Author Topic: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....  (Read 9962 times)

jg

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MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« on: August 06, 2012, 03:33:01 AM »
Anyone have first hand experience using a MacMini as a server versus a 2008 MacPro with 2 1 gig drives with Apple's RAID card.  The room I have this in gets quite warm and I'm thinking of getting a mini instead as it seems, based on Apple's tech notes, that it might use 10% of the power of the MacPro.  This machine also handles Security Spy (interesting that both apps come from the UK) with 8 cameras, its on 24/7.  I pay 14 cents per kWh.

I might partner it with a Seagate Thunderbolt Flex drive for TM backups, just in case I have a failure.  I'd give up the RAID card redundancy but would save a lot of power (and money, I think).

Would love to hear your thoughts.

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Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2012, 05:05:29 PM »
Yep, my station here, serving simple web pages (http://trixology.com/live_weather/simple/ ), custom web pages ( http://live.trixology.com/custom/ ), custom CGI (http://live.trixology.com/watch_weather.php), Wunderground and CWOP along with a bunch of scripts and alerts runs on an Intel Mac Mini with 1GB of RAM - it uses typically 30 watts of power, versus my Mac Pro which can peak at over 500 and 'idles' at 200 watts. If you can get one second hand at a good price, it makes a fine weather box.


elagache

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Agreed . . . (Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....)
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2012, 09:16:33 PM »
Howdy JG, Stu, and WeatherCat fans,

Anyone have first hand experience using a MacMini as a server versus a 2008 MacPro with 2 1 gig drives with Apple's RAID card.  The room I have this in gets quite warm . . .

 ;) And what's wrong with that?  It doubles as a space heater!!   [lol2]

Yep, my station here . . .  on an Intel Mac Mini with 1GB of RAM - it uses typically 30 watts of power, versus my Mac Pro which can peak at over 500 and 'idles' at 200 watts. If you can get one second hand at a good price, it makes a fine weather box.

Not quite the same scenario but close.  For almost a decade, I had a beefy PC tower running LINUX as the home network server.  It had a big power-supply as I had delusions of stuffing it with hard drives for network backups and stuff. Ya' know this room would all get quite warm!!  This was before we installed central air conditioning and it would get so warm in the summer - that I fried a hard drive once on a hot summer's day!  :o

I've switched to a Mac Mini as the house network server and not only using about 1/10 the power, but the room is noticeably cooler!!

So, unless you really need a space heater  [lol], yeah try to get your paws on a Mac Mini instead!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

P.S. Oh, ya' know, the mini is so much quieter than that monster PC tower with all those fans!!

jg

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Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2012, 09:18:42 PM »
This is in a closet, my "office" is in the same room and I have an old MacPro version 1,1 for my main computer, two monitors.  I would love to swap this one out too.  Imagine two MacPros in a room about 6x10 feet, below grade, well insulated.

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Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2012, 09:23:43 PM »
Absolutely, whilst we were away one of the cats woke the Mac Pro (a 1,1) - I immediately noticed on our iPhone a 2?C (3.6?F) rise in the temperature in that room and it stayed that way until we got home :(

elagache

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Maybe they need their own computers!! (Re: MacPro)
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2012, 10:20:34 PM »
Howdy Stu and WeatherCat fans,  [cat]

Absolutely, whilst we were away one of the cats woke the Mac Pro (a 1,1)

 ;) What on earth did they need a Mac Pro for?  Trying to buy catnip on the Internet?  Trying to get access to feline porn?  Hacking into the animal shelter computer to get all the cats freed?

I dunno' Stu, maybe you should get your ninja programming cats their own computers!!
  [lol2]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

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Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2012, 09:06:37 PM »
Oh, they have their own computers - you don't think I write any code do you??? I just manage the over-paid buggers  [biggrin]

I suspect they were looking for the to-do list. I don't let them know about upcoming stuff until I need one of them to code it - don't want them having sleepless nights about some of the stuff they *may* have to code up sometime in the future  :)

elagache

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Sounds suspicious to me . . . (Re: MacPro)
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2012, 11:53:52 PM »
Howdy Stu and Cat managers, . . .

Oh, they have their own computers - you don't think I write any code do you??? I just manage the over-paid buggers  [biggrin]

 ;) I dunno' Stu . . .  As a manager you need to worry about drug use in the workplace . . .  Ya' sure there isn't any capnip around?  [goofy]

They might have been trying to rifle one of your credit cards on the MacPro!!   [lol2]

Remember Stu, you wanted the big money as Manager!!   ::)


Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

jg

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Re: MacMini vs. MacPro - Power Consumption....
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2012, 12:57:05 PM »
So with the door closed yesterday my network/computer closet was up to 92 degrees (the Envoy was at the top of the rack).

I migrated to the new Mini yesterday afternoon, temp was down to 81 at the top of the rack and 79 along the side.  I have a vent at the top and the bottom, I'm considering a small fan to help keep the air moving even though 80 isn't bad.  I've got a 48 port HP switch, a sonic wall, the DSL modem, a Sensaphone IMS 4000 with an add-on Node and a big UPS in here (plus the regular circuit breakers).

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Wishing for the really quiet fan (Re: Power Consumption....)
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2012, 10:37:40 PM »
Hi JC and WeatherCat computer hardware room maintainers, . . . .

So with the door closed yesterday my network/computer closet was up to 92 degrees (the Envoy was at the top of the rack).

Oops!!  A little too hot in there!! [sweat2]

I migrated to the new Mini yesterday afternoon, temp was down to 81 at the top of the rack and 79 along the side.  I have a vent at the top and the bottom, I'm considering a small fan to help keep the air moving even though 80 isn't bad.  I've got a 48 port HP switch, a sonic wall, the DSL modem, a Sensaphone IMS 4000 with an add-on Node and a big UPS in here (plus the regular circuit breakers).

I've had situations where I have thought about that.  We have an old laser printer in a hall closet and it does nudge the temperatures in there a bit.  Not enough to make installing a fan worth it though.  The main problem with fans is that they are usually unacceptably noisy.  I sure wish someone modify a quiet computer case fan to run on household electric power in a neat and clean package.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]