Chicago (IL) - Weighing less, consuming less power, made from recycled materials - these are the traits that many sustainable PCs advertise. But deciding upon a sustainable PC that is right for you can ultimately be a difficult decision. We have looked at a sample of three PCs described as sustainable - from Dell, Enano and Everex: Current green PC all boast many similar characteristics, but there are substantial differences in Green Computers and true green computers just aren’t yet available.  

Going green is a big trend these days – a trend that is met with big marketing money that may create more confusion than educate customers. What exactly is green and what can you expect from a green PC these days. We were curious and looked at a handful of PCs advertised today.

The Enano e2 Mini Desktop computer weighs only three pounds, and is promised to consume only 20 to 25 watts of power, which is 20% of the average energy consumed by a desktop PC. This small systems appears to be energy efficient as it is exceeding the Energy Star requirements for notebooks. It is also small enough to be stored anywhere in the home, making it an interesting choice for small living spaces, or individuals who don’t like the look of a bulky desktop.  

The e2 features Intel Core2 Duo processors, 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM and 40 GB to 120 GB of hard disk space.  The e2 is comprised of recyclable materials and id described to integrate an efficient cooling system.  The price looks to be the downfall of the Enano. Costing $750 at the lowest price point, I question whether or not the price is worth the energy savings for consumers. You aren’t really getting a lot of bang for your buck as far as this PC is concerned. It isn’t suitable for any advanced usage scenarios such as gaming, but will fill meet the requirements for your most basic computing needs.

Dell currently has two green computing options on the market - the Dell Latitude D630 Energy Smart Laptop and the Optiplex 755 Energy Smart Desktop.
What makes the Optiplex 755 special is the fact that Dell claims the Core 2 Duo-based PC offers energy efficient power management settings. The systems is said to consume 54% less power than computers that don’t allow you to configure your power management settings. Dell promises that the 80% efficient power supply are between 10-12% more efficient than power supplies of the past. Dell declines to share any actual energy use numbers on their website.  
As far as The Dell Latitude D630 Energy Smart Laptop is concerned, there is not much information regarding energy efficiency, except that the model is energy star rated. The Latitude 360 runs on a Core 2 Duo T7250 (2 GHz) and 1 GB memory.
Both models are made from Dell’s standard material box and the only thing different from these green PCs and other standard Dell computers is the energy star rating – and, of course, their price.  Basically, you are purchasing a standard Dell PC with an energy star rating based upon running the PC utilizing minimal power settings. Both PCs are more expensive than the same model minus the energy star rating.  

I have to say that I was somewhat impressed by the Everex Energy Efficient Desktop. The Everex is sold at Wal-Mart among other stores and costs only $199. It is a relatively simple PC that, in terms of being green, is ahead of many other offerings on the market. It is based on a gOS operating system and comes equipped with a lifetime worth of updates and revisions that are included for free. The Everex integrates a 1.5GHz Via C7-D Processor, 512MB memory and a 80 GB hard drive. The maximum power consumption of the complete system is 20 watts. There are obviously improvements that could be made to this PC- it is currently not being made from biodegradable or recyclable materials.

While there are undeniable green trends in computing, it is a bit of a stretch calling current green PCS truly “green”. There’s always a compromise and it is obvious that we still have some way to go until there will be a green computer you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Here are two models that provide an idea what the future may hold.  

Fujitsu is planning to debut a computer with an innovative and energy efficient design. Fujitsu’s goal is to replace the plastic and other polymers in the computers casing with wood that is both biodegradable and eco-friendly. The laptop is in its early stages of development and is expected to debut at a convention later this year. The prototype is built using cedar wood for the case and many parts are manufactured using recycled polymers and bio-plastic. The bio-plastics are made from sources that are renewable like vegetable oil rather than petroleum, like regular plastics. But don’t get your hopes up just yet: This product may not be able to be sold in Europe or the U.S. due to certification issues, and flame retardation testing.

CherryPal is a company that recently made waves with a “PC” that is promised to consume just 2 watts of power.  The CherryPal Green PC is promised to come in a small package package that weighs only 10.5 ounces and holds a Freescale 400 MHz triple-core processor. The Linux operating system is said to boot within 20 seconds. Other technical features include 4 GB of flash storage, Wi-Fi and 256 MB of memory. You can’t help but being skeptical about this PC, as the specs don’t indicate that this will be a true PC that will be capable of handling all the tasks you may be doing on your home PC today. But it certainly is an interesting device for basic needs.

CherryPal has yet to release their official prices, but sources are hinting that we can expect prices well under the $400 range without the monitor, keyboard or any additional computer accessories. This PC is scheduled to be released in early August and should be followed by a laptop in the future.

So what do you make of all of this? Well, we believe that sustainable PCs aren’t readily available or affordable. I’d even go so far as to admit that they actually don’t exist.  

Each one of the PCs described above consumes less energy than the traditional computer, but all but one are composed of materials that are not renewable, and will ultimately wind up in landfills and pollute the environment. Then there is the performance. I live a green lifestyle, but one thing I cannot sacrifice in my computer is performance. It seems that going Green currently demands too much of a sacrifice in performance for your PC. No doubt, first steps are made and companies are getting closer, but much research, work and product development is required before we begin to see true green PCs, which represent a reasonable compromise that can be accepted by mainstream buyers.

For now I’d suggest saving your money. The greatest alternative to these pricey PCs are simply greening your own computer as much as possible. The steps you can take to Green your PC are simple. Turn the computer off when it’s not in use, run your PC or laptop using minimal power settings, and when ridding yourself of an old or outdated PC, take it somewhere that correctly recycles computers and their parts.

What do you think? Do you know of any sustainable PCs? Let us know!