Video Games Use A Lot of Energy
November 21st 2008 12:00
Category: Gaming Gadgets & Consoles
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a study has been released on the amount of energy that video game consoles use each year. Basically, it takes about as much power to run all the homes in San Diego , CA , which means there is plenty of room for improvement. According to the report, the United States can cut the nation’s electricity bill by more than $1 billon and avoid about 7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Depending on what gaming console you prefer to play, your energy usage will vary. For example, the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 uses about 9 times more energy than the Nintendo Wii.
But, you gaming habits will play a crucial role in the actual energy usage. Just remember that your console will use the same amount of power when they are turned off as when you are playing a game or watching a movie.
When you leave a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 on continuously, you will be using the same amount of energy as 2 new refrigerators over the course of a year.
Here’s the break down of the three brands:
* Sony PlayStation 3 – uses the most power. For the 07 PS3, you’ll spend about $12 a year if you turn the consol off when you’re not using it, compared to about $134 if you leave it on all the time
* Microsoft xBox 360 – comes in a close second. If you shut off the console when you’re not playing or watching a movie, it’ll cost about $11 to operate a year, whereas leaving it on will cost about $103.
* Nintendo Wii – uses the least amount of energy. If you shut off the console, it’ll cost you about $3 a year, whereas leaving it on will cost about $10.
There are things that you can do to cut down your energy usage.
1. Make sure to turn off your game console when you’re not playing a game or watching a movie. You do not want to assume that because you turned off your TV, that your console shuts down too. If you’re done playing and you’re in the middle of a game, save it, and shut off the console; you can pick up where you left off when you reboot the console.
2. Enable the automatic power down feature, which will turn off your console if it’s left idle for a certain amount of time. This may not be easy to do, and you may need to install software first, but it is worth it.
3. Limit the amount of time you spend watching movies and playing games on your console. Watching movies on a stand-alone unit, like a DVD player or VHS player is much more energy efficient. For example, the PlayStation 3 uses five times more power than a regular Sony Blu-Ray player for the same DVD.
Depending on what gaming console you prefer to play, your energy usage will vary. For example, the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 uses about 9 times more energy than the Nintendo Wii.
But, you gaming habits will play a crucial role in the actual energy usage. Just remember that your console will use the same amount of power when they are turned off as when you are playing a game or watching a movie.
When you leave a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 on continuously, you will be using the same amount of energy as 2 new refrigerators over the course of a year.
Here’s the break down of the three brands:
* Sony PlayStation 3 – uses the most power. For the 07 PS3, you’ll spend about $12 a year if you turn the consol off when you’re not using it, compared to about $134 if you leave it on all the time
* Microsoft xBox 360 – comes in a close second. If you shut off the console when you’re not playing or watching a movie, it’ll cost about $11 to operate a year, whereas leaving it on will cost about $103.
* Nintendo Wii – uses the least amount of energy. If you shut off the console, it’ll cost you about $3 a year, whereas leaving it on will cost about $10.
There are things that you can do to cut down your energy usage.
1. Make sure to turn off your game console when you’re not playing a game or watching a movie. You do not want to assume that because you turned off your TV, that your console shuts down too. If you’re done playing and you’re in the middle of a game, save it, and shut off the console; you can pick up where you left off when you reboot the console.
3. Limit the amount of time you spend watching movies and playing games on your console. Watching movies on a stand-alone unit, like a DVD player or VHS player is much more energy efficient. For example, the PlayStation 3 uses five times more power than a regular Sony Blu-Ray player for the same DVD.
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
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