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Home -> Resources -> Twenty-One Green IT Tips -> 12. Use Fewer RAM modules
12. Use Fewer RAM modules Did you know that more RAM modules can cause higher power usage? Yes, that’s right. The more RAM modules in your system, the more power that is used. We need to point out that we are not referring to the total amount of RAM. Instead, we are talking about the physical RAM modules that are plugged into the various slots in desktop and laptop computers. RAM modules come in various sizes, including 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB. There are several ways to get a total of 4 gigabytes of RAM: (1) Using a single 4 gigabyte RAM module, or (2) Using two - 2 gigabyte RAM modules, or (3) a four - 1 gigabyte modules. All other things being equal, it is the *number* of modules that increases the amount of energy used and not the actual amount of RAM. Web search:  RAM module electricity consumption
How We Know This We used a Kill-A-Watt power meter (for details, see Tip 2) on a system with three RAM modules, and removed two of them. The result? Power usage dropped by five watts. For a computer that is kept on 24x7, the savings in such a change would be 44 Kilowatt hours. This equates to a savings of about five dollars per year. Conclusion Given the cost of memory, it is probably not worth retrofitting existing computers with new RAM. On the other hande, when the time comes to buy new equipment, you are better off -- from any energy-efficiency point of view -- with ordering systems that have a single RAM module rather than multiple RAM modules. |
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