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I’ve seen some argue on the point of energy efficiency, which might make some sense. Mobile CPUs have lower power consumption caps and tend to consume less at i
by jwells89 3y ago
I’ve seen some argue on the point of energy efficiency, which might make some sense. Mobile CPUs have lower power consumption caps and tend to consume less at idle and laptop PSUs tend to be more efficient at low power draw than desktop-style PSUs.
One might ask why not just use a laptop in that situation, but depending on how the device is used (e.g. always docked), the screen and battery could be seen as a waste.
That said, I think I’d opt for a custom build too, probably in something like the Streacom DB4[0] which allows low power systems to operate fanlessly by doubling as a heatsink.
[0]: https://streacom.com/products/db4-fanless-mini-itx-case/ https://streacom.com/products/db4-fanless-mini-itx-case/
- thworp 3y agoYes sure, this is true-ush. But if you're so constrained on power draw that three or four extra watt idle is critical, why not just go for something really power-efficient like a Pi or similar? Also, you could undervolt one of the 65W TDP Ryzen CPUs and probably get similar results. Or if you're lucky you can get one of the "OEM Only" 45W Ryzens. As for PSUs, an "80 platinum" rated one will have 90% efficiency at 10% power draw.
- jwells89 3y agoThe downside of a Pi is dramatically reduced muscle that’s well below that of even many smartphones and tablets these days, which can be prohibitive depending on usage. Undervolting is a good option I agree, but there’s evidently value in machines that run on a lower power profile out of the box.
- lostmsu 3y agoIs Pi really more efficient though? In TOPS/watt*h?
- thworp 3y agoThat is actually a good question. Now that I think about it, the Cortex CPU in the Pi might not be get more TOPS/Wh than the newest AMD CPUs. The Pi's single-board design and the lack of 12V/24V circuits should make it somewhat more power efficient than a computer that uses all 4 voltages. In conclusion I have no hard data and was influenced by the Pi's reputation.