New topic: How much computing power do you need, v/s how much electrical power do you have?

[user 29855]

Hi,
I've spend (misspent?) most of my 78 years in computing and electronics and have experienced and observed the amazing advances in technology first hand. Still, I have never been a "Early Adopter", someone who has to try/have the newest gadget.

I have spent the last 5 years living in my 1993 Chevy G20 van that came with a fiberglass top for extended headroom. I have 200 watts of solar power, and very seldom have access to AC power.

Because I still work in electronic design, I need a fair amount of reliable computing power, but not the latest and greatest. My internet needs are satisfied using my iPhone 6 Plus as a hotspot, connected to my mid-2010 Mac Mini.

My power requirements are minimal, because I use my 12 volt TV for a monitor (and over-the-air TV) and I converted my Mac Mini to run directly from 12 volts. One of the biggest gobblers of power are converters or inverters that change your 12 volt battery power to some other voltage to run appliances. For example, I have a 12 volt to 24 volt device to run an older CPAP device, and it draws almost 7 amps. My newer CPAP has the same features but runs on 12 volts, and it draws 1.8 amps. And let's not even get into 12 volt to 110 volt AC inverters! They are hungry mothers!

It took me less than 2 hours to convert my Mac Mini to 12 volts, and it doesn't require butchering the electronics. The resolution of the tv and mini allow me to design electronic circuits, layout printed circuit boards, and also design mechanical parts. Obviously, the setup is more than sufficient for watching download videos, communicating by email, etc.

Another consideration is expense. Regular laptops that require AC power aren't cheap, starting in the hundreds and going up into the thousands of dollars. Yes, you get lots of computing power, and mobility, but do you need either one? Do you require the latest operating system?Perhaps a cell phone could handle most of your communications needs, especially with a larger Bluetooth keyboard. I purchased a Mid-2010 Mini for $250 dollars two years ago, and the price is lower now. I recently purchased and converted a late 2012 for a friend, and paid $350 for the computer. (The prices vary depending on the memory and storage devices installed.)

Just something to think about......

 

[JDelete]

I think computing power needs versus wants varies greatly between users. I personally require very little actual computing power since all I do when on adventures outside my sticks and bricks is occasionally check email—maybe once or twice a day, maybe do some text writing, and that is about it.

For those who require more power for video editing and other cpu intensive tasks, it might be worth doing a comparison between having a more power hungry machine that gets the job done faster versus a less power hungry machine that takes longer to do the same task.

 

[frater secessus]

Yes, you get lots of computing power, and mobility, but do you need either one?

Agreed. I'm guessing the average non-technical, non-gaming vandweller would be well-served by a tablet + BT keyboard.

I run a chromebook (16w) for everyday web stuff and light linux chores, and a Raspberry Pi2 (12w?) for things that require a mini-server. A maxxed Dell Latitude (circa 2012, 90w, debian linux w/Xfce) comes online during periods of excess solar for heavier lifts like video encoding, compiling, minecraft, etc.

 

[bebewanna]

I have about 270 watts of solar panels which is used only to keep devices and my 12v 30l fridge going.

I have a Lenovo Laptop, the battery lasts 4-5 hours and when turned off charges quickly but at 20v uses a good bit of power to do that. As I run my own private server I need windows, so low power usage Chromebook is useless for me. I don't use the laptop everyday so keeping it charged is not a problem.

Also 2 unlimited cell services from US Mobile on Verizon. Both unlimited and with the right app Hotspot to the laptop is free. I think since I am running 2 phones all the time I am using a bit of power there. My inverter that I plug in the Galaxy s9 fast charger is only 180 watts and I have a Belkin 12v charger wired to the batteries.

I have not determined what uses more power in the end. Using the inverter and charged fast or slow charge from 12v direct...

 

[frater secessus]

As I run my own private server I need windows, so low power usage Chromebook is useless for me.

Windows server, I guess?

