Mac Pro vs. iMac (Energy use)

markw10markw10
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I currently have a macbook pro but plan on getting a desktop mac sometime this year. My perfect computer would probably be the 'headless' mac but there's no such thing as that. I've even thought of a mac mini but I know power is limited. I ended up coming up with a Mac Pro. I don't like the idea of upgrading the iMac and then losing my monitor. I know there's a variety of processors I can use as well as other configurations. I'd likely add a 24 inch widescreen monitor to it but overall the Mac Pro does seem like overkill to me. If I get a iMac I'd likely get a medium range 20 inch model.

My question comes down to power usage (wattage, etc). It seems with the 4 core system out now and the future 8 core mac pro's that are rumored that this is a very powerful system and although nice way more power than I need. I like the tower case where I can expand it more than the iMac but with all those cores I can't help but wonder what type of power it uses. How does the power of a Mac Pro compare to a iMac? (wattage, etc) and are there many power saving features where the mac pro could use far less than maximum if I don't use full power? I see it is considered to be a energy star computer.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    theapplegeniustheapplegenius Posts: 584member
    Sleep pulls like 10W from what i've heard. Running that machine full-blast will pull like 600W though.



    You don't get a Mac Pro to save energy, that's for sure.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by theapplegenius View Post


    Sleep pulls like 10W from what i've heard. Running that machine full-blast will pull like 600W though.



    You don't get a Mac Pro to save energy, that's for sure.



    I'd be surprised if sleep even takes 10W. 1W is probably closer.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    bacillusbacillus Posts: 313member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel View Post


    I'd be surprised if sleep even takes 10W. 1W is probably closer.



    Try 12 watts in sleep mode, as per the US goverment.



    http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...L&pat_P304=443
  • Reply 4 of 8
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bacillus View Post


    Try 12 watts in sleep mode, as per the US goverment.



    That's with the base model's standard memory of 1GB in two sticks. I wonder what it would be with half or all of the memory slots full.



    The specs for FB-DIMM apparently are 5W per stick, and I don't think the memory can necessarily be downclocked, it constantly needs to be refreshed to retain its state.



    One odd thing is that the title says 3GHz chips, but the table says 2600 MHz.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    Here are some answers:



    Apple and the Environment

    Apple Product Environmental Specifications
  • Reply 6 of 8
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    The energy star certification states a ceiling. If the machine uses less power, I'm sure that doesn't disqualify it. Moreover, while an FB-DIMM may be spec'ed at 5W for typical use, during sleep it will draw substantially less power. During sleep, all the DRAM needs to do is sustain the bits currently in it, and the minimal refresh period is quite a bit longer than the clock period. I admit that I've never worked with DDR DIMMs, but I have worked with other SDRAM, and the principles are the same. While a 32MB chip (not module) may average 250mW, in sleep mode it's more like 3mW. You can extrapolate this to predict the behavior of larger modules. Or, just grab the datasheets from Micron and see for yourself what the exact numbers are.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    macprofutureformemacprofutureforme Posts: 1member
    I am about to get a mac pro. Im wondering how much ram i should put in it i will use adobe premier pro and video edit quite a lot. I dont know? also should i get the 3GHZ or 2.66GHZ?
  • Reply 8 of 8
    bacillusbacillus Posts: 313member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macprofutureforme View Post


    I am about to get a mac pro. Im wondering how much ram i should put in it i will use adobe premier pro and video edit quite a lot. I dont know? also should i get the 3GHZ or 2.66GHZ?





    1. Wait until after NAB in Mid April - there might be a refresh or redo of the MacPro line. Since you are using premier pro, then you'll have to wait until July anyway for the OS X version.



    2. The difference between the 2.66 and 3 GHz is not that huge for the price delta. If you have the coin, the great, but the money would be better spent on faster drives and more RAM.



    3. For RAM, I would say 2 GB at the very least or 3 GB if you can swing it.
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