Intel and Partners Showcase 'Green PC' That's 90% Recyclable

PC
PC (Image credit: Intel)

Today, Intel held an event in Beijing with the theme "joining hands with ecological partners to share new concepts of high-energy and low-carbon, and jointly create green commercial computers." The chipmaker and its partners Tsinghua Tongfang and Acer took the opportunity to display the first eco-friendly mainstream PCs, where 90% of the components are recyclable.

People are more environmentally conscious than ever, which is a good thing. However, performance isn't the only criterion we look at when shopping for the best CPUs or best graphics cards. While we want our PCs to be fast, we also want our systems to be environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.

Intel only supplies the processors, so other manufacturers will also have to play their part in making computers more environmentally benign. According to a report on the Chinese platform Sohu, Intel shared some guidelines to achieve ambitious, high-energy, low-carbon goals. For example, the chipmaker referenced the "cradle to cradle" model and spoke about ecological controls to reduce carbon emissions from creating to recycling electronics. In addition, Intel specifically outlined four key points for its high-energy, low-carbon concept: definition and design, manufacturing and delivery, use and maintenance, and recovery and recycling.

The demo system uses Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake chips. However, Intel didn't specify which Alder Lake processor is inside the PC. Plus, a feeble Intel stock cooler is providing the cooling. Given the scope of the conference, it's probably a non-K (65W) or T-series (35W) SKU since it probably wouldn't look good if a K-series chip, which can have a maximum turbo power up to 241W, powering the compact PC.

Intel specifically developed the "Intel Green Computer Software Control Center" software for this green PC to put the system into low-carbon operating mode. The program automatically detects the user's activity and improves the system's energy efficiency, depending on the usage.

The motherboard features fewer components, from 1,800 to 1,400, representing a 22% reduction in materials. In addition, the power delivery subsystem seems modest, but then again, looks can be deceiving. At any rate, the power delivery subsystem is reportedly 6% more efficient than the design on a conventional motherboard. PCBs, made of metal, resin, and glass fibers, has always been a challenge to recycle. The recycling rate for metal is good; however, the resin and glass fibers are hard to separate. Thus, Intel advocates for eco-friendly PCB solutions. According to the Sohu report, Intel and its industry partners can achieve 95% recycling rates for metal and glass fibers and 90% for organic matter.

PC (Image credit: Intel)

The motherboard has a simple integrated design. There are two SO-DIMM memory slots, a single M.2 slot, and one PCIe x16 expansion slot. Intel didn't reveal what form factor the motherboard uses, only that the PCB area is 36% smaller than a standard ATX motherboard. The motherboard design helps cable reduction since there are hardly any connectors. The only visible cables are the cable for the fan from the Intel stock cooler and the power cable from the power supply.

The green PC utilizes a small Gallium nitride (GaN) power supply up to 70% smaller than your standard ATX power supply. GaN power supplies can seemingly reduce the volume and carbon footprint by up to 90%. The unit sports a fanless design and provides a single 12V output. The GaN unit from the show floor boasts the 80 Plus Titanium certification, meaning 94% efficiency at 50% load and 90% at 10% load.

Since everything is so compact, it makes sense to go with a smaller case. The green PC arrives inside a 7-liter case, so it is so tiny that you can comfortably take it anywhere. It's even smaller than Intel's old Beast Canyon NUC, which resides inside an 8-liter case. Only four screws are necessary to hold the motherboard in place.

During the event, Intel also encouraged manufacturers to use eco-friendly materials and clean energy in their manufacturing process. The chipmaker also asked vendors to work with other manufacturers with the same green philosophy.

We don't know when we can expect the first green PCs, such as the ones from the event, to arrive on the retail market or if these were more of a tech demo to inspire PC manufacturers.

Zhiye Liu
News Editor and Memory Reviewer

Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

  • PlaneInTheSky
    There is no such thing as a "green PC".

    PCB are one of the worst E-Waste pollutors on the planet.

    I hope the people buying those raspeberry Pi actually use them, and not do one project and throw the PCB in the trash.
    Reply
  • lmcnabney
    I'm still bitter about taking lead out of the solder.
    Reply
  • ingtar33
    so... what exactly is green? I mean technically all of a computer is pretty much 100% recyclable already if you want to try. Though its doubtful the plastic parts are all that recycliable, we know pcb can be recycled... the metals all can be recycled... the capacitors are made of ceramic copper and aluminum, all basically recyclable... I'm willing to bet if you don't count the plastic, a computer is already pretty close to 100% recyclable, so what's green? did they use recycled/recyclable plastic parts? that's about all i can think of.
    Reply
  • Glock24
    "Green computer" is just hype.

    "There are two SO-DIMM memory slots, a single M.2 slot, and one PCIe x16 expansion slot."
    Hmmm, are they describing a MiniITX motherboard? Seem like change just to force change.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    People only do e-waste on motherboard because the cooper has crazy high price. And yeah China make miracle, using old tech. Chinese motherboard with a decommissioned xeon v3 or v4 use intel chipset from 1155 at 1151. Old motherboard comes to life in another socket. I get a Chinese xeon 2667v4 for roughly 25 bucks at the launch same cpu have price tag 2000!
    Reply
  • pixelpusher220
    ingtar33 said:
    so... what exactly is green? I mean technically all of a computer is pretty much 100% recyclable already if you want to try. T

    Exactly, Making a PC economically viable to recycle is a hell of a different ball game than just 'you could if you spent a moon mission on it'
    Reply
  • BX4096
    Make it edible and I'll bite.
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    Glock24 said:
    "Green computer" is just hype.

    "There are two SO-DIMM memory slots, a single M.2 slot, and one PCIe x16 expansion slot."
    Hmmm, are they describing a MiniITX motherboard? Seem like change just to force change.
    Something else worth pointing out is that a system with a small motherboard like that isn't going to have as much room for upgrades. So you may end up replacing it sooner than might otherwise be necessary. Want to add some new ports for connectivity, or another drive for additional storage? Well, too bad, the motherboard doesn't allow for it, and you have to buy a new system instead.

    And on that note, planning motherboards to last for at least several generations of processors might be a more effective way of making them "green". At this point, I don't think PC hardware really changes enough from one generation to the next where requiring new motherboards every-other year should be necessary. I can't really see much reason why a DDR5 motherboard built for Alder Lake or Zen 4 shouldn't be supported by new processors up until DDR6 becomes the new standard. And laptops could be built with upgrade-able CPU and graphics modules that are relatively simple to replace, and support processor upgrades within a given TDP for several generations to come.
    Reply
  • There’s no such thing as green anything. Electric vehicles are the worst non-green vehicles produced in the world as an example

    consider all the materials, the plastic, which requires oil, all the electronic components in all the toxic minerals they contain

    There is no such thing as green energy production nor will there be probably even in the next 100 years. All the energy it takes, all the lithium, all the toxic chemicals. There’s nothing green about it.

    This is the pander to all the greeny weenies and try to make people feel better. The I’m so sick of peoples feelings that are not based in reality and all those predators, who pray upon them for sales

    Will have green energy when we have fusion, because solar doesn’t cut it and neither does wind power.
    Reply
  • King_V
    BX4096 said:
    Make it edible and I'll bite.
    Reply