Compaq Presario CQ2009F Desktop PC
Compaq's energy-efficient CQ2009F desktop computer
There are lots of websites that will talk about the exciting scientific research moving forward on powering our homes with fuel made from algae or other exotic substances.
Hey, I like algae as much as the next guy, but in the meantime, we get most of our energy from ‘dirty’ sources like oil, coal and nuclear.
So…what really gets me in a tizzy is when manufacturers makes quantum leaps forward in terms of efficiency, materials and affordability.
My last desktop computer was a Compaq. I bought it around late 2001 or early 2002. I spent around $1000 on it. It weighed approximately 27 lbs and (as I found out when I reviwed the Kill-a-Watt last year) used between 70-109 watts of electricity.
That old Compaq performed admirably for a while, even if it did look clunky and take up a significant chunk of my workspace. But then it started suddenly turning itself on and off without warning. And this thing was loud. It’s not fun to be wakened in the middle of the night by the giant ‘whoosh/click/whirrr’ of your computer coming to life.
I had two choices – hire a computer exorcist or buy a new machine.
After looking high and low, I surprised myself by settling on another Compaq.
Compaq doesn’t get much respect these days. Businesses are focused on brands like Dell and Lenovo. The hipsters all love their Apples or maybe their Acer eee box.
But I think the Compaq CQ2009F surpasses them all. Here’s what I like:
1. Energy efficiency. My old desktop needed 70-109 watts of electricity. As measured by the Kill-a-Watt, the CQ2009F so far seems to draw only 29-32 watts no matter what it’s doing. That’s an efficiency improvement of approximately 60-70 percent!
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