This is probably a stupid question, since 2 > 1, but here goes…
I have a home server. It’s a ComputerLINK 1U rack server I bought off eBay some years back. It has 2 CPUs, Intel Xeon E5645 2.4Ghz(https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/48768/intel-xeon-processor-e5645-12m-cache-2-40-ghz-5-86-gt-s-intel-qpi.html). It also has two 750W power supplies, but I have one unplugged. It also has RAM and 5 HDDs.
I also have the guts of my old desktop PC. The CPU is an AMD FX8350 4Ghz(https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/fx-8350). The motherboard is some ASUS model, I forget and don’t want to check right now. A potential PSU would be 500-600W range.
My question: I am considering moving to use my old PC parts as a new home server. One benefit is to cut down on the noise (rack mount PC fans are LOUD). But the real gain I would want is on power savings. So, if RAM and the multiple HDDs all stay the same, but I moved them to the AMD/ASUS CPU/motherboard, can anyone definitively say this will be more power-efficient?
I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to electrics or power consumption, and am just looking for someone to confirm for me. I am aware that the AMD CPU still isn’t an excellent choice for an always-on machine, but it could be an improvement.
Why not plug each into a Kill-A-Watt and measure it at idle and under load?
This seems like the right approach.
You are right that this is the true way to tell, but I don’t own one, and the “new” PC is not set up at all. I would have to tear apart the old and build the new to be able to test the new one.