Mini power consumption compared to MB/MBP.

[Josias]

Mini: 110 W powersupply.
MB: 60 W powersupply.
MBP: 85 W powersupply.
iMac: 180 W powersupply.

This is frickin' funny. Mini has same components as MB, and consumes almost double the power. The MB even has a battery to recharge and a display to run?

The iMac has same components as MBP, and consumes more than double the power. I know it has a larger display, but the MBP has a battery to recharge.

Is it just ordinary for desktops to suck more power than they use or what?

 

[Capt Underpants]

The power supply has nothing to do with the power consumption of the computer. If the components in the iMac only require 80 watts, the iMac's 180 watt power supply will provide the 80 watts.

The desktops probably have larger power supplies because they have more components hooked up to them (external hard drives, etc.) that require power.

 

[Josias]

What? External HDD, speakers and other stuff, have their own powersupply. the connectors will power smaller devices such as flash disks, mouses, earphones etc., but why would the iMac and mini consume more power than neccessary?

Also webcams are powered through USB/FW. Just take iSight for an example.

 

[w_parietti22]

What? External HDD, speakers and other stuff, have their own powersupply. the connectors will power smaller devices such as flash disks, mouses, earphones etc., but why would the iMac and mini consume more power than neccessary?

Also webcams are powered through USB/FW. Just take iSight for an example.

Its not that they are taking more power than necessary, it's that they can.

 

[Capt Underpants]

What? External HDD, speakers and other stuff, have their own powersupply. the connectors will power smaller devices such as flash disks, mouses, earphones etc., but why would the iMac and mini consume more power than neccessary?

Also webcams are powered through USB/FW. Just take iSight for an example.

I know for a fact that some external HDD's are powered by firewire. It draws power from the computer.

And the mini isn't consuming any more power. It consumes the same amount of power, it just has a larger power supply. Power supplies don't constantly draw their maximum number of watts. They draw what is necessary for the components to operate correctly.

 

[Josias]

I know for a fact that some external HDD's are powered by firewire. It draws power from the computer.

And the mini isn't consuming any more power. It consumes the same amount of power, it just has a larger power supply. Power supplies don't constantly draw their maximum number of watts. They draw what is necessary for the components to operate correctly.

Number of FW400 ports on iMac: 2
Number of FW400/800 ports on MBP: 2
(BTW, a FW port only consumes 7W, not 100 W).

 

[Rovman]

THe power supply wattage rating just means the maximum amount of power it *could* supply if there were enough devices attached to it drawing the power. Of course a laptop is going to have a much "smaller" supply compared with a desktop computer.

Just think the Average PC has a 400w power supply, 550 or so for enthusiasts and you can buy upto 1000w power supplies.

In comparison, the 180w is nothing.

 

[Josias]

THe power supply wattage rating just means the maximum amount of power it *could* supply if there were enough devices attached to it drawing the power. Of course a laptop is going to have a much "smaller" supply compared with a desktop computer.

Just think the Average PC has a 400w power supply, 550 or so for enthusiasts and you can buy upto 1000w power supplies.

In comparison, the 180w is nothing.

Okay. I just checked the specs page (maximum powerdraw). BTW, a normal PC has more around 300. 500 is extreme. So the iMac wouldn't consume more than the MBP normally? Oh, what wattage does the PowerMac have. Doesn't say in the specs.

 

[Rovman]

Okay. I just checked the specs page (maximum powerdraw). BTW, a normal PC has more around 300. 500 is extreme. So the iMac wouldn't consume more than the MBP normally? Oh, what wattage does the PowerMac have. Doesn't say in the specs.

Were at the point where 500w is no longer extreme. Anyone with a relatively modern gaming PC will have around 450 - 550w. Rerally cheapo budget PC's with integrated gfx and "crap" CPU's come with the least i have seen, 280w. Even putting a basic Radeon 9800 into these causes problems.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Number of FW400 ports on iMac: 2
Number of FW400/800 ports on MBP: 2
(BTW, a FW port only consumes 7W, not 100 W).

You're putting way too much thought into this. Just accept the fact that the desktops have higher wattage power supplies, no matter what the reason. And since I've already explained to you that desktops draw no more watts, take the larger power supply as some small advantage that they have over laptops, and nothing more.

