Reducing power consumption on a low-load server running WinXP?

Question

I am using a quad-core windows XP based Dell Machine machine in my office as a server for an application that I am developing and for occasional work with remote desktop connection.

The machine is typically under very light load, running a MySQL server with few connections and a few Java processes that make a database connection every few minutes.

When I log into it or when the occasional user submits a request to the server, there is a need for more processing power.

Is there some way to get it to consume less power but still continue running 24x7? On my Mac Pro, for example, I can (manually) shut down a few CPUs which I've noticed affects power consumption. What are my options on XP?

I realize that this is not directly a programming question, but I'm sure somebody here has a computer running on a similar usage profile.

Answer 1

A good first step is to use the Power tool in Control Panel (powercfg.cpl) to make a custom profile that will power down screen, disks, etc. after a reasonable idle period. Don't make periods too short or re-powering up the device may waste more power than was saved by turning it off; especially important for hard disks.

Disable any services (and possibly devices too) that are not required in your configuration (e.g. Content Indexer, WebClient).

Also make sure that your BIOS settings allow your processor clock to go as slow as possible. Some motherboard device drivers take their settings from the BIOS. Turn off any overclocking software and reset those settings to "auto" or "default".

Use devmgmt.msc check the power settings for each device driver. Some drivers are dumb and don't allow controlling the power to their devices but most USB hosts/hubs do.

Answer 2

There are some motherboards from various manufacturers that provide power management tools that can be used from within windows. Perhaps this would be the best place to start. Post more about your system specs and maybe I can be more specific.