[Freedombox-discuss] Energy efficient Intel server

[Matt G.]

On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 8:38 PM, Dave Taht <dave.taht at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 7:25 PM, Sandy Harris <sandyinchina at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 10:36 PM, Rob van der Hoeven
>> <robvanderhoeven at ziggo.nl> wrote:
>>
>> > Last week i build a new Intel Pentium system that is very energy
>> > efficient. Idle power consumption is just 23 Watt, max power consumption
>> > is 53 Watt (no graphics). It can be used as a FreedomBox server/general
>> > purpose PC or both...
>
>
> This uses the phrase 'energy efficient' in a way I'm not familiar.
>
> The dreamplug boxes draw 5w. What phrase can be used to distinguish the two?

Few things:
1) When you say 5w, you don't say under what conditions. System idle?
2) system idle is just one part of the equation, you also have to look
at max draw as well as average operating load.
3) It's also worthwhile to look energy efficiency from a "work done
per unit energy input" standpoint. How fast can the CPU run your
program while it's sucking energy.

Anyway, my main point here is to point out that "energy efficiency"
can never be represented with a single number and we should avoid such
simplifications.

-Matt
(full disclosure: i work at Intel but am speaking only for myself.)