How Green is your comp

NEW DELHI: On World Environment Day, let us do our own thing to reduce carbon emissions. Some tips to help you make your PC green.

1. Green search
Google is the most extensively used search engine. And, there is an eco-friendly alternative to it: Blackle.com. Visit the site and you will know how black resolution requires less energy than white. You can also switch to using black wallpapers and screensavers that consume lesser power than white or coloured backgrounds.

2. Use LCD monitors
Replace your CRT monitors with LCD technology. LCD technology provides up to 70% power saving and comes with twice the lifespan of CRT monitors.

3. Optimize your PC's power settings with iYogi toolbar
Every modern operating system has it's own setting for conserving power. You can optimize your PC's energy consumption by making changes in the power settings. In case you are browsing through several folders and are unable to optimize energy conservation, don't worry ��� take the help of iYogi Green PC toolbar ��� a 'do-it-yourself' kit that can be installed on all Windows-based systems. The utility engages PC users in a community drive to save energy and, in turn, cut down on their respective energy bills.
4. Go green with Vista
Power consumption in Windows Vista is more adjustable than in Windows XP. Vista can adjust its performance to fit the task you're working on, boosting power when you're watching or editing a video and lowering it when you're just typing out a document.

5. Turn off peripherals when not in use
Even when you shut down your computer and the monitor goes black, your monitor is actually consuming power in standby mode and waiting for the PC to switch back on. All your PC peripherals like printer and monitor should be turned off when not in use, which can be achieved by plugging all of them to a common power strip, which can be switched off when not in use.

Source: iYogi