REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 26, 2012 — It’s often said that a PC can consume more power than an incandescent light bulb. The good news is that newer PCs, particularly laptops and modern desktops, tend to consume considerably less. However, a PC’s environmental impact doesn’t end with the energy it consumes over its lifetime — how it’s manufactured, the materials used and even the packaging all figure into a PC’s total environmental footprint.
That’s why manufacturers today are looking at a range of ways to reduce the impact and lighten the load technology places on the environment. From the software to the circuitry, all the way through how the PC is handled and shipped, the tech industry today is constantly looking for ways to make the PC ecosystem greener.
Greener technology begins with greener components. For years chip manufacturers focused on processing speed at the expense of power efficiency, but that’s all changed in the past decade. The latest few generations of processors from AMD and Intel contain effective power-management features, and more recent multicore processors can save even more power by using only the cores needed for the task at hand. Many PC manufacturers have also upgraded their PCs’ power supplies with more efficient “80 PLUS” rated units.
Software is also a critical part of keeping energy usage low. The power management features in Windows 7 work in conjunction with the PC hardware to save power, and they make it easy for users to achieve even greater savings by controlling sleep management and display management settings. Microsoft is also working hard to improve those features for Windows 8.
Other areas that are constantly being examined and improved include manufacturing processes and equipment, and even the materials and service providers used in shipping the products. Those looking for a greener PC should consider buying from OEMs or retailers that offer greener packaging and shipping practices.
This year several manufacturers are coming out with a new crop of innovative greener PCs, including those that have been EPEAT rated. Check out the slide show below for a glimpse of some of the best, and if you want to know more about what makes for a greener PC, make sure and read these five tips for reducing the environmental impact of your PC.
Greener PCs
| 18 |  |  |
Toshiba Portégé Z835
Weighing less than 2.5 pounds and featuring a 0.63-inch profile, the <a href="http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/portege/Z830" target="_blank">Portégé Z830 Series</a> is the world’s lightest 13.3-inch platform. The PC’s 128GB SSD delivers a responsive experience, increased durability and energy efficiency. This EPEAT Gold and Energy Star Qualified Windows 7 PC also features an 8-hour battery life rating and includes Toshiba’s eco utility to improve efficiency and track power management. RoHS compliant, the ultrathin PC has a PVC-free body, mercury free-LED display and halogen-free printed wiring board.
Sony VAIO SA
The ultrathin <a href="http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644768015" target="_blank">Sony VAIO SA</a> laptop has a sleek look and feel while staying environmentally conscious. The EPEAT Gold- and Energy Star-certified Windows 7 PC comes equipped with a backlit keyboard that fades if not used for a certain period of time, resulting in less power consumption. The S Series also automatically controls the brightness of the screen, depending on your environment, so it can avoid extra use of power. Sony has partnered with IBM’s <a href="http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/vaio" target="_blank">World Community Grid</a> to donate the processing power of Sony VAIO PCs during idle time to assist scientists in humanitarian research in AIDS, cancer, muscular dystrophy and global environmental issues.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1
With scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass from edge to edge, carbon-fiber roll cage and spill-resistant keyboard, the <a href="http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1417" target="_blank">Lenovo ThinkPad X1</a> is designed for rugged durability. The ThinkPad X Series is qualified as EPEAT Gold- and Energy Star-efficient, and UL Environment Gold-rated.
HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT
This Windows 7 PC includes a highly efficient design and power supply that helps lower energy use and qualifies for Energy Star and EPEAT Gold. In addition, the <a href="http://shopping1.hp.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/WW-USSMBPublicStore-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductUUID=_ksQ7EN5Iw0AAAEyIzRri.Kc&CatalogCategoryID=&JumpTo=OfferList" target="_blank">HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT</a>, along with HP’s entire desktop series, is free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), further lessening the PC’s impact on the environment.
Fujitsu ESPRIMO E900 Series
Fujitsu is committed to eliminating the use of harmful and potentially harmful substances in its products and production processes to minimize risk to end users and the environment. This strategy is captured in the ESPRIMO line of PCs, which only use printed circuit boards that are halogen-free and compliant with certificates awarding environmental conscience such as Nordic Star, Energy Star and EPEAT. The <a href="http://www.fujitsu.com/fts/products/computing/pc/desktops/superior/ESPRIMO-E900-0-Watt/index.html" target="_blank">Fujitsu ESPRIMO E900 Series</a> features up to 94 percent energy-efficient power supply and delivers enhanced power management settings with optional 0-Watt power consumption in off-mode.
Dell Inspiron 14z
This thin, powerful and affordable laptop was designed with the environment in mind from the start, and contains no harmful materials such as arsenic in the display or mercury in the system components. Not only is the <a href="http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-n411z/pd" target="_blank">Dell Inspiron 14z</a> a great thin and powerful laptop for today’s students with a wide-screen high-definition display in a lightweight, stylish design, it is also delivered to most Dell customers in innovative bamboo packaging — a replacement for foam that is recyclable in the U.S. and some other areas of the world. When it’s time to retire the system, Dell offers free recycling to consumers in many countries, as well as secure, reliable recycling to businesses.
ASUS U36JC
While the <a href="http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/U36JC/" target="_blank">ASUS U36JC</a> may feature a standard voltage CPU and a powerful GPU, that doesn’t mean the battery drains quickly. Thanks to ASUS’ Super Hybrid Engine, the Battery Saving mode intuitively reduces notebook power consumption based on usage for extended battery life. Coupled with NVIDIA Optimus technology, the U36JC lasts an incredible 10 hours.
Acer TravelMate Timeline 8481T
Road warriors and savvy business professionals seeking a combination of style, mobility and eco-compliance should consider the <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/travelmatetimelinex" target="_blank">Acer TravelMate Timeline 8481T</a> PC with Windows 7. Acer professional notebooks are submitted to a series of reliability tests and are compliant with the most stringent industry criteria including Energy Star qualified and registered EPEAT Silver. With energy savings, longer battery life and elimination of hazardous substances throughout the TravelMate Timeline’s supply chain results in one of Acer’s greenest notebook to date.