Learn how to create a high-capacity, energy-efficient server using just 20–25W of power . We explore motherboard and storage configurations, power supply efficiency, and Unraid’s drive management features to minimize energy use. See real-world PSU tests, SSD vs. HDD efficiency comparisons, and tips for optimizing power settings.
You can easily track your server’s power consumption with a UPS or Power Monitoring Plug. The power load can be viewed via the Dashboard tab of the Unraid webGUI.
For the purpose of creating a power-efficient homelab, ignore the TDP numbers on hardware specs: Low idle server wattage is what you'll want to focus on. See the Hardwareluxx sheet below for help.
Hardware that is more than 8-10+ years old may be cheaper now, but due to power inefficiencies, it will likely be more expensive to run in the long run. Example: Older CPUs run at a much higher wattage at idle.
Most modern PSUs don't run very efficiently at lower loads, so consider something like the Corsair RM650 PSU and learn about other tweaks and tips!
There are power tradeoffs when choosing between 5400 rpm vs 7200 rpm hard drives. Generally speaking, 5400 rpm drives tend to have lower energy consumption and a longer lifespan. 7200 rpm hard drives will also run louder and hotter.
If you decide to spin down, your hard drive power consumption can go down from 3-8 watts idle on average to 0.4 watts (per hard drive)so depending on how large your Array is, you might see large power efficiency gains when spinning down.
Here is an excellent video from Wolfgang’s Channel on Youtube talking about a lot of these same server energy efficiency concepts in depth.
See our blog for loads of other power saving tips.
Let's save on electricity without sacrificing uptime!
The CPU Governor in the Tips and Tweaks plugin will reduce your CPU's power usage.
@SpaceInvaderOne has a nice video on how to reduce power usage on Unraid servers with Nvidia GPUs