Dell has recently made available an on-line Energy Calculator that helps you to compare the power consumed by different Dell workstation configurations. The tool has greater usability than checking just Dell systems, however. For example, if you choose two identical Dell configurations and vary the processor or the monitor type, you can see how much energy these individual components consume.

Per the calculator, based on 8 hours of usage, a 17" flat panel monitor uses 872KWh less per year than a 17" CRT monitor. A separate set of user-specified variables enables you to vary the hours per day of usage and to specify your local cost per KWh, so that you can accurately estimate the equivalent dollar savings.