Current drawn from pc workstation

[Tonkatoy27]

Hi guys,
I need to know the current drawn per pc workstation.
1x medium spec desktop pc
1x flat screen monitor

Simple enough you'd think.

I can't find my clamp meter. (my dads old meter, I never had call to use it, it's probably an antique) and I can't get a multimeter to work when connected in series with a 4 gang ext lead with said appliances plugged in.

Anybody know off hand?
The pc's say 5amps on the case and the monitors say 3amps 12v dc but there is no way they actually use that is there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Put it this way I'm sitting in my office here now .....we have 27 work stations, a couple of printers, a few switches and servers, 3 shredding machines and 3 HP all singing all dancing scanners ..................and it is merrily chugging away on a 40 amp MCB ........................

And there is a sub board of 4 circuits all with 16amp MCBs on it

 

[Tonkatoy27]

Put it this way I'm sitting in my office here now .....we have 27 work stations, a couple of printers, a few switches and servers, 3 shredding machines and 3 HP all singing all dancing scanners ..................and it is merrily chugging away on a 40 amp MCB ........................

And there is a sub board of 4 circuits all with 16amp MCBs on it

Yup, I'm inclined to have a stab at a 40 or 45amp mcb. If it doesn't hold then at worst we'll have to upgrade the existing 10mm and mcb. I'll give IT a shput and see if I can get them ti pin a max wattage on the psu's but I won't hold my breath...

 

[Strima]

Just clamped my PC, 850W PSU pulling 160W when web browsing, thing is, what do you rate PC's at?

 

[Tonkatoy27]

I doubt the pc's will be working hard. I'm under the impression web browing is quite memory intensive and they can't access the web at the school. I would think that only one application at a time specific to the lesson would be used.

 

[topquark]

Just clamped my PC, 850W PSU pulling 160W when web browsing, thing is, what do you rate PC's at?

Try clamping it during boot up Strima, you'll notice a much higher consumption then (if you have max on the clamp it'll be easier).

 

[topquark]

I doubt the pc's will be working hard. I'm under the impression web browing is quite memory intensive and they can't access the web at the school. I would think that only one application at a time specific to the lesson would be used.

Most of the current draw is hard disk activity and adapter cards (graphics cards particularly, which is why a lot need additional cooling). Power consumption for modern processors is now down well below 50W even at full boost.