Hello everyone, I'm trying to find a real time wattage meter so I can see how many watts my system is using of its 850 watts and so I can check an old monitor vs a new monitor(might replace the second old monitor due to power consumption).
Requirements:
If anyone has something they like to use please post about it.
Cheers!
You mean what your system pulls from the wall in real time?
There is a device called kilawatt which could be used for that.
They're fairly cheap too.
If you're somewhere that doesn't use NEMA 15 plugs you may find the same thing under the Prodigit brand.
Yeah I seen those but got worried after looking at the reviews, I seen these pics.
Reviewer: "Ours broke and could have caused serious damage if this wasnt noticed right away. "
Reviewer: "Damage after 3 years of use"
The reviews go on and on. These really got me worried about this device, looks like they make a defective product. I prefer the building not burn down or worse fry a really expensive workstation.
Does these reviewers say how many watts these devices have pulled? Also I notice the max wattage rating is rather low, only ~1700W (115V*15A). I don't know about the American market, but here in Europe, I cannot find a watt-meter that is not rated for ~3600W (230V*16A), and they cost as little as ~$20 (Edit, actually as little as ~$15). Of course, a faulty device is a faulty device no-matter the rating, and it is only production quality and quality control that will save you. However, I'd say a higher wattage rating is good for safety and peace of mind, even if you do not reach the max wattage (but still, 1000W is a lot and very dangerous very fast).
They did not, but it's still worrying that a miscalculated estimate of power would cause a device to melt. Shouldn't these have a built-in ground fault like on a hair dryer does? Also I only say 1000W because my computer max is 850W... figured wiggle room is a good idea.
Good question, the one I have does not have ground pass-through, which it ought to with anything pulling these kinds of watts. However, ground is not meant to safeguard against this kind of thing, that is what a fuse is for. Ground is actually to protect you if the device you have hooked up is faulty and decides that you are the neutral pole. The melting is probably because the device is poorly made/engineered and have a too thin wire/contact point which makes it have too high ohms to support the kind of amps it is pulling, thus heating up to the point where you see the melting/burn marks.
I'd accept a 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon with 3,482 reviews to mean that the product in 99.9% of cases to be good. And like @Zumps said, who knows what they were actually doing with them.
I think these devices are limited to current rather than wattage. Probably related to wires I'm thinking. Like the wires coming from the power supply next to me are rated for 300V, but if I sent more than probably 20 amps or so through them they'd melt.
Also have to think about residential wiring. Circuit breakers in homes (depending on age, etc.) are typically 15A. If the device is pulling more than that it will most likely be throwing the breakers. If the breakers aren't throwing a fit than the load is most likely under 15A.
Ah yes, makes sense ot rate the amps and not the total wattage. Also, (again, I don't know about the US) here at least, some 10A and 16A fuses fits the same sockets, so if you are not careful you could pull way too much current than what the residential wires are designed for.
So I should be fine with 1 year old breaker if anything goes wrong? I agree, 4.4 score should be alright. Also we are talking about Canada and US. Should be same though as Canada uses the same NEMA plug.
You should be fine, building standards require a minimum of 15A breakers nowadays. My house is over 40 years old with mostly original wiring and it still works fine with a bunch of stuff hooked to the same circuit as my PC.
And yes, Canada and USA use the same power standards (Mexico too IIRC). Thankfully we're not in Japan that runs at 100V and either 50hz or 60hz depending on location in the country.
I know it's probably not very accurate, but I use my UPS software to monitor my wattage.
I was able to determine that my new GPU was pushing my PSU near it's limit and that is why it was acting unstable. I returned it for an equal GPU with less power draw. I also figured out that my UPS should only be used for my PC and I'm getting a 2nd one to protect the rest of my stuff (the monitor uses a lot of power).
edit:
I went looking for an update and during install it tells me "Microsoft has detected you are making changes to the system. You also have to get the Live Tile app from the Windows store in order to have full functionality." Shudder. Why do I have to sign into my Microsoft account and setup OneDrive in order to have my battery shut down my PC? Plus, the Live Tile app is more confusing and less informative than the old app. I am not impressed.
I had to smile when I read your priorities 
Just as an anecdote regarding the KillAWatt meters, I had one plugged into my large Air Conditioner (like, for the whole house, pulling more than a gaming computer) for multiple years. No fire. This was in an attic where the summer temperatures hit 100F+ regularly.
YMMV, I am not a licensed professional.
Not to discount your comment (because it is funny), but I personally see how he did that in a different way. If I were writing it, I'd write it considering probability of occurrence.
For example, lots of hurdles have to be made to have the entire building burn down. Not only does no one have to be there to extinguish the fire, but whatever fire alarm has to not go off (if he has sprinklers for that).
A workstation frying is pretty much instant, and because of that, unavoidable if it has any chance of happening. Though I feel like there are precautions to take if the workstation really is expensive. Like a line conditioner.
If the workstation is worth $4,000, a $70 safety net against the inevitable seems reasonable.
Then again, if they don't have line conditioners, they probably don't have Fire Alarms and extinguishing systems.
I've used my Kill-A-Watt on and off for a few years without any problems. I have it plugged into my power strip right now testing a rig I just salvaged. Using a surge protector/power strip should add a small level of security, as in my experience they tend to trip faster than a breaker when too much current is drawn.
A quick note would be to plug in one device at a time vs plugging in a multi-tap to the meter to avoid an over-current draw situation. If your wall outlet has a 20 amp receptacle (extra horizontal opening along with the standard vertical openings), then I would be extra cautious, because drawing over 15 amps would be more than the unit is designed to handle. A short circuit could potentially draw over 15 amps, but less than 20 resulting in a fire potential.
If you are really worried, go buy a ~99 cent 18" x 18" (or similar) flooring tile at a home improvement store, plug the meter into a power strip, and lay said power strip on top of the tile so nothing combustible is in the direct area. A large rock could also work. Much cheaper than replacing a burned down house.