Electricity To Do With Computer Assistance Please

[FreekyGun]

Hello forum,

 

I am required to write a practical report on a project I am undertaking, This project involves running computer programs in the background and using a benchmarking software to find a rating and how it is effected by multiple programs open. Also I will be measuring the FPS and electricity during the benchmarking. However I am required to write this up, and I am unsure how to write it up as it is required to be scientific, It needs to include how electricty effects these variables and also something to do with CPU, GPU and VPU.

 

What websites do you recommend I check out to find this, or how do you think I should go about writing this up?

 

Thank you in advance.

[ewmon]

Please describe the terms FPS and electricity in more detail.

[FreekyGun]

Please describe the terms FPS and electricity in more detail.

 

Electricty being the drain from the 'socket' in the wall that the computer is drawing on to keep it active.

 

FPS being the frames per second that the computers performing at (the higher the fps the smoother the images and actions appear on the screen.)

 

Was this what you required?

 

Is anyone able to explain how electricity from the wall is used by the CPU and GPU. If possible how it may effect the efficiency of the system.

[ewmon]

To begin with, this sounds like homework, so I'm staying away from any direct answers. I'm not ignorant of computers, and I'm not being a jerk, just cautious. Besides, there's information about the project that's not quite kosher, and I'm trying to draw it out of you.

 

As I understand it, you intend to run various numbers/types of programs in the background along with benchmarking software that apparently will display some sort of video, and you intend to see a correlations among the number/type of programs, the image refresh rate and the electric consumption. I suppose the image refresh rate will be measured and shown/recorded by the benchmarking software.

 

But how do you intend to measure the electricity from the wall, and what about it do you intend to measure?

[FreekyGun]

To begin with, this sounds like homework, so I'm staying away from any direct answers. I'm not ignorant of computers, and I'm not being a jerk, just cautious. Besides, there's information about the project that's not quite kosher, and I'm trying to draw it out of you.

 

As I understand it, you intend to run various numbers/types of programs in the background along with benchmarking software that apparently will display some sort of video, and you intend to see a correlations among the number/type of programs, the image refresh rate and the electric consumption. I suppose the image refresh rate will be measured and shown/recorded by the benchmarking software.

 

But how do you intend to measure the electricity from the wall, and what about it do you intend to measure?

 

1) It is a project for school I am doing, I am meant to do some research but I have been unable to find any information on the topic I find useful.

 

2) Basically yeah.

 

3) I will use an ammeter, ive got the practical components up to standard, it is just the theory behind this experiment (scientific principles behind it)

[ewmon]

I will be measuring the FPS and electricity during the benchmarking. However I am required to write this up, and I am unsure how to write it up as it is required to be scientific, It needs to include how electricty effects these variables and also something to do with CPU, GPU and VPU.

I will use an ammeter, ive got the practical components up to standard, it is just the theory behind this experiment (scientific principles behind it)

 

Okay, I hope that by "ive got the practical components up to standard" you have built a breakout box that the instructor has approved and is safe to use.

 

Next, I don't see how the electricity can affect the computer's operation (unless the power supplied is at partial voltage). What may happen is that the operation of the computer, under the various circumstances you describe, will affect the current draw from the wall.

 

So, if I can remember this type of science correctly, you need to form a hypothesis, develop/explain the experiment's plan, perform the experiment, and compare the results to the hypothesis. You could theorize that the number of background programs will cause the computer to work "harder" -- that is, consume more electrical power (and because the voltage remains constant, it''s the current that will vary, which is why the instructor told you to measure it).

 

Computers can't really multitask, instead they spend some time running each program (they just do it so fast, it seems like they're multitasking). More programs means more CPU usage (that is, less idle time for the CPU).

 

Also, if all the programs and associated data combined are bigger than the available RAM, the computer must swap programs and data between your hard drive and the RAM -- like an office worker having limited desk space and shuffling books and paperwork between the desk and shelves -- and that also consumes energy and slows down the operations (like image refresh rate).

[FreekyGun]

Thank you ewmon, I think I will be able to continue with your information and complete the task at hand much further.