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have a computer power supply question


Togo

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ok, let's start with the quick and dirty - i want to plug my cigarette lighter adapter for my laptop into a cigarette lighter plug that goes into a 5.25" drive bay that runs off the power supply in my computer

let's say for example - if i have a 400w power supply running 1 hard drive, sometimes a DVD drive or burner and a processor fan in the case

if i add in the cigarette lighter adapter that runs off the power supply, and plug in the adapter to charge my laptop, will the power supply use the same amount of electricity or will it use more

my theory is that it will use the same amount of electricity but the wattage draw may increase to the full 400 watts while charging (and it's normally just running the hard drive and fan)

does any of this make sense?????

why would i want to do this?????

i have an answer to that question - if this idea would reduce the amount of KWh i use on my electicity, it would in turn help reduce the greenhouse gasses by using less electricity than the standard laptop power supply uses.

am i doing all i can to help use electricity?

probably not, but every little bit helps - the light bulbs we use most often have been switched to the CFL bulbs though!

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You can't fool me... You went to see "An Inconvenient Truth" with Al this weekend didn't you :huh

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It would not reduce the kwh usage. If the P/S is 400W that doesnt mean it ALWAYS uses 400Watts. So lets say it normally uses 200 Watts. And you laptop charger uses 200Watts when charging it would thendraw that 200 from the P/S making it total 400 Watts, and that would be the same useage if you plugged them in separtely.

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It would not reduce the kwh usage. If the P/S is 400W that doesnt mean it ALWAYS uses 400Watts. So lets say it normally uses 200 Watts. And you laptop charger uses 200Watts when charging it would thendraw that 200 from the P/S making it total 400 Watts, and that would be the same useage if you plugged them in separtely.

:ack

that's not what i wanted to hear - i was hoping i might be able to do just a little bit more to help!

and eddie - an inconvenient truth is literally not even on my list of movies i want to see

i just saw a news report the other day that showed a solar system on a house that actually showed how much greenhouse gas the solar system would actually use if it were drawing that power from "the grid"

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You'll use up more of your 400w causing more heat which means your A/C will have to work harder to cool your house down. It's gonna cost a lot more money so don't do it :D

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You'll use up more of your 400w causing more heat which means your A/C will have to work harder to cool your house down. It's gonna cost a lot more money so don't do it :D

Thats true too. Also you could over drive/pull? the 400 Watts and you would then have to drive your car to Fry's and buy a new power supply, burning more gas putting more hydrocarbons in the air.. :)

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Guest UVETTYA

FWIW, there are just as many scientists who say humans are not "the" cause of global warming and that if you add up everything we contribute, it's still less than 1/30th the amount of carbon the earth itself adds to the atmosphere every year by natural causes.

As for your equation, the W in KWH is watt, which is measured in amps when it does work, and you're not getting amps for free. The voltage remains the same at 110 regardless of how many amps you use, but KWH's are determined by how much current (amps) you draw over a period of time. So you're not saving anything by doing this because it still requires the same amount of current (amps) to charge your battery regardless of the path it takes to get there.

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sigh...

brainwash.gif

and how much engery did that TV consume while you were watching that report?

"...and now here is Tom with the weather"

I love ya Chris but do some research on Tesla and Ohms Law.

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sigh...

brainwash.gif

and how much engery did that TV consume while you were watching that report?

"...and now here is Tom with the weather"

I love ya Chris but do some research on Tesla and Ohms Law.

i'm no electrical engineer, that's why i asked here - i don't like Tesla - their music isn't my style! :leaving

yeah yeah, i'm sure that tv did consume a lot of electricity, but i'm trying to do a thing here and a thing there - regardless of how much it helps - it's kind of a little challenge i have - i'd eventually like to get my consumption under control enough to drop off the grid and go completely solar.

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.... i'd eventually like to get my consumption under control enough to drop off the grid and go completely solar.

TreeHugger.gif

:D

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Where would we put it on our cars? :lol

...bendover and Ill show ya.

LOL :D

That may be your game...but not mine. You're the one with the hampster? :smilelol

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