Green Machines

The concept of living green has seemed to evolve a bit from a social movement to a lifestyle these days. As the rise in food costs and transportation hits us all in the pocket the demand to use less energy has become an important part of living in the 21st century. However, learning how to live green is still new for many and making smart decision on using energy efficiently is a challenge.
Recently, I proudly finished building my latest computer which took me around four months of research, study and price comparisons to develop a system that would be able to suit my needs. Of all the reviews, studies and specs I looked over, one thing that wasn't a factor was energy use. Alas, in this ideology I am not alone, I have found many power users and computer shoppers are focused mainly on performance and flexibility rather than how many tons of coal our games of cyisis burn per month.
However, this perspective is changing as innovations in hardware are creating a successfully industry focused on creating energy efficient technology. In fact, many companies are challenging each other to create processors and computer system that's draw less power without sacrificing performance.
While looking for energy efficient computing technology, I came across some greats tips and had a chance to discover new green computers that may be under the internet radar. Below is a bit energy saving advice and information on companies focus on saving energy and creating technology that demands less from the environment.

o Many believe old wise tales that turning your computer on and off can damage it but that has never been proven to be true or even that it makes sense. Shut your computer down when it is not in use. This will keep your electric bills down and may also help in limiting any possible heat damage.

o Remember you can set the power settings on your computer to shut down after and allotted amount of time or when your computer is not in use.

o Do a bit of homework online. There are several companies that Design green, efficient and powerful computers that are affordable and reliable. Websites such as www.greenmachineshop.com/store/desktops.html are a great place to buy computer systems and parts.

o It is rumored that the Sun Microsystems " Niagra" processors are some of the most energy efficient processors in the industry. This will lead to a trend in the market that will shift to more energy efficient hardware. Follow their work closely and see how other companies will implement similar technology in new units.

o Computers with the energy Star Logo are systems that are energy efficient but they cannot use their energy saving tools unless you enable them in the computer system setting.

o Instead of throwing your old computer out why not donate it to a church or a school. Every year, thousands of computers are tossed out and ultimately in up in landfills. These older models seep harmful chemicals into the environment and poison the soil.

o Try to harvest as many parts from your older computer as you can before you throw it away. Hard ware parts such as RAM and Processors tend to retain their value because they are no longer manufactured once a newer version is released. This creates a certain amount of rare value to your old hardware for power users and PC builders who enjoy their "older" hardware.

o Some organizations or recycling centers now recycle many hardware components including Monitors, cell phones, Audio and video tapes, Batteries and CD-ROMS.

o Turing off a computer at night and only allowing it to run for 8 hours can save energy waste by as much as 70%.

o To access power management tools simply select Start, Settings, Control Panel, and Display. Select the Screen Saver tab. choose a predominantly black screen saver and set it to wait for 5 minutes. Click on Settings to reach the power management settings. Click the Shut off Monitor box and set for 10 minutes. Click Ok or Apply.

Well I hope that you have found some of this information beneficial. Researching this topic has made me a lot more aware of simple steps I can choose to take in saving energy, my computer's health and the environment. Hopefully it may challenge some of you to come up with ways to save energy while computing.