speed consuming less power.

If you need any further clarifications you can get back to me.

Answer 3

first, don't use a screensaver, they use just as much power as leaving your monitor on. if you want to continue downloading and save energy, close any programs that don't need to be running. leave your firewall and antivirus software going though.

go into power management in the control panel, and then power schemes. edit a power profile so that your monitor turns off after a couple of minutes of being idle and click ok. there's not much more you can do in power management if you want your computer to continue working while you're not using it. the hibernate and suspend functions pretty much cause your computer to shutdown so that almost no power is used, yet when you come back to your computer, the applications you were running are still there.

as long as your computer is on, whether it's running at full throttle or just idling, there isn't too much of a power difference. most of your savings will come from keeping your monitor off. if you can, switch to a low power lcd screen from one of the bulky monitors.

turn your printer on only when you need to use it. don't leave it on when it's not in being used to print.

keep your computer updated with microsoft's updates. there was a bug that wasted power through usb devices that was fixed through their updates.

keep your fan free of dust, it won't have to work as hard to keep your cpu cool. try not to keep your computer in a dusty area and keep it well maintained. make sure there is enough room behind your computer's fan to allow heat to dissipate.

if you leave your computer idling for long periods of time, you may be interested in installing software that runs in the background, processing treatments and cures for diseases like cancer, aids, and muscular dystrophy. if you go to www.worldcommunitygrid.org, you can read all about it, and if you decide to join, please join my team "Feces Throwing Monkeys". this project is supported by IBM, and everybody can make a difference.

Answer 4

On my computer its in the display section of the control panel

Answer 5

If you're in XP it's called power options in the control panel.

Answer 6

Control panel, display, screensaver, advanced in that order!