New California Energy Commission Regulation Threatens Pre-built Gaming Desktops

[Tsukiyomi91]

over here in Malaysia, UK & Hong Kong, we're running 230-240V @ 50Hz on all appliances & have yet to encounter "electrocution" or "overload", especially on custom or OEM rigs.

 

[dorsetknob]

230V?!?!?! SCARY!!!!!! What if we get ELECTROCUTED!!!???

230-240v not a problem
if its a problem for the Americans its Darwinism at work it help clean your gene pool

 

[Caring1]

Pretty sure I linked to this story around a month ago in a thread here somewhere, I can't remember the exact thread.

 

[Basard]

230-240v not a problem
if its a problem for the Americans its Darwinism at work it help clean your gene pool

Hey, I'm all for it. I've taken 120v a couple of times in my life. Maybe 230 is enough to finally do me in!

 

[FordGT90Concept]

HVDC is a thing now actually, long distance, and over really long distances it's actually worth it over AC. Less losses than AC, mixing networks, no skin effect...

Interesting but it has lower reliability and the equipment at the ends of the cables are very expensive and high maintenance. That said, we're going off topic...

 

[nemesis.ie]

Hey, I'm all for it. I've taken 120v a couple of times in my life. Maybe 230 is enough to finally do me in!

I've been zapped by 230v AC a few times and am still here too ... maybe I have rubber skin.

 

[Brusfantomet]

I seem to recall that the EU was setting some max power draw goals for GPUs where the determining factor was bus width, witch is about on the same level if stupidity.

Europe 240v is lulz. I can repair anything 120v while hot with no risk. I'll be there all day if I have to go around flipping breakers for simple jobs.

No, thanks, keep the 240 over there.

You work on live 120V systems? if that is without the correct protection gear that is idiotic. As long as you have the correct equipment there is no problem working on live 230V systems, or for that mater 6.6 kV systems.

 

[Frick]

Interesting but it has lower reliability and the equipment at the ends of the cables are very expensive and high maintenance.

Ayep, which is why it is not more widely used. In some circumstances it's worth it though. Also yes, off topic.

 

[btarunr]

Hey, I'm all for it. I've taken 120v a couple of times in my life. Maybe 230 is enough to finally do me in!

You probably get like 16A out of your basic 120V wall socket (the kind you plug laptop chargers into). We get 8A out of our basic 240V socket (and 16A out of our high-capacity socket which we plug our gaming rigs into, and 32A out of our 3-phase domestic sockets, which we plug air-conditioners and boilers into). It's the same amount of juice.

 

[nemesis.ie]

I think it's 10A in most of Europe and 13A in the UK and Ireland from 230v standard domestic.

Interesting that India is 8A, I would have thought it would be more like the UK rating.

 

[dorsetknob]

Domestic Ring main in uk is Rated 15A wall sockets are quote 13A in the 15a ring main
Lighting Circuits are 5A
Electrical cookers are Rated 30A
3 Phase or split Phase are for Industral premises

 

[costeakai]

230V?!?!?! SCARY!!!!!! What if we get ELECTROCUTED!!!???

best is to go back , from electrical to wind ;
better than best: go back to internal wind.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Because the cost to change all of the wiring in all of the structures to 210v would cost far more than savings in efficiency. Additionally, most things that plug in these days don't need near that much power so you pay for it in terms of transformers to step the voltage down. LED lights (replacing existing lights) are expensive for 110v, they'd be even more expensive if they had to drop the voltage down from 210v.


Actually, it's the 60 Hz. That's about the same frequency as the heart beat which is pretty damn effective at making it stop beating. Europe uses 50 Hz which isn't so close to the heart rhythm.


Actually, it will. Just because Americans don't need RoHS compliant video cards, most sold in the USA are now RoHS compliant. The enthusiast market is likely smaller than 5% of global sales. They're not going to keep a separate manufacturing line running for that market unless they have a damn good reason to. Case in point: lots of truckers now buy new trucks from the factory without an engine and they deliver it to an outfitter that drops in a used, factory refurbished engine with factory warranty. Reason: they produce a lot more power and get better fuel economy than the new engines that have dozens of safety and emission control "features" (thanks California and Obama!).


Hope that the AC doesn't break because good luck finding a new AC that hasn't been effected by similar laws/policies.

Gonna need a source on that "truckers buying engine-less trucks and dropping used engines into them" story.

Becuase that sounds like the same mentality as "old steel cars were safer" and "belching out black smoke from my diesel truck dont hurt no one" fallacies.

