Boinc current cost !

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Message 63133 - Posted: 11 Jan 2005, 22:22:49 UTC

Hi to all,..

I´ve been meassuring my power consumption with and without Boinc running and where surprised about the 40 Watt extra Boinc consumed. Is there somebody who knows how to reduce to this ?
I think the 100% processor usage takes me to this high consuming level,... Running threathmaster is no solution because i want Boinc to analyse FAST :-)
Would watercooling or an arctic cooler have a positive
effect on this issue ?



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Profile Paul D. Buck
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Message 63137 - Posted: 11 Jan 2005, 23:00:44 UTC - in response to Message 63133.  

> Hi to all,..
>
> I´ve been meassuring my power consumption with and without Boinc running and
> where surprised about the 40 Watt extra Boinc consumed. Is there somebody who
> knows how to reduce to this ?
> I think the 100% processor usage takes me to this high consuming level,...
> Running threathmaster is no solution because i want Boinc to analyse FAST :-)
> Would watercooling or an arctic cooler have a positive
> effect on this issue ?

The only way to reduce the load is to stop running BOINC. When BOINC is running, by definition, the power consumption is going to be high and the processor is always going to run 100% of the time.
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Profile MattDavis
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Message 63138 - Posted: 11 Jan 2005, 23:07:08 UTC

I wonder how much money my computers are costing on electricity. I pay a flat rent rate every month so I don't mind having many computers up running Boinc 8)
-----
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Message 63139 - Posted: 11 Jan 2005, 23:10:02 UTC - in response to Message 63133.  

> Hi to all,..
>
> I´ve been meassuring my power consumption with and without Boinc running and
> where surprised about the 40 Watt extra Boinc consumed. Is there somebody who
> knows how to reduce to this ?
> I think the 100% processor usage takes me to this high consuming level,...
> Running threathmaster is no solution because i want Boinc to analyse FAST :-)
> Would watercooling or an arctic cooler have a positive
> effect on this issue ?
>
>
>
>

Running an enhanced CPU cooler will not reduce your power consumption, but instead will increase it. Running the cpu at a cooler temperature won't change the amount of power the CPU uses, but the bigger 'cooler' will use more power moving the heat away from the cpu at a faster rate.

Now, that said, running your CPU at a cooler temperature WILL extend its life and cut down on random errors (especially if you have overclocked it). One thing you might want to look at is if you are near the design current capacity of your computer's power supply on one or more voltages. Power Supplies work more efficiently when they are not near (or at) capacity, wasteing less electricity as heat. So, if your power supply *IS* near capacity, replacing it with a higher-capacity model will save you a small fraction on your power usage.

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Message 63148 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 0:01:26 UTC

You're kidding, right?

Most light bulbs use more than 40 watts
<a href="http://www.brainsmashr.com"><img src="http://www.brainsmashr.com/signature.gif"><img src="http://brainsmashr.com/boinc/counter_big.php?id=305369&amp;project=seti&amp;ctx=white&amp;cva=red&amp;cbo=white&amp;cbg=black&amp;linethickness=2"></a>
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Message 63163 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 1:40:35 UTC - in response to Message 63148.  

> You're kidding, right?
>
> Most light bulbs use more than 40 watts
>

17 'puters.... 40 watts each....

I'M BLIND! I'M BLIND
<img src="http://www.boincstats.com/stats/teambanner.php?teamname=GasBuddy"> <img src="http://www.boincstats.com/stats/banner.php?cpid=84c0cf7846cbf28338406e54b3eb8a83">
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Message 63166 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 1:52:11 UTC - in response to Message 63138.  
Last modified: 12 Jan 2005, 1:55:18 UTC

> I wonder how much money my computers are costing on electricity. I pay a flat
> rent rate every month so I don't mind having many computers up running Boinc
> 8)
>

An even more interesting figure would be when you start to calculate this out from a global perspective. Imagine that all computers around the world running BOINC consumes extra 40W...

Happy crunching
Happy crunching
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Message 63168 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 1:54:33 UTC

Hey, Honey,...Place an extra mouse or two on the wheel.... I wanna run seti!!!

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Message 63184 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 2:17:56 UTC - in response to Message 63141.  


> Heat causes higher resistance and higher resistance causes
> higher power consumption.

In silicon the hotter it gets the more leakage & hence more current causing more leakage, making it hotter etc. Hence thermal runaway & dead semi-conductors.
Grant
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Message 63185 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 2:23:18 UTC
Last modified: 12 Jan 2005, 2:34:50 UTC

Ok I went to the truck and got my clamp on ammeter and my Fluke 87 (series III) multimeter.
Seti/boinc is running on this puter (HP pavillion 8490, P3 500mhz, win 98)
Place probes in socket = 121.8 Vac
slice open power cable,
Clamp on probe = .3A hmm does not scale lower, to bad.

anyway, turn seti off, clamp on probe = .2A

Turn seti back on =.3A repeat this a couple times, results consistant.

So a 100% cpu load does indeed increase current demand.

Thinking about whether or no to cut the cord and place multimeter, set to A, in series with the cord?? This would give a more accurate result.

anyway. P=V x I so P (watts)=121.8 x .3=36.54 watts

current electric rate 8 cents/Kwatthr so .08 x .03654=.0029232 dollars per hour of run time, or .29 cents per hour. .29 x 24hours = 7 cents a day. 7 cents x 30 days (month) = 2.1004704 dollars a month.

Can you afford this much???

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Message 63189 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 2:35:50 UTC - in response to Message 63185.  

> So a 100% cpu load does indeed increase current demand.

