Dell Optiplex GX50 SFF
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No question, just thought to post hardware that had no issues. I wasn't sure where else to put it, so I posted in the hardware forum.
Do people not post successful hardware here?
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Ah sorry.
Yes some do, but usually it's connected with some kind of issue, so i didnt know what to make of your post :DDo you know how much power the whole system draws?
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I finally picked up a Kill-A-Watt device to check power draw. Just sitting there and with light web browsing using a transparent proxy and traffic shaping the system pulls around 35W.
While downloading at 15Mbps and 300Kbps upload and around 300 active states, the system pulls around 49W. With this load the CPU is running around 40% with the occasional spike to 80%, so I'm guessing the system could handle 30Mbps or so fine.
While booting and accessing the harddrive, it pulls around 62W.
Any ideas how this compares with other more embedded solutions?
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http://pcengines.ch/alix.htm
The ALIX which can push over 50 Mbit/s can be powered over PoE.
The page says it uses about 5W, but the PoE specs and the PSU provided in the onlineshop are for up to 15W.So even if it's not as low as 5W it's maximum 15W.
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I could probably shave off a few watts by using a CF instead of a harddisk. Still, five times the power envelope for a six an a half year old fat system isn't too bad. Cost for power is around $3/month (plus cooling costs), which I can live with. And considering the small out of pocket cost, it'd take me years just to make that up in power costs.
Still, I really want to get one of those embedded boards to play with. Maybe when this system dies?
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After monitoring the power for 30 days, the system used 27.5 KWH of power, and transferred 428GB of data. I feel pretty satisfied with the functionality for $3/month electricity usage (+ cooling costs).
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For the other readers:
27500 Wh / 720 h= 38.2 W power consumption.
Not that bad, considering it's not an embedded system. -
My 1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo desktop pulls about 115 Watts while idling, and about 200 Watts under load. So yeah, for what is basically an old desktop it's doing really well.
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I am using an old Dell OpiPlex GX150 desktop which is a 1Ghz PIII with 512MB ram and 40gig IBM Deathstar hard drive which only draws about 32 watts at idle and about 45 watts max. For something that is big as a desktop with a fan I'd say it's pretty darn good.
One of these days I'm going to convert the PC into a hybrid embedded system meaning no fans and no hard drive. It'll save a few watts but not so much. Still cheaper than buying a $300 embedded device.
For remote office environments I always go embedded since no moving parts to worry about. However, if I am successful of taking an old Dell PC with low power draw and convert it into a hybrid it'll save it from going to e-waste since for a router it's got plenty of life left in it and save some money too.
Darkk
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Do you plan on converting the existing power supply to fanless, or are you going to purchase a new fanless power supply?
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Do you plan on converting the existing power supply to fanless, or are you going to purchase a new fanless power supply?
I may have to replace the power supply with a fanless model. The entire PC doesn't need alot of power to run so I can probably get away with a small factor 100 watt PS unit once I change the hard drive to a CF or laptop hard drive and no fans. I'd very happy if the entire thing runs under 20 watts but not likely due to the PIII. Lucky it's not a P4, power hungry little beast.
Darkk
