The huge, 30-inch (76-centimeter) monitors used by designers and many technophiles are notorious energy suckers. But a bunch of them have achieved Energy Star 4.0 ratings, which means they meet certain criteria:
- In active mode, they consume a relatively small amount of electricity (a maximum value determined by a display's size and resolution).*
- In sleep mode, they consume no more than 4 watts of electricity.*
- In off mode, they consume no more than 2 watts of electricity.*
- *These criteria have been upgraded for version 5.0, which takes effect at the end of 2009. In the new criteria, sleep cannot exceed 2 watts and off cannot exceed 1 watt. For details, see Energy Star Program Requirements for Displays.)
For those looking for a really big computer screen, one of the best choices is the Samsung SyncMaster 305T. It consumes a super-low 65.5 watts in active mode. In sleep, it draws 0.93 watts, and it draws 0.71 watts in off [source: Energy Star].
For comparison, the 30-inch Dell 3008WFP, which is also Energy Star-qualified and features the same resolution as the Samsung, draws 108.7 watts in active, 1.9 in sleep, and 0.73 in off.
Additional monitor specifications for the Samsung SyncMaster 305T:
- Size: 30-inch diagonal
- Type: TFT LCD
- Resolution: 2560x1600
- Contrast ratio: 1,000:1
- Brightness: 400cd/m2
- Response time: 6 milliseconds (ms)
- List price: $2,449*
- *source: Amazon
Up next: A more manageable monitor for the rest of us.
