High-performance server CPU designed for minimal power use when idle
High-performance server CPU designed for minimal power use when idle
Hey everyone, I understand the name might seem odd at first, but I’m looking for CPUs that use very little power when idle—around 20 to 50 watts max. They should also offer strong multithread capabilities compared to the 14900K, and ideally support more RAM than the 13900K. While I’m okay with higher consumption during heavy use (it can reach 600W), the key is low idle draw. The 13900K and 14900K are solid examples in this regard. For instance, the 13900K can run at about 20W idle, though its performance under load isn’t as high. If you need more power or memory, the Threadripper 7980x is worth considering, but its idle consumption is around 150W. Server CPUs are also a good option. Would it be possible to adjust the BIOS settings on the Threadripper to cut idle power below 50W without sacrificing performance? Let me know your thoughts!
How much ram do you want? You can get 256GB on the 14900k soon. The problem is when the chip gets bigger like with xeon w or threadripper you need a lot of power to keep the IO and memory running. Maybe something like xeon d 2700 with 20 cores, 512GB ram max, and ok ish idle power, but really depends on the rest of the system. You can get the xeon scaleable parts to fairly low idle power. I think you can get sub 50w fairly easily.
You're referring to how the EPYC 7313P performs similarly in power usage to the Intel 4790K despite having different components. The idle power consumption can be tricky because some parts don't truly "idle" and others like I/O interfaces, RAM, or PCIe signals still draw power even when inactive. It's a bit misleading to call it idle power. The EPYC tends to stay at near-zero power, while the 4790K needs more energy for background operations. This is why minimizing idle power is crucial—especially if you're aiming for a very low overall cost, because even small savings add up over time.