Hopefully this isn't a repost: <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.aapspower.com/abpowsup.html" TARGET="_blank">power requirements chart</A><!-- BBCode End -->. This could also be interpreted as the worst-case heat dissipation, and you could roughly estimate where the heat comes from.
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<br>A few observations:
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<br>1) The CD-ROM drive can get VERY hot, and heat up the rest of the case. 32X units go up to ~17W, and 50X units hit 25W. So it's wise to stick within 32X for both heat and noise reasons.
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<br>2) Memory: I did some research, examining datasheets from Samsung, Micron, and Kingmax (for their smaller TinyBGA memory chips). What I found indicates that <!-- BBCode Start --><B>worst-case</B><!-- BBCode End --> heat dissipation equals 1W * number of chips present (for both Micron and Kingmax); in the case of Samsung, 1.5W * number of chips. So a double-sided 512MB stick would consume <!-- BBCode Start --><B>16W</B><!-- BBCode End --> for Micron(Crucial) or Kingmax, or <!-- BBCode Start --><B>24W</B><!-- BBCode End --> for Samsung. The only way to cut down is to use single-sided sticks, or fewer memory sticks. Keep in mind though, these are absolute max figures and real numbers may be lower.
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<br>The good news is that two single-sided DIMMs are as cool as one double-sided one (all else being equal.)
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<br><!-- BBCode Start --><B>There appears to be NO effect of (Tiny)BGA versus normal TSOP packaging on memory heat. For example, the Micron chips could be packaged either way--still consuming the same 1W max apiece.</B><!-- BBCode End -->
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<br>3) All those PCI cards contribute, bit by bit. I wonder how much difference between my large 3COM 905B network card with the tiny, low-profile <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP ... ceCards%2F" TARGET="_blank">Belkin NIC</A><!-- BBCode End -->.
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<br>4) All the power added up gets divided by the PSU's efficiency. 66% efficiency means 1.5X more power, with the excess 0.5X being PSU heat from AC/DC conversion. So a savings of 10W of device usage really translates into 15W cumulative heat savings.
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Typical peripherals' power usage chart
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