Yep.
With most software (email, word processing, web browsing, databse entry) CPU usage woul dbe lucky to be as high as 10% (WinNT/2k/XP can bring up the task manager to see just what processes are using what% of the CPU- usually it's idle that's got the largest amount of "usage").
Seti, predictor, graphic intensive games, large database queries, spreadsheets with lots of interrative (sp?) calculations will actaully push a CPU to full load.
Grant
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Message 63197 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:17:38 UTC - in response to Message 63185.  

> Clamp on probe = .3A hmm does not scale lower, to bad.
>
> anyway, turn seti off, clamp on probe = .2A
>
> Turn seti back on =.3A repeat this a couple times, results consistant.

Surely the amount used by Seti is the difference between these, ie .1A ???????


>"anyway. P=V x I so P (watts)=121.8 x .3=36.54 watts" ??????????????

70c a month !!!!!
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Message 63204 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:29:40 UTC - in response to Message 63193.  
Last modified: 12 Jan 2005, 3:31:36 UTC

> SETI/BOINC has 159,672 Active hosts at $2.10 a month times 159,672
> hosts = $335,311.20 a month to operate the entire SETI/BOINC program.
> $335,311.20 X 12 months = $4,023,734.40 a year to run SETI/BOINC !!
>
> That's alot of money, Jeez!!!!

Its a terrible assumption that all 159,672 active hosts are active 24/7. I would think it is only a fairly small percentage that are actually hardcore crunchers that run 24/7.

Also, i'm more concerned about the health of my PC, running at 100% usage 24/7. Anyone have any idea of the life expectancy of an Intel P4 HT 3.2G?
Kolch - Crunching for the BOINC@Australia team since July 2004.
Search for your own intelligence...
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Message 63205 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:29:53 UTC

Its the cost or running these machines 24*7 which stops me getting more. There is always a good bargan to be had on ebay - another machine - another 8/10 wu a day. Its the 3 to 4 quid (uk money) a month each to run the things.

Free electricity for seti users would win my vote.


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Message 63208 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:32:14 UTC
Last modified: 12 Jan 2005, 3:38:35 UTC

OK, I went and did it. I placed my multimeter in series with the cord and as expected the "Clamp On" ammeter wasn't very accurate at that low of a current draw.

This puter drew from 830-912 mA (milliamps) from Bios load to the completion of windows loading. I shut down Boinc and it dropped to between 630-655 mA. This represents a delta (difference) of 228.5 mA (avg)or 27.83 watts.

I'll start boinc. Yep it again went back up to 884mA. It is consistent.

So, running this puter with Boinc ON costs (871mA [avg] x 121.8 Vac= 106 watts) 106 watts/1000 x .08cents=.00848 dollars/hour or .848 cents/hour. .848 x 24 = 20.352 cents/day or $6.11 a month.

I could save .22264 cents/hour, 5.34 cents/day, or $1.60 /month. heck, If this puter wasn't crunching Boinc work I could just shut it off and save the big $6.10/month.

Now these are accurate figures (unless I made a math mistake) and can be used for other purposes.

have a nice day
tony

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Message 63209 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:32:53 UTC - in response to Message 63197.  

> Surely the amount used by Seti is the difference between these, ie .1A
> ???????

I guess it would seem that way but these figures need to also take into account the down time of a PC that is not running SETI... That is of course if you are not a P2P or torrent junkie :)

In this senario an 8 hour a day work horse is now running 24/7 so adding 8x 0.1 + 16 x 0.3.. ....

in my own case my home living room is actually one or two degrees warmer than any other room where there has been no general heating on when I get up first thing in the morning.

This is not actually a bad thing as the walls and ceiling retain heat and re radiate.

Its pretty mild these years here in the UK winter so I haven't had to have any heating on at all this season so I can thank SETI for keeping me warm... Oh that and global warming that I am now contributing just that little extra to these days :)

cRunchy
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Message 63212 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 3:42:48 UTC
Last modified: 12 Jan 2005, 3:43:33 UTC

One thing that interests me is whether there is a difference between speed of proccessors and data crunched relative to consumption.

Though a faster processor may require more power it is not necessarily a simple linear equation given reduced voltage levels and tighter internal circuitry.

I guess to the owner it will make little ecconomic sense to upgrade for some non-linear saving on speed of crunching verses power.... but it is a nice arguement for upgrading our systems to faster ones given the potential savings over the life of SETI and the life of heating of the environment.

LOL. More technology means less polution... Now just to convince my green friends.

cRunchy
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Message 63217 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 4:12:57 UTC

my parents havent noticed a price jump but i only have a laptop running 24/7.
by the way im 15 so its not like im some thirty year old syill living with his mommy.
~boinc its not the credit or satisfaction its the screensavers~
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Message 63224 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 5:06:41 UTC

"but it is a nice arguement for upgrading our systems to faster ones "

Yea, but then what do you do with the old 'puter? Before you know it you will have it setup and running BOINC also.....I know, been there, done that. Now I'm running 8 with two of them dual cpu boxes, so in all I'm running 10 cpu's. Of course in the winter they are the only heat I need in the comuter room so not all is totally lost.

Jim

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Message 63236 - Posted: 12 Jan 2005, 6:05:35 UTC - in response to Message 63217.  

> ........by the way im 51 so its not like im some
> thirty year old syill living with his
> mommy.

Ever heard of the term: "Me Thinks He Protests Too Much"??

Now did we say anything?

And even if you are 51 years old and still living with your mummy thats OK because we all still live with ours ;)


cRunchy

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