![\"my](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/my-computer-build.jpg\" "\\"Three")
<\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n
\tWant to build a completely silent, green computer system? It\u2019s not hard and can cost as little as $200. Depending on your power prices, low-wattage machines save lots of money<\/a> and<\/em> provide solid performance.\u00a0After throwing together\u00a0two<\/em>\u00a0eco-friendly machines, I\u2019ve learned a few strategies for keeping your build costs and wattage requirements low.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \tWant to build a completely silent, green computer system? It\u2019s not hard and can cost as little as $200. Depending on your power prices, low-wattage machines save lots of money<\/a> and<\/em> provide solid performance.\u00a0After throwing together\u00a0two<\/em>\u00a0eco-friendly machines, I\u2019ve learned a few strategies for keeping your build costs and wattage requirements low.This article covers component selection for assembling silent and green PCs (but you also can buy silent mini PCs premade<\/a>, too). In particular, it covers low-power variants of standard computer processors, cases specially designed for fanless, low-power operation and other components that allow for silent, eco-friendly computers.<\/p>\n \t \tI\u2019ve written before about rules for building eco-friendly PCs<\/a>. Saving energy requires using low-power internal components. A fine line between performance and wattage exists. The faster a computer, the more power it consumes. But recent advances in CPU architecture \u2014 noticeably present in low power variants of AMD\u2019s APU (what\u2019s an APU?<\/a>) line of CPU\/GPU hybrids and Intel\u2019s T-series of processors \u2014 allow for computer builds providing adequate graphical performance along with extremely low power requirements. With the right cooling solution, these can become completely silent by dispensing with fans. Removing fans saves both power and improves ease of maintenance.<\/p>\n \tBefore proceeding, take time to sketch out the relative power requirements of the system. Also pick one of the available platforms, such as AMD or Intel, to base your build on. I prefer using PCPartPicker<\/a> (we\u2019ve covered how to use PCPartPicker<\/a>) to sketch out the basic components and OuterVision\u2019s eXtreme Power Supply Calculator<\/a> to estimate power requirements. Once you\u2019ve established a general<\/em> part list, start choosing and buying parts.<\/p>\n \tSilent, mini-ITX builds require special attention to four categories: CPU, motherboard, case and power supply. Regarding RAM and hard drives, the kind of RAM isn\u2019t really important and you will definitely want an SSD, instead of a traditional HDD.<\/p>\n \tBoth AMD and Intel offer low power processors.<\/p>\n \tIntel low-wattage CPUs<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \t \tAMD low-wattage APUs<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \t \tThe motherboard doesn\u2019t make a big difference in power consumption, but small form factor cases require<\/em> (for the most part) mini-ITX motherboards. A few passively cooled cases support microATX cases.<\/p>\n \tPassive\u00a0cooling:<\/strong>\u00a0Also note that small form factor desktop CPU\/APUs can be easily passively cooled up to around 45 watts (watts are generally used as a means of measuring heat production, as well as power consumption). Personally, I prefer using heat pipes, but low wattage (around 10 watts and below) processors typically cool themselves using convection.<\/p>\n \tA number of small form-factor cases exist on the market. However, many require special motherboards. Only one provides versatility and cooling performance.<\/p>\n \t \t \t \t \tA lot of other mini-ITX fanless cases exist, but in my opinion, these three offer some of the best features and design.<\/p>\n \tI\u2019m using picoPSUs in all the builds listed here. PicoPSUs offer around 96% efficiency, when converting from wall current (AC) to DC. They frequently offer between 60 and 150 watts. The average ATX power supply converts at around 70% efficiency. Some other points for consideration:<\/p>\n \tAlternatively, thin mini-ITX motherboards (more on them below) include an on-board AC-DC converter.<\/p>\n \t \tOther power supplies<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \tRAM and hard drives don\u2019t really make a big difference in power consumption. However, you do get better performance out of some kinds of RAM when paired with an AMD APU.<\/p>\n \tDDR3 desktop RAM range from 1.25 to 1.6 in volts. The wattage consumption of a 1.25v compared to a 1.6v stick isn\u2019t much. You won\u2019t need to pay a lot of attention to that. However, low-profile RAM may help with tiny cases. If you use an AMD APU, you will want to use two sticks (this provides dual-channel mode), which allows for better performance. Some AMD APUs are only single channel only need one-stick of RAM. 1866MHz RAM provides the best bang for your buck, but in general, the higher the RAM\u2019s frequency, the better your performance with APUs.<\/p>\n \tSolid state drives (how do SSDs work?<\/a>) offer lower wattage requirements compared to traditional disc drives. Among SSDs, wattage consumption can go as high as 5-watts and as low as 1-watt during operation. Because they come in the 2.5-inch form factor, they also combine well with smaller cases.<\/p>\n \t \tFor reference, I list three different variants of fanless PC in the (roughly) $250, $500 and $1,000 price range. I actually built both a $200 streaming media center and a $1,000 workstation, both without fans and they work great.