tomch

We’ve heard it again and again - but do you know how much energy your equipment really uses when on standby? Or your computer when supposedly turned OFF?

I was indeed “shocked” to find out that both my desktops, a Shuttle XPC and a home-made Mini-ITX-based HTPC, each use more than 20W when TURNED OFF! I guess this is waste from the AC adapter and power for the USB - but… this is completely crazy. Over 24h, this is half a KWh. To stop the energy usage, I had to use an external power switch. However, this makes it impossible to automatically wake up the HTPC for recordings.
OTOH, my notebook only draws 3W when shut off.

I recently built a small HTPC / Media Center PC for home use.
It uses a Commell LV-670m a P4 Mobile 2.2 GHz and comes with Intel 945GV integrated graphics including TV-Out (S-Video)
(http://www.commell-sys.com/Product/SBC/LV-670M.HTM)

What nearly drove me crazy was the fact that only one video output (VGA or TV-Out) can be active. Once I had the machine on the TV using S-Video. When I later hooked it up to the CRT of my other computer (using VGA), the screen signal had gone. Only after HOURS did I find out that one had to switch beetween outputs using the system tray tool of the drivers - and that there are key combinations / keyboard shortcuts to switch between different outputs!

So for anybody else in despair:
CTRL-ALT-F1 activates the VGA out
CTRL-ALT-F2 activates ??? (probably the LVDS in my case)
CTRL-ALT-F3 activates the TV-out