8 Tips To Reduce Power Consumption of LCD Monitor

As it is rightly said that Power saved is power earned. That is exactly what the situation is in our country, where electrical power is not available in sufficient quantity. We all need to do our bit to reduce individual power consumption, thereby making sure that everyone in this country gets sufficient amount of electricity. Since most of us use the computer on a regular basis, this is where we can start saving power. We are not going to tell you to simply shut it down and save power, but we are going to tell you simple measures which will really help you in conserving electricity and do your bit.

Here are some tips to take  care of,while using your computer.
1. Switch off the PC and its peripherals when not in use:
There are times when you don't need the PC to remain switched on, such as when you go to dine or have a bath, so there is no need to keep it running at that time. Switch it off until you return. If you need it in the same state as when you left it, then you can make it hibernate instead of shutting down. It is always better to switch off the PC from the mains, rather than depending on the soft power switch, because even when it is in the sleep mode, the PC does consume some electricity.
2. Remove unnecessary peripherals:
Many people also have peripherals such as printers and MFDs, which are not used very frequently. Such devices consume a lot of electricity, especially laser devices.So you must disconnect them when not in use.
3. Remove unnecessary components from the PC:
If your PC has expansion cards plugged into expansion slots, you can check it out whether they are really needed. For example,  if the last time you gamed was several weeks ago then you can remove out your power hungry graphics card. You may also want to remove other adapters such as video capture card, TV tuner card, etc which you use very rarely. Each of these cards consumes power even in the idle state.You can also remove unnecessary fans, which may not really be providing any real cooling to the PC.
4. Power management
Most computer BIOS support power management features to help you reduce power consumption of the PC. You can make changes in the settings such as the idle time after which hard drives should power down, the standby mode of the monitor, etc. Windows allows you to choose preset power plans for further control over power consumption. You can also choose Power Saver plan to minimize the power consumption.You can access the Power Options through the Control Panel inside Hardware and Sound. Laptop users can also make use of extra power management settings regarding the laptop display and the graphics card, which is normally not available in a desktop PC.
5. Avoid using screensavers
When your PC is idle for few minutes, you can switch off the monitor to save power. Disable any screensavers, especially graphics enables ones, which can actually consume more power than while you work on your computer.
6. Remove unnecessary background applications:
Background applications which constantly thrash hard drives are the most power consuming in your computer. While it is always a good thing not to install too many background applications because they can negatively affect system performance, the same applies even as far as power consumption of the PC is concerned. Uninstall any background application which constantly keeps on unnecessarily accessing your hard drive and prevents it from entering a low power mode.
7. Get an LED technology monitor:
If you are planning to purchase a new monitor, you can can go for an LED backlit monitor instead of the traditional LCD and the CRT. LED backlit monitors have been consistently observed to consume around half the power consumed by an LCD monitor of the same size in some tests. The price difference between LCD and LED backlit monitors is rapidly reducing and it makes LED a better choice.
8. Monitor your PC power consumption with the help of a power meter:
Get a power meter (if you can) , to monitor your PC power consumption. This is possibly the best way to know exactly how much power your PC is consuming. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools such as Everest although we prefer the hardware power meter.
We think these tips should help you reduce your PC power consumption.If you would like to share your power saving tips, please use the comments section below and we will update this article with your helpful tips.

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LCD Power Consumption Tips to Reduce the power consumption

1. Buy a LCD monitor that has lower rated energy costs compared to its size. HP, Lenovo & Samsung meet the mark with their 19-24” LCD monitors, while Panasonic works great in the Plasma arena.
2. In any monitor, the LCD backlight consumes almost 66% (one-third) of the electricity required to run the monitor. Lowering your screen brightness from 100% to 70% can save you 10 watts of power for each hour of usage.
Look at the annual energy cost (energy star ratings) of a monitor before buying it. Sometimes, the difference in electric usage between monitors of the same size can be quite substantial.

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What You Must Do and Not To Do to cleaning your LCD Monitors

So you've bought a new LCD TV or LCD monitor, but have thought about how to clean that LCD screen?

There's probably nothing more sleek than the modern look of a LCD screen in your home's decor. In fact, in most homes, one can probably find five to ten LCD screens via computer monitors, televisions, laptops or even game systems such as the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP.  

However, although we like the way they look and the clarity they give, to most people, the term "LCD" is just a fancy word for "glass."

Unfortunately, this misconception has caused many people to improperly clean their LCD screens and thus damage and forever ruin their "LCD" experience and their high-tech products.

This brief guide will help you understand what a LCD screen is, the challenges of keeping it clean and tips on how to properly clean and prolong the life of a LCD screen.

What is an LCD?

First, it's important to note what a LCD screen or display is NOT. It is NOT GLASS! Thus, it's critical that you never attempt to clean your LCD as you would a glass surface.

A LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is, as the name suggests, a layer of liquid crystal which is sandwiched between two transparent electrodes.

LCD Let Down: The Problem

As glorious as LCD screens are-there is one slight problem with them-the LCD consists of a soft film that is easily damaged from smudges and scratches and is prone to collecting dust and fingerprints as well as clouding from the use of harsh and improper cleaning agents.

If you've ever tried watching your favorite TV show through greasy hand prints or have tried to work at a computer monitor covered with smudges, you would probably agree that it's annoying to say the least.

Nevertheless, when you encounter these dirt dilemmas-resist the urge to reach for the nearest solution or cleaning agent to restore your screen. Remember, your LCD isn't glass and simply using something as seemingly harmless as a paper towel could result in damaging your screen.

Dirt Defying Tips for your LCD: The Do's

1) Turn if off. Turning off your LCD screen makes any smudges or areas that need to be cleaned more visible.

2) Dust it off. Next use a microfiber cloth to gently collect and wipe any dust off of your LCD screen.

3) Use an appropriate cleaning solution. You can purchase a cleaning kit, which are usually made specifically to keep your LCD screens in tip-top shape.  There are natural lcd screen cleaners as well to consider.  You may also make your own solution with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol which can be used to clean any LCD screen.

4) Use the right cloths. When cleaning LCD screens, use an old cotton T-shirt or handkerchief or purchase cleaning cloths made specifically to clean your LCD. Spray the cleaning solution onto the cloth and wipe in a gentle, circular motion.

5) Let it dry. Make sure your screen is completely dry before you turn it back on.

* For hard to remove stains, such as ink, you may have to repeat this procedure several times. There are also special LCD cleaners for these types of stubborn stains.

The DON'T's

1)      Never spray any cleaning solution directly onto the screen, always spray it onto your cleaning cloth.

2)      Don't press hard or touch the screen with your fingers-you will leave behind oily prints.

3)      Do not use regular tap water. Tap water may contain chemicals like chloride  that will leave behind a residue.

4)      Do not use coarse paper towels or cloths (ex: dish cloths) that can scratch your LCD. This can lead to clouding and even cause dead pixels in your LCD screen.

5)      Do not leave any excess liquid on your screen.

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