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List:       opensuse
Subject:    Re: [opensuse] Legacy hardware support in openSUSE 10.3
From:       Felix Miata <mrmazda () ij ! net>
Date:       2009-06-16 18:43:57
Message-ID: 4A37E7ED.6000002 () ij ! net
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On 2009/06/16 20:07 (GMT+0200) Per Jessen composed:

> Felix, like I said, YMMV - you're clearly talking about office/home

A point of the thread is YMMV, so it went and goes without saying.

> desktops and workstations, whereas I'm talking about servers in racks
> in a datacentre.  Our servers have at least two power supplies,
> multiple hot-plug redundant fans etc etc.  We tend to be quite
> conservative wrt upgrading hardware, but our recent upgrades have
> reduced both electricity and airconditioning costs. 

I would expect a single quad core system replacing a quad CPU system could
save overall, but that's not a majority upgrade scenario. Quad CPU systems
were never big sellers. Home and office desktops far outnumber servers.

Average power consumption on the desktop is up, even though efficiency is up
too. RAM often now requires heatsink cooling, another sign of increased power
consumption, on top of generally increased RAM requirements of newer
software. Motherboard chipset coolers, like gfxchip coolers non-existent in
440BX days, are mandatory on current systems. Gfxcards often need so much
current they require a dedicated power connector instead of making do with
power from the motherboard bus. Giant hard drives installed in plastic rails
instead of heat-conductive metal cages are too hot to touch and often die
quickly. Typical power supply output power growth from sub-200 yesteryear to
300+ today sums up the story.

Power consumption should figure into the equation whether to take equipment
out of service, not just whether kernels still support old hardware (thread
topic). To ignore power consumption is an ecologically bankrupt attitude to
have. It must be taken into account in responsible hardware retirement &
support decisions.
-- 
"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to
the sky like an eagle."	       Proverbs 23:5 NIV

 Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/
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