{update: I think bohemianblog runs on linux+nginx. Not sure why it takes Win to admin it.}

If you are accessing the VPS by Remote Desktop apparently "any device running Android 4.0 (released in 2011) or higher can use the {MRD} app and, similarly, any Chromebook that supports Android apps can use Microsoft Remote Desktop". Dunno about other approaches off the top of my head. It's been (thinking back) 24 years since I last adminstered an MS server so I might be a tad rusty! LOL

I access my linux VPS by ssh/mosh which is platform-agnostic.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

I bought this computer amazonminicomputer a couple months ago, it runs on 5.4 volts fits in the palm of your hand runs windows 10 8 gig of memory ect. and love it. Not sure how many watts of power it consumes, but am sure not much as at this time I only have 200 watts of solar and getting by just fine.

 

[Freelander]

What I use is a 2021 Mac mini M1with a 43" TV as the monitor. I have a 300 watt inverter running this and normal it uses about 50 watts of power to run it, but I have seen it go as high 100 watts, and that is the Mac, TV and sound bar combined at only 50 watts.

 

[machinephilosphy]

So can you just plug it into a monitor? I'd like to get one if it worked without a regular computer. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Freelander]

Yes it has HDMI on it and you can also use a standard monitor with it.

 

[mpruet]

Before retirement I was a software developer for IBM. I was a remote worker and the nature of my work required having several virtual systems running which I ran on two hefty desktops. I wanted to RV a lot in retirement so knew that the power consumption of a laptop was going to be an issue and the size would be a pain. So I decided to see if I could be satisfied with an iPad Air.

I am able to do everything on my iPad - mail, video watching and creation, books, banking, investing, video conferencing, etc. Initially the only thing I couldn’t do were my taxes, so kept the laptop, but only used it once a year. Last year I discovered that H&R block had a iPad version of their tax software so tried it out, and it was perfect. I haven’t used my laptop now in over a year.

I did get a small printer which I can use to print from my iPad through the iPad Air connectivity. It runs from a battery and is recharged via a USB port.

I really like the low power consumption of the iPad (and my printer) and the fact that the iPad takes very little space. I do have a blue tooth keyboard so typing is not an issue. Also I like that I can recharge everything from a 12-volt USB port.

I don’t miss my laptop at all.

 

[joeyverge]

Also 2 unlimited cell services from US Mobile on Verizon. Both unlimited and with the right app Hotspot to the laptop is free.

What app does that?

 

[rruff]

It took me less than 2 hours to convert my Mac Mini to 12 volts, and it doesn't require butchering the electronics.

Curious what you did. I've always looked for laptops that had batteries <12v, and these would work fine with 12v plugged into the AC adapter socket.

But not with the last one I bought. It's a gaming computer, so not very efficient. It uses ~20W while not doing much, and up to 250W when the video card is fully cranked up. When I put 12v into the inverter socket, it just draws from the internal battery. Probably because the battery is just slightly under 12v and the AC adapter outputs 19v. I thought about wiring 12v directly to the internal battery circuit, which would probably work, but... the computer would then sense that it was running on battery, and on battery power it runs super slow to conserve energy, and there doesn't seem to be anyway to change that.

I got a step-up transformer to convert 12v to 19v, and plug it into the AC adapter socket. That was fairly cheap and should be >90% efficient, but I'd prefer to run on 12v if I could!

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Have to say my new 14" Mac with Apple CPU is a pretty good balance of power and performance.
It's easily as fast as my Mac Pro 12 core. But it's only 65 watts not 350.
I'll admit that most of the time I'm using it for browsing, watching Netflix etc.
Even when I'm doing website stuff that is not much of a resource problem.
Running LAMP locally hardly takes any ram or CPU.
And my text editor has a tiny footprint as well.
But when I am doing Photoshop stuff, video editing or making music, the latent power is appreciated.
On my quad core MacBook Pro it would take forever just to open 4 photos in Camera Raw. And I always had to do proxy renders before I could edit anything. Especially 4k footage.

I'm an edge case though. Most people are just as well served by a tablet with a BT keyboard.
The problem there is that some of us have crappy eyesight and need a larger screen!

 

[user 29855]

So can you just plug it into a monitor? I'd like to get one if it worked without a regular computer. Thanks for posting this.

