Newroute Sustainable Technology

Power consumption

The heart of a computer is the central processing unit, or CPU. It takes the data from the disk drive, network connection, keyboard and mouse, and produces useful output to the screen and speakers.

The speed at which it operates is measured in millions cycles per second, or megahertz(MHz). The IBM XT, which was the first desktop PC produced in 1981, used an Intel 8088 processor which ran at 4.77 MHz. Intel's fastest current processor runs at over 3,000 MHz.

Their performance is amazing, but innovation came at a price. In order to run at such speeds, processors are massively overstressed, needing heatsinks and fans in order to run properly. If the fan stops because its bearings have worn out, or if has become jammed, the processor will fail in minutes. The power consumed by these monsters can be over 100 watts, and that's before you count any peripherals they need to do any useful work.

Computer manufacturers and the mainstream software industry have always said this innovation is necessary, but we disagree. It might be necessary if you are a person who must always have the latest gadgets, or want to play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available to use the machine's potential. But to do the things most people want to do, namely use the Internet and write letters, it's technology for its own sake.

Our computer has a reliable, energy efficient processor which needs no fans to stay at a safe temperature, yet still has the performance to run quickly and efficiently with our software. Best of all, its power consumption is less than 2 watts.

We think the choice is pretty clear cut.