[PLUS] Saving electricity by undervolting graphics cards and CPUs: huge potential

Saving electricity through undervolting

Electricity prices are at a very high level due to the increased costs of electricity generation in coal and gas-fired power plants, production declines in renewable energies and at the same time high demand from the economy. The war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia could further increase electricity prices for end customers. Electricity prices have risen more than ever before in the last 12 months. In July 2022, one megawatt hour of electricity costs 270 euros (as of July 15). In the same period last year, the same amount only cost 80 euros – that corresponds to an increase of 238 percent! In addition, there are increased CO² taxes, which are due on these energy sources. As a result, the exchange electricity price is at a record level and many electricity providers pass the increases on to consumers. The suppliers constantly recalculate the prices due to the dynamic situation on the electricity market. How much does a kilowatt hour of electricity currently cost? The average electricity price in Germany in 2021 was 32.16 cents, in June 2022 a kilowatt hour costs 40.5 cents. The electricity price is made up of four components: government levies, taxes, grid fees and energy procurement/sales. The provider has no influence whatsoever on the first three points mentioned. The electricity provider must pay the taxes and duties for each kilowatt hour consumed. So far, this has also included the EEG surcharge, which was levied to promote the environmentally friendly generation of electricity. It was abolished in July 2022.

This can make you lose interest in PC gaming as a hobby, but the biggest power guzzlers in the house are usually the refrigerator, electric stove and tumble dryer. Nevertheless, you can noticeably reduce the power consumption on the gaming PC with a few simple measures. This is not only good for your conscience, but also saves money and also ensures a quieter working and gaming environment, because lower power consumption also means less waste heat from the graphics card and processor.

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The following topics can be found in the article:

• Benchmark GPUs: GTX 1070, 1080 Ti, 6600 XT, 5700 XT, RX 6950 XT
• Benchmark CPUs: 3800X, 5900X, 11900K, 12900K
• AMD graphics cards undervolt
• Nvidia graphics cards undervolt
• Team Opinions on Undervolting

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