Kill A Watt device - max draw 15A - Can this not work with a PC?

[Syndicate]

Hey guys,

Found this:

http://www.******/kilwateldet1.html#description

Good deal with a free ship coupon but I noticed the maximum amperage draw is listed as 15A.

Our PSU's of today draw more then that on a single +12v rail. I wanted to use this to test some configurations and find a good balance of power draw from a few PC configurations.

I don't know if PSU amperage draw equates to what's pulled from the socket so I wanted to know if a typical modern PC is simply too much for this device. Anyone offer some insight? Thanks.

 

[Aluvus]

15 A @ 110 V is 1.65 kVA. You would need to be drawing well over 100 A at 12 Vdc (even accounting for power supply efficiency) before you had a problem.

Many homes use 15 A breakers (which may feed power to an entire room) without incident.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

For reference, my machine in my rig pulls 2.82 amps out of the wall socket when I maxed out the machine all I could.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: Syndicate
Hey guys,

Found this:

http://www.******/kilwateldet1.html#description

Good deal with a free ship coupon but I noticed the maximum amperage draw is listed as 15A.

Our PSU's of today draw more then that on a single +12v rail. I wanted to use this to test some configurations and find a good balance of power draw from a few PC configurations.

I don't know if PSU amperage draw equates to what's pulled from the socket so I wanted to know if a typical modern PC is simply too much for this device. Anyone offer some insight? Thanks.

There is a conversion that occurs in the power supply where voltage is lowered and current is increased.

 

[Syndicate]

Fantastic guys, appreciate the response! Got a formula to figure out the real capabilities.

My AC/DC conversions and what not are obviously a little out of date

EDIT: Yowch, Anandtech removed the link

 

[Fike]

I have used the kill-a-watt on my PC. It draws about 200-245 watts. At 110VAC that would be just over 2 amps or the equivalent of 2 or so 100 watt light bulbs.

wattage=current X voltage where current is measured in amps and voltage is measured in volts. So, as others have pointed out, that amperage is at a much lower voltage, so the overall power (wattage) is still relatively low. You can of course make all kinds of correlary formulas froma nice simple formula like this: current=wattage/voltage.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Syndicate
My AC/DC conversions and what not are obviously a little out of date

W = V * A

Watt = Volt (times) Amperes

 

[Howard]

You don't run it from your +12V supply, do you?

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Howard
You don't run it from your +12V supply, do you?

No. It plugs in between the wall socket and the PSU. In fact, it provides zero information about how much current is coming out of the PSU's rails. The only way to get that kind of information would be to wire an ammeter into the outputs of the PSU (which some review sites have done, but it's not for the faint of heart), or use an induction current meter (which doesn't require splicing wires, but is somewhat less accurate).

As pointed out multiple times, it can measure up to 15A of 120V AC draw.

15A * 120V = 1800W.

Most household outlets are breakered or fused at 15A, so you are unlikely to be able to exceed this anyway.

 

[Bob Anderson]

Originally posted by: Syndicate
Hey guys,

Found this:

http://www.******/kilwateldet1.html#description

Good deal with a free ship coupon but I noticed the maximum amperage draw is listed as 15A.

Our PSU's of today draw more then that on a single +12v rail. I wanted to use this to test some configurations and find a good balance of power draw from a few PC configurations.

I don't know if PSU amperage draw equates to what's pulled from the socket so I wanted to know if a typical modern PC is simply too much for this device. Anyone offer some insight? Thanks.

You misunderstand the difference between the maximum amperage available on a PSU 12volt rail, and the amperage available at the wall AC, which is typically 15 amps at 120 volts in North America. This is FAR more than any home computer could use.

Get the Kill-a- Watt, though. It is a fun device.

-Bob

 

[airhd823]

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Howard
You don't run it from your +12V supply, do you?

No. It plugs in between the wall socket and the PSU. In fact, it provides zero information about how much current is coming out of the PSU's rails. The only way to get that kind of information would be to wire an ammeter into the outputs of the PSU (which some review sites have done, but it's not for the faint of heart), or use an induction current meter (which doesn't require splicing wires, but is somewhat less accurate).

As pointed out multiple times, it can measure up to 15A of 120V AC draw.

15A * 120V = 1800W.

Most household outlets are breakered or fused at 15A, so you are unlikely to be able to exceed this anyway.

That was a rhetorical question.

 

[Ferzerp]

or use an induction current meter (which doesn't require splicing wires, but is somewhat less accurate).

A little more than "somewhat less accurate" on a DC current

 

[Jiggz]

See what happens when you open a can of electrons? Soup bowlful of electricians will show up!

 

[zagood]

"Waiter, what's this electrician doing in my soup?"
"I believe that's the backstroke, ma'am."

hahahahaaaaa...oh.

Any B&M's that carry the kill-0-watt?

-z

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Bob Anderson
15 amps at 120 volts in North America. This is FAR more than any home computer could use.

Currently it is. There are 1.5 kW power supplies on the horizon. :Q

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: Bob Anderson
15 amps at 120 volts in North America. This is FAR more than any home computer could use.

Currently it is. There are 1.5 kW power supplies on the horizon. :Q

And people thought it was bad when they had to upgrade for Vista. Wait til they find out they have to upgrade the wiring in their house for that.

 

[mithrandir2001]

I'm glad I am not a bleeding-edge hardware enthusiast: 1.5kW power supplies simply seem objectionable to me. With the energy challenges the world faces the prospect of having PCs that can draw over a kilowatt of power just to play games suggests our priorities are out-of-whack.

The current power supply situation reminds me of the late stages of the NetBurst product cycle. Eventually we are going to hit some proverbial wall and realize we will need to do more with less.

 

[Blain]

CPU's are consuming less while GPU's are getting more power hungry all the time.