All systems green?
The newly released Mac Mini Server caught my eye. It boasts 16 watts of power usage when idle—that’s just 2 watts more than the base Mac Mini. So I busted out my handy Kill-A-Watt meter to see how my existing boxen farm measures up:
| Device | Watts (idle) | Cost per month[1] |
|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini Server | 16 | $1.09 |
| MacBook Pro 17″ | 17 | $1.15 |
| MacBook 13″ | 18 | $1.22 |
| Intel Q6600 Server | 108 | $7.34 |
| Intel Q6600 Desktop | 132 | $8.97 |
| TV | 202 | $13.72 |
Note to self—don’t forget to turn off the TV.
[1] Assuming a constant rate of $0.093 per kWh (which is currently the peak usage rate in Ontario) and 24/7 idle time. Costs will be higher when the devices are under heavier load.