 

[R-T-B]

Slightly OT but: California has always been world-class regulation hell. A security guard buddy of mine nearly got a felony there because he left a billy club in his trunk, which is apparently world class contraband in California. They found it in a traffic stop and if it weren't for his clean record, he'd have done jail time.

230V?!?!?! SCARY!!!!!! What if we get ELECTROCUTED!!!???

You sound like Thomas Edison. He had a world class fear of high voltage, and wanted the world to run on "local" neighborhood power stations pumping 12V DC...

HVDC is a thing now actually, long distance, and over really long distances it's actually worth it over AC. Less losses than AC, mixing networks, no skin effect...

True, but Mercury Rectifiers are a recent development (I think that's what enabled it). I don't fancy redoing the entire national electric grid...

You probably get like 16A out of your basic 120V wall socket (the kind you plug laptop chargers into).

10Amp, with a push for 15.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Gonna need a source on that "truckers buying engine-less trucks and dropping used engines into them" story.

My brother-in-law (has a 2015 Peterbilt 389). Peterbilt does this. I don't think they openly advertise that they do this. You have to talk to a dealer and order a new truck without an engine then they give you options for rebuilt older engines. He can't take it into California but only crazy people would want to go to California.

My dad also bought his 2009 Volvo VNL just before the strict emission controls went into effect. Trucks like his don't sit unsold for long these days. The 2009s have far fewer issues compared to newer trucks with the emissions controls. Additionally, no extra money has to be spent on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).

 

[GhostRyder]

Pedal powered PC anyone?

Oh god, imagine playing a game and having to power the PC that way

California always lives by weird rules... This does not surprise me much as they always find ways to sounds like they are being revolutionary but end up sounding completely clueless. Would not live there even if I was paid to.

 

[64K]

Californians live in their own special world but they are a very powerful state as far as wealth and economy and political clout. Their economy is the 6th largest economy in the world. Even larger than the entire country France.

http://fortune.com/2016/06/17/california-france-6th-largest-economy/

 

[eidairaman1]

same principle applies though.

Yup because without a load running you can check voltage of both L1, L2 using a multimeter, with load running you'll see a nice little flash and smoke while test leads sacrifice itself. Same if trying to test on heating element itself lol

 

[eidairaman1]

Oh god, imagine playing a game and having to power the PC that way

California always lives by weird rules... This does not surprise me much as they always find ways to sounds like they are being revolutionary but end up sounding completely clueless. Would not live there even if I was paid to.

Its called some moron near top is getting brownie points so they get a promotion.

 

[RealNeil]

In 'murica, it's not the voltage that kills you, it's bullets.

Or regulations

I've been here for almost 63 years and the only time I've been shot at was when I was in the army.

I lived in California for many years and the outrageous rules and regulations are the reason I left for Virginia. (and the high cost of living)

 

[Brusfantomet]

I think it's 10A in most of Europe and 13A in the UK and Ireland from 230v standard domestic.

Interesting that India is 8A, I would have thought it would be more like the UK rating.

Norway is at the moment 16A, was 10, got upped to 16, then down to 13 and then up to 16 again

Oh god, imagine playing a game and having to power the PC that way

California always lives by weird rules... This does not surprise me much as they always find ways to sounds like they are being revolutionary but end up sounding completely clueless. Would not live there even if I was paid to.

what about making the GPU frequency correlate to the speed? pedal faster to OC your cards in real time!

 

[Frick]

My brother-in-law (has a 2015 Peterbilt 389). Peterbilt does this. I don't think they openly advertise that they do this. You have to talk to a dealer and order a new truck without an engine then they give you options for rebuilt older engines. He can't take it into California but only crazy people would want to go to California.

My dad also bought his 2009 Volvo VNL just before the strict emission controls went into effect. Trucks like his don't sit unsold for long these days. The 2009s have far fewer issues compared to newer trucks with the emissions controls. Additionally, no extra money has to be spent on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).

Part of me kinda gets those regulations there. Tons of people and commenrce and an already super polluted metropolis. It's politics and probably BS no doubt, but there is a smidgen of sense in it.

 

[damric]

More power efficient designs = MORE OVERCLOCKING HEADROOM

 

[Frick]

More power efficient designs = MORE OVERCLOCKING HEADROOM

Unless coupled with weak VRMs, which is part of the point.

 

[dorsetknob]

Crystal ball moment
the year 2020 California passes legalization Banning the sale of equipment that can be modified to exceed its Rated power consumption
2021 rest of USA also passes and ratify's same legalization Banning the sale of equipment that can be modified to exceed its Rated power consumption