Today's PC manufacturers and suppliers are creating ways to help businesses become energy efficient and leave a smaller environmental footprint from creation to disposal. Energy-efficient PCs have a number of benefits that can help your business use less electricity -- conserving energy, minimizing carbon output, and ultimately saving money in the long run. New chips, low-voltage processors, more efficient power supplies, monitors, and printers can all benefit your bottom line.

PC chips and low-voltage processors

PC chip manufacturers are creating smarter chips that can reduce a PC's heat output, power consumption, and help quiet the work environment. They control a PC's level of processor performance automatically, adjusting the operating frequency and voltage many times per second, according to demand on the processor. When the PC doesn't require full performance, significant amounts of power can be saved -- and when more muscle is required, the processor adapts to the increased workload. Whether you use resource-intensive applications, multiple applications, or only one program at a time, the PC uses an appropriate and efficient level of performance and power. PCs using this technology experience maximum processor performance when needed, and automatic power savings as often as possible. Additionally, when a PC consumes less power, it generates less heat, meaning the fan can run less often. And, when the fan runs less, the system's noise level is reduced.

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later Windows operating systems support this type of processor. Windows controls the performance of a processor with a kernel power policy manager, a processor driver, and the system's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). The kernel power policy manager creates the rules for using the performance state, and Windows uses the processor driver or BIOS to make the changes to the processor.

Processors are available in a wide range of power efficiency. To select a PC with the maximum level of power efficiency, look for Intel Core 2 Duo, Dual Core, desktop Pentium 4 (600 series), and Pentium D (excluding 820) processors that support EIST. In addition, AMD's Athlon 64 line of processors support Cool'nQui