Need a new PSU for my gaming rig to lower the electric bill

[darkabyssofdreams]

As the title says, I currently have an EVGA 850W Gold Edition power supply and I heard that if you go down to silver edition or something then it should not drain so much energy. I definitely want to try and lose the least amount of performance out of my rig. So if you guys could just help me out with finding a new one that is reasonably priced, that would be great. Thanks

Specs:
i7-4790K @ 4.0Ghz
Gigabyte Windforce 980Ti
WD Black 2tb HDD
Samsung Evo 250GB SSD
G.skill Ripjaws 16GB RAM

 

[jankerson]

Just a quick check, did you ever actually see the power bills with your own eyes?

Exactly...

And take for count the AC running in the summer months etc....

 

[Twistfaria]

I think you may need to take into consideration that either your dad is exaggerating or you are using power in other ways that aren't used when you don't live there, or more likely both. I would get one of those Kill-a-watt electricity usage monitors and see for yourself just how much power your pc is using. That way you have an answer for your father.
Other things that could contribute to an electric bill being higher when a person is added to the house are:
You run the AC colder and/or more. (especially if your system generates a lot of heat)
You take long hot showers.
You leave lights on.
You charge multiple devices like cell phones and ipads.
You watch a lot of TV.
You wash more clothes.
You use the appliances more.
It goes on but you get the picture.

Does your house have a programmable thermostat? Is it normally set to not be on in the day when people aren't there? Because if so and you are now there during the day it might be running all the time now.

You know one solution to this could be getting some kind of job and paying part of the bill! I have no idea how old you are but even a young person can go mow peoples yards for money.

 

[darkabyssofdreams]

Do not start new threads with the same problem because you don't like the answers.

First off, your scenario is implausible.

And even if it were plausible, the things you suggest doing do not work because:

1. A power supply uses the power it needs, it doesn't simply use the maximum power at all times.
2. A lower efficiency power supply would increase your electricity usage, not decrease it.
3. It would take years for a higher efficiency power supply to start saving you money; a gold power supply is already very efficient.

These were the truths in your first thread, your second thread, and in any subsequent threads.

Dude I am just confused as you. I posted a new one because it better explained the predicament I am in. Whether or not it is plausible, my Dad's electric bill goes up when I am the computer. I have moved out and it went down, I came back, it goes back up astronomically. I get play less, which I am, but I am trying to figure out why its doing this because like you said, its implausible.

That's impossible.

Would make little to almost no difference in the electric bill.

Most would be maybe $5 a month in the power bill from the computer.

Someone is completely full of crap.

It is summer time, with the AC running the bill will go up.....

I totally get that, but its still doing it nonetheless. I have tried and test it. Could it possibly be a short or possibly tiered pricing for my electric company?

 

[jankerson]

Do not start new threads with the same problem because you don't like the answers.

First off, your scenario is implausible.

And even if it were plausible, the things you suggest doing do not work because:

1. A power supply uses the power it needs, it doesn't simply use the maximum power at all times.
2. A lower efficiency power supply would increase your electricity usage, not decrease it.
3. It would take years for a higher efficiency power supply to start saving you money; a gold power supply is already very efficient.

These were the truths in your first thread, your second thread, and in any subsequent threads.

Dude I am just confused as you. I posted a new one because it better explained the predicament I am in. Whether or not it is plausible, my Dad's electric bill goes up when I am the computer. I have moved out and it went down, I came back, it goes back up astronomically. I get play less, which I am, but I am trying to figure out why its doing this because like you said, its implausible.

That's impossible.

Would make little to almost no difference in the electric bill.

Most would be maybe $5 a month in the power bill from the computer.

Someone is completely full of crap.

It is summer time, with the AC running the bill will go up.....

I totally get that, but its still doing it nonetheless. I have tried and test it. Could it possibly be a short or possibly tiered pricing for my electric company?

No it couldn't.

 

[USAFRet]

I totally get that, but its still doing it nonetheless. I have tried and test it. Could it possibly be a short or possibly tiered pricing for my electric company?

Buy a Kill-A-Watt device.
Here: https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU
Or your local big box hardware store.

Plug it in, and plug the PC into it.
Read what it says.

Get access to the actual bill. Work on this with the actual bill payer.
Calculate here: https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html

Discover that it is not the PC...

 

[DSzymborski]

I totally get that, but its still doing it nonetheless. I have tried and test it. Could it possibly be a short or possibly tiered pricing for my electric company?

Let's sum up here.

- No, you haven't tested anything. You test by actually measuring the wattage.
- What you're saying is implausible. I'd say impossible, but I'm a charitable sort.
- Less efficient power supplies will use more power.
- More efficient power supplies will take years to get you savings.
- Power supplies only use the power the PC requests.

850W for 24 hours a day is *still* only going to be fraction of what you claim the PC is using. It's a physical impossibility for an 850W PSU to generate that much power. It's like claiming you have a sundial that doesn't work on Tuesdays or you have defective ice cubes that you're unable to melt, or broken bread that cannot possibly be toasted.

There's no magic involved here, power is generated by specific technology using specific properties of electricity. Technology can malfunction; it does not wish upon a star and have a fairy godmother turn it into an 8500W PSU.

We've got people with actual problems here.

 

[darkabyssofdreams]

I totally get that, but its still doing it nonetheless. I have tried and test it. Could it possibly be a short or possibly tiered pricing for my electric company?

Let's sum up here.

- No, you haven't tested anything. You test by actually measuring the wattage.
- What you're saying is implausible. I'd say impossible, but I'm a charitable sort.
- Less efficient power supplies will use more power.
- More efficient power supplies will take years to get you savings.
- Power supplies only use the power the PC requests.

850W for 24 hours a day is *still* only going to be fraction of what you claim the PC is using. It's a physical impossibility for an 850W PSU to generate that much power. It's like claiming you have a sundial that doesn't work on Tuesdays or you have defective ice cubes that you're unable to melt, or broken bread that cannot possibly be toasted.

There's no magic involved here, power is generated by specific technology using specific properties of electricity. Technology can malfunction; it does not wish upon a star and have a fairy godmother turn it into an 8500W PSU.

We've got people with actual problems here.

Thanks I will get a wattage thing and contact the power people. All because you don't deem this to be "an actual problem" doesn't mean that it isn't a problem for me. I am just trying to get all my facts before I move onto the next part of solving this problem. Don't be so salty man. Have a good one

 

[Yogi2367]

My guess ...
He plugs the computer into the same socket all the time. Try plugging something else into that socket and see what happens. More than likely the receptacle is FUBAR inside and when a plug is inserted it's allowing a full load, just short of the circuit breaker's amperage, to go straight to ground ... 24/7.
Probably lucky the house hasn't burned down yet.

 

[animemangamer]

I'm curious as to what conclusion OP has come to. Did you get to test how much you're system is eating at your electricity bill?

Thought I might just add this since I was curious how much mine was using:

PSU Efficiency Savings Calculator

If you live in the US with national average kWh and you're running 850 watts 100% load 24/7 a year (24 hours 7 days 365 days) Then it'll be approximately $1085.23/year or $90.43/month Not to mention your entire system doesn't even use every single watt.

That said I have the same 850 watt PSU but in platinum efficiency so I'm only really saving $24.38/year or $2.03/month if I was running 24/7 on 100% load a year.

As you can see getting a lower efficiency PSU will cost more and getting a better one will take years to offset the cost. So sad I should've just gotten bronze PSU instead lol.

 

[DSzymborski]

I'm curious as to what conclusion OP has come to.

That they have a magic PSU that uses as much power as all the central air conditioners on their block combined.