The 2017 iMac 5K cuts that down to about 0.5 kW per month. In sleep mode, the iMac Pro goggles up more than 4X the power-a “vampire” device best shut down overnight (6.3W X 12 hours =.The key figures for me (even at home*) are power usage while idle and for sleep mode: The iMac Pro is power hungry as compared to the fastest 2017 iMac 5K.įull CPU usage power draw is hardly relevant-one wants everything humming along as fast as it will go for intensive processing (even then, computing power per watt is mediocre with the iMac Pro, as shown by the various tests).Īs for myself, the time spent at full load is a tiny fraction of my usage, and thus power usage under full load is irrelevant for me. In cold conditions, the power consumed turns into heat and that is a benefit. Still, the computer is not the only power draw and it all adds up. On the other hand, with 10 kW onboard I can probably just ignore the issue since 10 kW is good for 40 hours or so of usage, even with a NEC PA302W professional wide gamut 30" display also attached. For mobile use as I use it, ramping up baseline power usage by 50% or so (see below) is an unattractive feature of the iMac Pro. Power consumption is always a consideration in the van, particularly at computer idle (which is nearly all the time using the computer, e.g., when composing articles, reading email or web sites, comparing images, etc). In the van all computing equipment is powered by a a 5 kW lithium iron phosphate battery (doubling that to 10 kW in Feb 2018).
My main concern is this: I swap my 2017 iMac 5K from my home office into my Mercedes Sprinter photography adventure van.
I cannot install solar because it would require a new $40K roof, making solar about a 100-year ROI-and solar panels are over and done by 30 years. Rates are down temporarily, but due to rise sharply again in a few years. Power usage is of little concern to most users, but a few years ago here in California I was hitting $0.498 per kWh, which became quite painful, with electric bills soaring to $450/month.
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