It feels like wasted power. You could at least be earning something off it. The creator can either take a cut if it’s free or lump sum for paid.

I’ve seen a few idle games take up a lot CPU resources, not necessarily GPU so it had me wondering. Why not make it mine?

  • Maddier1993@programming.dev
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    7 months ago

    Contrary to popular belief, electric power usage is not wasted if the PC is idle. PC draws more power when it is working at 100% vs. When it is idle.

    It’s like people switch off kettles or ovens that are not running… but if a kettle/oven is not running then it is not pulling power.

    • BlanketsWithSmallpox@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 months ago

      Right… Hence why idle games draw significantly more power than when a computer isn’t running it.

      This is about idle games. Not a PC at idle.

      • Sirence@feddit.de
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        7 months ago

        If the idle game is running at 100% there is no power left to also crypto mine. If the idle game runs at 10% you could use 90% for mining but then you would pay for 100% energy usage instead of 10%. You’d probably end up paying more than you’d mine.

        • BlanketsWithSmallpox@lemmy.worldOP
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          7 months ago

          Yeah I was mostly thinking of it as some clever way to mine. Somehow linking the mining engine into the gameplay itself. That’s a proper point though when just looking at the efficiency side of things.