Console power consumption charted by Aussie site

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jun 4th 2008 6:30PM

Australian consumer website Choice has delivered a fairly comprehensive chart regarding the cost of keeping our favorite electronics plugged in. The chart converts electrical cost into Australian dollars, so unless you live there, it might be more informative to compare the various energy measurements.

The Wii is clearly the most energy efficient console currently on the market, which a similar study established last year. But despite the energy efficiency of all the consoles, we're sure Greenpeace still isn't happy with all the chemicals it takes to make our game-playing boxes of joy.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Source

Tags: choice, consumption, power, power-consumption, PS3, voltage, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (55)

Isn't the EU planning rules preventing "standby mode" on electronics?

Be interesting to see how that affects console manufacturers in the future...

well, most of their laws make sense (like this one). Its just that lots of people are blinded by the murdoch owned press into thinking they spend all their time legislating about straight bananas.

"But despite the energy efficiency of all the consoles--"

How about checking the chart again, Sliwinski?

The launch 60GB PS3s use a lot of power but the newer 40GB ones use less than the 360. Interesting that even the most power hungry PS3 still uses the least ammount of energy in standby.

I'll have to go home and look at the draw of the Wii power adapter. At those numbers it has to be less than 60 watts. I thought it was higher than that.

Also if anyone uses a surround system while playing, that uses more power than the console. Also if you have a PS3 hooked up to a 42" LCD TV vs a 360 with a 42" plasma the combination of the PS3 and LCD TV net you a much larger power savings.

Or if you play during the daytime or at night with the lights off vs someone who plays with the lights on or uses a 60 watt bulb vs a 100 watt bulb. You can see how pointless the power draw numbers of individual components are. It is about your total consumption of all things plugged in to sockets, not one component.

Iridium Comment: “You can see how pointless the power draw numbers of individual components are. It is about your total consumption of all things plugged in to sockets, not one component.”

The power draw numbers are NOT pointless; the chart is about power consumption of the three systems during different states, nothing else.
It has nothing to do with “total consumption of all things plugged in to sockets”, not everyone owns or uses 42”LCDs or plasma and a uber 5.1 sound system when playing.

Nor does the chart prove what system is more energy efficient, because of different design and components.
If you want to see what system is more efficient you must compare the different generations of the same console (ie. PS2 first generation to the newest smaller PS2)

If you own two or all the systems; the chart does show that buying and playing a game published for multiple systems (ie GTA4) would be best played on the the system that consumes the less power.

Is there a big difference between GTA4 on PS3 and xbox360?
Maybe but not a much.

Who ever is still using a 60 or 100watt light bulb is crazy, they do have the new light bulbs that are 7-28 watts and man are they bright.

and yes its best to unplug electronics that are not being used.

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