I have a Kill-A-Watt meter for measuring electrical usage. It can display real time Amps, Volts, Watts and more

I JUST (today) checked it's calibration by plugging a desk lamp with a 100watt light bulb into it it and the reading was 99 watts.
So I would say it's very accurate. The bulb is probably consuming 99 watts.

So here's my dilemma.....

I have two LCD computer monitors.....one is a DELL and the other is a Gateway. They are both 17" monitors.
But when both are displaying .....the DELL consumes 42 Watts....and the Gateway only 4 watts ! How is that possible?

Is the Dell older technology maybe? Is 4 watts a reasonable figure for a 17" Computer LCD monitor?
That seems WAY too low but I could video it for proof. The Gateway 17" LCD monitor is only drawing 4 Watts.

Can someone help me understand this? I need to dispose of ALL my Dell LCD monitors and go Gateway if this is the case.

 

It may be your wattmeter. It may not be accurate at low loads with a non-zero power factor.
I am trying to think of something comparable to measure to get some ground truth. Maybe a CFL or LED lamp. I will you know if I think of something better.

 

Both monitors should have published power ratings, perhaps right on them. What do they say?

The low number almost had to be an anomaly. You can’t make light without power.

 

I know some old LCD monitors that get unusually warm during use. Wayneh is right, check the data labels and maybe post a pic of each of them here... see what they say.

 

Ok,
After checking the specifications, it says this monitor uses 38 watts.

That leaves the question of why the meter says it's only using 4 watts for the Gateway and 43 watts for the Dell.

RichardO's post might be the one best addressing the issue?

 

Update....

So I plugged the same Gateway monitor into a different computer and now I'm getting 26 Watts with a PF of 0.48

 

Found the issue.

Thanks everyone. User error. I accept the idiot of the hour award. (Maybe week or month)

 

Found the issue.

Thanks everyone. User error. I accept the idiot of the hour award. (Maybe week or month)

Don't leave us hanging. What was the issue?

 

Don't leave us hanging. What was the issue?

Yeah... I'd rather be informed now than earn said award later out of ignorance

 

What was the issue?

"User error"
The nut behind the steering wheel?

 

"User error"
The nut behind the steering wheel?

So did the nut have it in the wrong gear? Turn into oncoming traffic? Not have the ignition turned on? Didn't realize that the engine was running because it's so quiet?

A lot of potentially useful information behind "user error".

Was the wattmeter configured improperly? Was the monitor actually in a power saving mode when the measurement was made? Was it really reading 40 W and not 4 W?

 

"User error"
The nut behind the steering wheel?

Yes sir. I deserve any and all insults hurled at me this time.

I have a lot of equipment plugged in....lots of cords....my eyes aren't what they were 30 years ago...
I thought I had the monitor plugged in but age struck again and I had something else plugged in.

Please accept my apology.

 

Yes sir. I deserve any and all insults hurled at me this time.

I have a lot of equipment plugged in....lots of cords....my eyes aren't what they were 30 years ago...
I thought I had the monitor plugged in but age struck again and I had something else plugged in.

Please accept my apology.

Thanks for the explanation.

No apologies needed. We've all done worse and we will probably all do worse several more times.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

No apologies needed. We've all done worse and we will probably all do worse several more times.

Thanks for understanding

And I was all set to run out buy a bunch of Gateway monitors (embarrassed)

 

No room for any smiles in this Thread.

 

No room for any smiles in this Thread.

On the contrary, @Lumenosity's explanation in post - wait for it - #12, gave one of the better chuckles of my day. It's only funny because we've all done the same sort of things.

 

Watch out for loose wire behind the keyboard.

 

IThey are both 17" monitors.
But when both are displaying .....the DELL consumes 42 Watts....and the Gateway only 4 watts ! How is that possible?

I would have said one is LED backlit and one if fluorescent.

< 10w for a 17" LED backlit is reasonable