 

[cw2k]

Is it just ordinary for desktops to suck more power than they use or what?

The laptop PSUs are able to provide the required power for the laptop but are not as efficient at doing so.

The desktop mac PSUs can provide the required power and are larger in size but are they are more efficient at providing the power.

A laptop user can't be expected to carry around a Mini or iMac sized PSU so the laptop PSU is a compromise between size and performance. In a home/work environment a computer is more likely to be left on for longer so a less efficient psu would mean higher running costs.

If you look at PCs the PSU quality varies depending on price, the cheap ones tend to be less efficient and so struggle to provide the stated power whereas the more expensive ones which higher quality components are more efficient and will not struggle to provide the stated power.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Okay. I just checked the specs page (maximum powerdraw). BTW, a normal PC has more around 300. 500 is extreme. So the iMac wouldn't consume more than the MBP normally? Oh, what wattage does the PowerMac have. Doesn't say in the specs.

The PC that I built 1.5 years ago has a 450 watt power supply. 500 is not extreme, especially in the home-built PC market.

 

[cw2k]

Oh, what wattage does the PowerMac have. Doesn't say in the specs.

The PowerMac PSU is 450 - 1000 watts depending on the model. (dual is normally 710 watts, quad is 1000 watts)

 

[Josias]

The PowerMac PSU is 450 - 1000 watts depending on the model. (dual is normally 710 watts, quad is 1000 watts)

1000? You mean 1k? 10x100? Man that's smokin' much.
Does two dual G5 processors really draw that much (I know much other sutff such as GPU draws a lot).

All right. Laptops consume the power to run systme, screen and recharge battery.

Desktops consume power to run system and a lot of extra power. Correct?

 

[Capt Underpants]

1000? You mean 1k? 10x100? Man that's smokin' much.
Does two dual G5 processors really draw that much (I know much other sutff such as GPU draws a lot).

All right. Laptops consume the power to run systme, screen and recharge battery.

Desktops consume power to run system and a lot of extra power. Correct?

Both desktops and laptops consume only enough power to run their components. Desktops just usually have the capacity (via a more powerful power supply) to power more components.

 

[Josias]

Both desktops and laptops consume only enough power to run their components. Desktops just usually have the capacity (via a more powerful power supply) to power more components.

Just forget it. Perhaps you're right. It may be market standard, that desktops consume more power tu run more devices. It is also market standard that laptops are big fat pigs, not even portable. Apple doesn't care about market standards. They go create what is good. Since iMacs, Minis, MB's and MBP's have nearly the same amount of connectors, and the same capability of powering the same amount of devices, I believe there is another reason the desktops consume almost double the power...

 

[Rovman]

Just forget it. Perhaps you're right. It may be market standard, that desktops consume more power tu run more devices.

Were not saying that desktop PC's consume more power. We are saying that they have a power supply that has the ability to provide more power.

If you get your macbook with its 60w power supply and plug in as many devices, of high power usage you can so that they try to draw more than 60w of power then its either going to not work, or worse, cause damage/fire.

Now with your mac mini with a 110w supply, it may still use only <60w the same as the macbook, but it will be able to provide power to many more (power consuming) devices that you can plug into it than the macbook does.

It has the *ability* to provide more power should it need to, it does not automatically mean it's using more power.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Since iMacs, Minis, MB's and MBP's have nearly the same amount of connectors, and the same capability of powering the same amount of devices, I believe there is another reason the desktops consume almost double the power...

What is so hard to understand here? The desktops don't consume anymore power than the laptops, they just have larger power supplies. Power supplies don't constantly consume their maximum wattage ratings. They only use the power necessary to run their components. This is about the fourth time that I've said this.

Having a bigger power supply DOES NOT mean they consume more power.

 

[Josias]

What is so hard to understand here? The desktops don't consume anymore power than the laptops, they just have larger power supplies. Power supplies don't constantly consume their maximum wattage ratings. They only use the power necessary to run their components. This is about the fourth time that I've said this.

Having a bigger power supply DOES NOT mean they consume more power.

Ooooh, I c.

Sorry. BTW, thankyou Rovman for your answers.