You can plug in a 12 volt monitor, or use any 12 volt tv that has an HDMI input. Most of the newer ones have HDMI. There are a couple of 12 volt tv's on Amazon that will do what you want, some of them have built-in DVD players. I purchased a SuperSonic SC-2411 and it suits me just fine. I can watch over-the-air tv, as well as run bot Apple and Windows software. Doesn't take up much space or use too much power.

SuperSonic SC-2411​

 

[user 29855]

Curious what you did. I've always looked for laptops that had batteries <12v, and these would work fine with 12v plugged into the AC adapter socket.

But not with the last one I bought. It's a gaming computer, so not very efficient. It uses ~20W while not doing much, and up to 250W when the video card is fully cranked up. When I put 12v into the inverter socket, it just draws from the internal battery. Probably because the battery is just slightly under 12v and the AC adapter outputs 19v. I thought about wiring 12v directly to the internal battery circuit, which would probably work, but... the computer would then sense that it was running on battery, and on battery power it runs super slow to conserve energy, and there doesn't seem to be anyway to change that.

I got a step-up transformer to convert 12v to 19v, and plug it into the AC adapter socket. That was fairly cheap and should be >90% efficient, but I'd prefer to run on 12v if I could!

If your computer is running slower on battery, take a look at your advanced power settings. There's usually an entry that sets how much processor power you use on ac, and how much on battery. The default settings are usually lower for battery to save power.

As far as what I did, it's a bit of a PITA, but you take the Mini apart, remove the internal power supply, and use a special cable to connect your 12 volt battery power directly to the motherboard.

By the way, you CAN run windows on a Mac older minis, using the built-in app called Boot Camp. On new Mac's you can run Parallels, which will run Windows just fine. Boot Camp is free, but Apple no longer provides it on the M1 Mini.

 

[user 29855]

Just found out the the M1 Mac Mini can also run directly on 12 volts. That means you can run your M1 WITHOUT an inverter or boost power supply and the inherent power drain.

 

[Freelander]

You can plug in a 12 volt monitor, or use any 12 volt tv that has an HDMI input. Most of the newer ones have HDMI. There are a couple of 12 volt tv's on Amazon that will do what you want, some of them have built-in DVD players. I purchased a SuperSonic SC-2411 and it suits me just fine. I can watch over-the-air tv, as well as run bot Apple and Windows software. Doesn't take up much space or use too much power.

SuperSonic SC-2411​

Yes you can, I used to run it on a 32" 12v TV but it was up in the overhead bunk and hard to see. I was hoping this TV was 12v, but its 110 only. Sometimes TV will have an inline power supply with a 12v output.

 

[Freelander]

Just found out the the M1 Mac Mini can also run directly on 12 volts. That means you can run your M1 WITHOUT an inverter or boost power supply and the inherent power drain.

Where can I find the power cable needed to do this???

 

[bebewanna]

What app does that?

Hey Joey... FoxFi.... That's the name of the app. I don't know if it works on every phone but does on my Samsung Galaxys

 

[bebewanna]

Windows server, I guess?

{update: I think bohemianblog runs on linux+nginx. Not sure why it takes Win to admin it.}

If you are accessing the VPS by Remote Desktop apparently "any device running Android 4.0 (released in 2011) or higher can use the {MRD} app and, similarly, any Chromebook that supports Android apps can use Microsoft Remote Desktop". Dunno about other approaches off the top of my head. It's been (thinking back) 24 years since I last adminstered an MS server so I might be a tad rusty! LOL

I access my linux VPS by ssh/mosh which is platform-agnostic.

Hey...

Yes it's a Linux server, in Bulgaria where I used to own a house and the long arm of the US cannot bother me lol.....A few of my sites ride the line of acceptability.

You may be right and I stand corrected. I was under the impression that if you had an OPEN VZ VPS. Android didn't work, you needed a KVM.... I was never able to sign in with android.

After thinking about it, now off of the VPS on my own server maybe I could sign in now.

I will say that I hate Google intrusion and it's enough that they follow you on the mobiles. I don't think I want their nonsense in my computer too anymore than I can help it.

I ordered a cheapo windows tablet not long ago and it has been stuck at US processing for 8 months.. I got a refund but I am looking for another one.