In the last decade gaming has gone from a geeky teenage hobby to a multibillion-dollar industry that has enraptured people of every age. While there is a lasting debate about whether PC gaming or console gaming is better, the advantages of PC cannot be denied. From the ability to modify games and improve graphics to the benefits of being able to upgrade your own setup to keep up with the latest games, building your own PC — or investing in a pre-built gaming rig — is highly appealing to many gamers. However, with a powerful PC comes power consumption problems. If you’re wondering about how you can cut your PC’s power consumption, here is what you need to know.
1. Consider Your Wiring
Old wiring can actually cause an increase in your electric bill, so before jumping into changing your PC, consider your home first. Yearly, homeowners spend about one to four percent of their home’s value on repairs, and this increases as the home ages. A $200,000 dollar house, for example, usually costs about $2,000 in repairs annually. In older homes, the wiring can be a serious problem and one of the key culprits of why your electric bills are skyrocketing.
2. Upgrade Your Old Hard Drives
If you’ve determined your wiring isn’t to blame, it’s time to look at how your computer’s consumption can be improved. Upgrading your old mechanical hard drives to solid-state drives can both improve power consumption and increase speed. This fix is ultimately a win-win.
3. Check Out Your Graphics Adapters
In 2018, electric utilities generate over 2.25 billion in megawatt-hours. While the power might be available, that doesn’t mean you should push usage limits. Unless you really need the extra power, consider sticking with the onboard graphics adapters as opposed to installing a more power-hungry upgrade. If you do have to install a video card, try and stick with less powerful ones. Keep in mind that by requiring more power from your PC you’re also going to need more cooling for components which takes additional energy!
4. Check Your Energy-Saving Settings
Possibly one of the easiest ways to stop your computer from guzzling so much energy is to change the power settings. At the very least, you can set your computer to go to sleep after a set period of inactivity. This helps ensure that you won’t be wasting energy when you’re not on your machine. Many monitors will also come with energy-saving settings that can further increase the power savings. Before loading up your next battle royale, take a few moments to review your PC’s power settings to ensure you’re getting the most out of it that you can.
5. Consider Swapping Out Your Rig
Not all games require great amounts of power, and if you’re not gaming competitively or using high power mods you could benefit from swapping your rig for a less powerful system. Many pre-built rigs can offer a great balance between power and performance without the need for worrying about investing in individual components and their power needs. Over 90% of engineers, 84% of contractors, and 76% of architects utilize prefabs on at least some of their projects, if they can get away with using pre-built materials, so can gamers. And, even if you do decide to invest in upgrades in the future, you’ll still have a good power-conscious base to work from.
Gaming is a great way to immerse yourself in new worlds and connect with people across the globe. As the number of PC gamers continues to rise, so too does the concern for energy-friendly gaming rigs. Thankfully, there are many easy ways to take advantage of power-saving technology without the need for sacrificing game performance. If you’re concerned about the amount of power your rig is using, consider these tips before loading up your next game.
