Could my Mac Pro be the reason for the recent climb in my electricity bill? I used to pay about $40 but after getting the Mac Pro early September my bill is up to around $80. I live in Southern California and leave my Mac on 24/7.
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Power Hungry Mac Pro?
- Thread starter freezerburrn
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I don't know exactly what the electricity prices are in your area. But from looking at the numbers on the power consumption of the Mac Pro I found on the web this increase in your electricity bill looks like a bit much, but still within the possible range. But this is assuming a relatively high electricity price and a Mac Pro with many expansions and a constant high load.
Did summer vs. winter electricity rates go into effect? I know that here in Maryland the prices change with the season. I'm not sure which is more expensive though. Or if this applies at all to SoCal. 
It's not you mac...
Look at your old bill as your usage, and then look at your current usage. So Cal Edison raised their rates AGAIN. I'm in the same boat, except mine when from $200 to $400
Transeau's computers
You have a VERY sick setup! What do you do??? Can I apply..or can you adopt me?
You have a VERY sick setup! What do you do??? Can I apply..or can you adopt me?
Looks like a rate hike then vs. just higher consumption.It's not you mac...
Does the OP sleep their Mac or just leave it idling 24/7?
*blush*
ThanksI do lots with it.. I routinely have up to 8 VMware sessions open, alone with several dozen terminal windows, firefox, mail, iTunes, and 5~10 Windows Remote Desktop connections and VNC connections.
I'm a contracted IT manager for small~medium medical groups, so I'm constantly working with my various clients. Each client get it's on VMware box (a remote client on their network).. that's most of my memory and power right there.
On the side I edit home movies for people. and I'm getting into developing for OS X. (I'd like to move my clients from Windows based medical management to OS X based)
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I have nearly the same setup as you. My MP heats my office. No literally. I actually wonder how I'll work on it in the summer as even in mid-october when I got it, I could feel the heat just roll out from under the desk, sometimes even under fairly light loads. If >$40 rolls you up into Tier 4 or 5 rates (I assume your an SCE or SDG&E customer, you'd have to live right on the coast to have so few baseline kwh), that extra $40 only buys you 160kwh which is only 222watts/hour for a month. I think that is a very real possibility with a machine loaded up as you seem to indicate.
Wow! On Edit, Apple says the MP can draw 12 amps...@120volts that's 1440 watts, equivalent to a hair dryer. Yes your MP could cause that kind of bill spike. I wouldn't have thought the MP had that kind of power supply...guess I'll go look at that.
Yeah, as everyone else said, the Mac Pro is a heavy duty machine. Apparently, even the FB-DIMM sticks use 5-10 watts each.
David
David
Yes its power supply is over kill its never going to actually use the 1440 watts. 400 watts is more reasonable. But if you load the machine up they need a big enough power supply for it......
It does. Most workstations come with 750 watts with the option to go 1 kilowatt for SLI.
I love your link BTW.
Okay - my box (see sig) at power up draws 5.5 Amps.. Something near 400 watts. At idle (browsing and stuff) it draws about 2.3 amps (280 watts). Folding brings me up to 350 watts and 2.95~3.0 amps. I don't have any serious games, but some basic 3d gets me up to 365 Watts.
Once it get off my ass, install XP and BF2, I'll let you know what it's drawing under some nice 3D
40$$!! oh my. wish we could have power in Ireland this cheap! even 80$ would be nice
It does seem cheap but then again if everything in the OP house is gas and the $40 is only for the lights, computer, tv, etc... than I guess it looks okay.
Frederic
My MacPro blows the breakers in my house 2 out of every 4 times I turn it on and has blown the electricity in my whole building twice!
The 30 ACD prolly helps too...hehe