Intel demonstrates "Green PC" with 90 percent recyclability

[Daniel Sims]

Why it matters: Intel's new "green" PC probably won't blaze through high-end games or other processor-intensive tasks, but it could be good for everyday work. More importantly, the company's example might inspire the rest of the industry to lower carbon emissions and environmental impact from production pipelines and power consumption.

Chinese outlet Sohu (via Tom's Hardware) recently reported on Intel's presentation of a "green" PC that the company claims to be 90 percent recyclable. Intel explains how adjustments in materials procurement and energy consumption can reduce carbon emissions from manufacturing and from using the system itself. Intel is primarily a chip company, so it got help from partners like Acer and Tsinghua Tongfang in completing the design.

Intel showcased the PC with an unspecified 12th-gen Alder Lake processor installed, mentioning it could use the company's i5, i7, or i9 CPUs. However, using a modest stock cooler, it would likely only be used for mid-range or low-intensity work. The "Intel Green Computer Software Control Center" software dynamically senses the user's current workload and adjusts the PC's operation accordingly to maximize energy efficiency.

Also read: Sustainable Computing, Explained

The green PC's printed motherboard (PCB) reduced its total number of components by 22 percent, from a typical 1,800 to 1,400, while making power delivery 6 percent more efficient. The high recyclability rate largely comes from the PCB's metal, glass, and organic materials.

Based on the provided low-resolution photo (below), the motherboard appears to feature notebook SO-DIMM memory sockets, one M.S slot, and one PCIe x16 slot. Intel confirms the board is 36 percent smaller than a typical ATX motherboard, but didn't label it with a specific form factor.

The system's Gallium nitride power supply is around 70 percent smaller than a normal ATX PSU with one 12V output and a fanless design. It carries an 80 Plus Titanium certification guaranteeing high efficiency under heavy and light load. Overall, Intel reduced the carbon footprint by 90 percent in this area. Finally, the chassis is just seven liters and uses only four screws.

Such initiatives could provide a good blueprint to contribute to the recent trend toward sustainable computing. Other areas to consider regarding emissions and environmental impact include clamping down on e-waste by making devices as reusable as possible, examining the emissions from manufacturing SSDs, and emissions from the 24/7 operation of servers.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97728-intel-demonstrates-green-pc-90-percent-recyclability.html

 

[VitalyT]

Intel is the last company to talk about "Green PC", with their 300W+ CPU-s, f. hypocrites.
You want to talk "Green PC", then stop making CPU-s that can melt a PC case and consume as much power as your entire house.

 

[takaozo]

The motherboard is green so it's a green PC.

 

[psycros]

The motherboard is green so it's a green PC.

Clarkson, is that you?

 

[Thatsdisgusting]

Clarkson, is that you?

Yeah, that's him, saw him installing RAM with a hammer

 

[takaozo]

Clarkson, is that you?

Not quite that prick yet.

 

[yRaz]

Intel is the last company to talk about "Green PC", with their 300W+ CPU-s, f. hypocrites.
You want to talk "Green PC", then stop making CPU-s that can melt a PC case and consume as much power as your entire house.

There are ways to get angry pixies from the wall without burning coal, there isn't a way to remove micro-plastics from the oceans

 

[Kam7r]

Still a good idea for little cheap office desktops... if they don't make us pay the "green" tax... if so, useless green washing...

 

[rsmith222]

Meanwhile, the chemical industry lobby claims that incinerating plastic is 'advanced recycling.'

So, I suppose this thing could be set on fire and qualify as recyclable.

 

[ChrisH1]

All PCs are 100% recyclable. Pretty much anything manufactured is, it only depends on how much effort you're willing to go to and how much money you're willing to spend. CO2 emissions can be reduced to zero (or, net, less than zero after offsets) by using renewable energy. It's a meaningless statement, better would be "reduces the cost of recycling by xxx and CO2 emissions under normal use by yyy".

 

[kiwigraeme]

All PCs are 100% recyclable. Pretty much anything manufactured is, it only depends on how much effort you're willing to go to and how much money you're willing to spend. CO2 emissions can be reduced to zero (or, net, less than zero after offsets) by using renewable energy. It's a meaningless statement, better would be "reduces the cost of recycling by xxx and CO2 emissions under normal use by yyy".

Some recycling is so easy to calculate - aluminum drink cans - given high energy cost of a relatively common element.
Lots of others are hard to calculate best way to handle from do nothing , to burn . to compost , to 100% recycle.
Companies often know this and it's window dressing like sugar free fat
Given that there is a low of low hanging fruit.
Plus we need a rethink right from product conception - how do we make vain ego super yachts low carbon ? well just don't build them - or tax them 5 times carbon credits

 

[Watzupken]

I think they first need to work on the CPU power consumption. North of 300W just so that they can keep their performance crown is not ideal. And you can somewhat tell that people are not really interested since mid range Alder Lake and Zen 3 are still dominating the sales chart. It just paints a negative picture of crazy power draw for marginal benefit in real life usage.

 

[Guillermo Belli]

More environment friendly computers? How about making CPUs that are compatible for more than one or to generations on the same motherboard/chipset?

Smaller components? Well, there already exists Mini-ITX and some smaller form factors, for power supplies there's SFX, TFX, PicoPSU, etc. All those are standard and already available.

 

[loki1944]

I'd rather have a great pc than a green pc.