<\/em><\/p>\n \tThis particular, ultra-budget build runs between 15 and 30 watts. The particular kind of processor used is a Kabini<\/a> APU. It doesn\u2019t play anything other than lower-end games at console resolutions (in some cases). With Windows 8, it will stream 1080p videos. For Linux, with the latest kernel update, it will play 1080p, although with some stutter. AMD continues to pump out updated Linux drivers, though, and they will likely correct streaming issues shortly.<\/p>\n \tThe most recent Linux kernel upgrade offers out-the-box compatibility. However, it requires using a nightly build<\/a> of Linux as of March of 2014. The motherboard will also accept a miniPCI wireless card, although this component has been omitted. Another cost saving feature of the ECS KBN-I\/2100 motherboard is that it doesn\u2019t require a 4-pin CPU power source \u2013 meaning, you can purchase the cheapest class of picoPSU available.<\/p>\n \tAll prices accurate at the time of writing.<\/em><\/p>\n \tNote:<\/strong> The system below uses a Realan case,\u00a0not<\/em> the M350.<\/p>\n \t \tIntel\u2019s thin mini-ITX motherboards offer an even slimmer profile than mini-ITX. While not as efficient as using a picoPSU, it still offers significant power efficiency over a standard motherboard. It also requires a 19v power brick. The case that I used in this design, the Akasa Euler, also doubles as the heat sink, which allows fanless operation. This build can double as both an HTPC and a desktop.<\/p>\n \tRegarding the case, the Euler\u2019s compatibility is officially listed as working only with two motherboards. However, the CPU placement on many thin mini-ITX boards allows a wider range of compatibility. It\u2019s also VESA mountable, so you can attach it to the back of a monitor or TV.<\/p>\n \tAll prices accurate at the time of writing.<\/em><\/p>\n \tThe HD1.s case works with a wide variety of motherboards (both ITX and thin ITX) and processors. However, it also runs around $180. With a built-in power supply, it costs around $230. The build I made uses around 15-25 watts while in normal operation and uses a full-sized mini-ITX board (it\u2019s also compatible with thin mini-ITX boards). The HD1.s case also works with a wide<\/em> variety of processors, including almost all CPUs listed in this article. Although heavy and requiring a great deal of labor to assemble, it also cools at least<\/em> up to 45-watt processors and offers VESA compatibility.<\/p>\n \tAll prices accurate at the time of writing.<\/em><\/p>\n \t \tBuilding an ultra-quiet, fanless, low-power mini-PC with solid performance doesn\u2019t require lots of money or effort. I don\u2019t recommend that everyone run out and build fanless systems, but for enthusiasts, it\u2019s now possible with a great<\/em> variety of components.<\/p>\n \tNot only do these cases take up less space, but they also provide lower weight, VESA mounting and lower power requirements. Dispensing with fans saves around 2-5 watts per fan, depending on how hard it\u2019s working to cool the system down. Removing the three fans required of the ATX specification actually drops around 6-15 watts from the build and improves your computer\u2019s ease of maintenance.<\/p>\n \tAnyone else love tiny PCs offering silent, fanless and green computing? Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n \tImage Credits: Magnifying glass<\/a> Via Shutterstock<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tSketching Your Build Out<\/h2>\n
\tBuild Considerations<\/h2>\n
\tProcessor<\/h3>\n
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![\"intel](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/intel-logo.png\" "\\"Three"){kind=logo}
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![\"amd](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/amd-logo.png\" "\\"Three"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n \tCases<\/h3>\n
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![\"hdplexh1s](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hdplexh1s-case-example.jpg\" "\\"Three")
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![\"m350](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/m350-case.png\" "\\"Three")
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![\"ga2300](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/ga2300-g-atlantic.png\" "\\"Three")
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![\"akasa](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/akasa-euler.png\" "\\"Three")
<\/p>\n \tPower Supply<\/h3>\n
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![\"picopsu](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/picopsu.png\" "\\"Three")
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\tRAM and Hard Drives<\/h3>\n
![\"ocz](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/ocz-vertex-2.png\" "\\"Three")
<\/p>\n \tThree Sample Low Wattage Systems<\/h2>\n
\t$250 AMD Linux-Powered Home Theater PC<\/h3>\n
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![\"realan](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/realan-pc.jpg\" "\\"Three")
<\/p>\n \t$500 Passively Cooled HTPC<\/h3>\n
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\t$1,000 Passively Cooled Workstation\/HTPC<\/h3>\n
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\t\tHard<\/strong> drive<\/strong>: PNY XLR8 PRO 240GB SSD \u2014 $129.99 via Newegg<\/a> with $10 MIR<\/li>\n![\"my](\"http:\/\/main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/my-workstation-pc.jpg\" "\\"Three")
<\/p>\n \tConclusion<\/h2>\n
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