VIA PowerSaver Certified Energy-Efficient by China’s CSC
Taipei, Taiwan, 26 July 2007 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced that its advanced PowerSaver technology has been certified by the China Standard Certification Center (CSC) for its outstanding energy efficiency.
The first technology of its kind to receive CSC recognition, VIA PowerSaver was commended for having practical applications in the effective reduction of processor power consumption, resulting in greater energy efficiency and economic benefit for businesses and consumers.
China’s equivalent of the Energy Star program in the US, the CSC aims to encourage energy efficiency through a certification program that rewards power saving and environmentally friendly designs. Formerly the China Certification Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP), the CSC is a non-profit organization that encourages manufacturers to produce resource-efficient products and helps consumers make more sustainable purchase decisions. Given stronger central government emphasis on energy efficiency and growing public concern for the environment in China, CSC product approval is becoming increasingly important for both vendors and consumers alike.
“To realize the goal of an energy efficient society, we need support not only from the Government and the community, but also from commercial enterprises like VIA with a strong sense of social responsibility,” said Chun-Yan Zhu, Technical Department Director, China Standard Certification Center. “In certifying VIA’s PowerSaver, the CSC recognizes that VIA’s advances in developing energy efficient technologies can make a significant contribution to China’s environment as computing becomes more ubiquitous in our society.”
VIA PowerSaver technology dynamically adjusts processor clock speed depending on the performance demands of running applications. During less intensive tasks, processors can run at lower frequencies, thereby generating less heat and consuming up to 40% less power than in fixed-frequency operation. This not only reduces power bills, but also significantly aids efforts to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into our environment.
Supported by all VIA processors, including the VIA C7, VIA C7-M mobile, VIA C7-D desktop and fanless VIA Eden processors, VIA PowerSaver benefits not only traditional PCs and notebooks but also burgeoning markets such as connected clients. Its power-saving benefits have particular application in systems for emerging markets, where power supplies can be limited, and in extending battery life in the new breed of ultra mobile devices. Together with VIA’s leading portfolio of energy efficient silicon and mainboards, VIA PowerSaver reflects the Company’s long-term strategy of reducing system power consumption.
“We are delighted to receive CSC certification for PowerSaver technology, as it affirms our leadership in energy efficiency,” remarked Wenchi Chen, President and CEO, VIA Technologies, Inc. “In line with our Green Computing Initiative, VIA will continue to innovate in this area, working together with governments and partners to define standards that save power, help reduce computing’s impact on the environment and drive the PC2.0 generation of smaller, quieter and more energy-efficient devices.”
About VIA PowerSaver Technology
Enabling smooth transition between maximum and minimum processor speeds within one clock cycle, VIA PowerSaver firmware reduces both power usage and dissipation, resulting in longer battery life for notebooks, extended processor life, reduced heat, reduced noise generated by cooling fans and lower electricity bills.
By stepping frequency up and down in large increments from 400MHz to 2GHz within a single clock cycle, the processor is able to reduce periods of system unavailability ensuring seamless running of real-time operating systems and reduced latency issues. To allow the operating system to save maximum power at a wide range of frequencies, VIA PowerSaver defines a set of Performance States (P-States). If a CPU supports P-States, such as the VIA C7-M mobile processor, then the BIOS will contain a table of up to 16 frequencies with the corresponding voltage that is required for reliable operation at that frequency. This voltage scaling produces dramatic power benefits and requires a specially screened, high-performance processor to achieve such low-voltage clock rates.
Further details on VIA PowerSaver technology may be found on the VIA website at:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/greencomputing/powersaver.jsp.
The VIA Green Computing Initiative may be found on the VIA website at:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/greencomputing/
Information on the functions and activities of the CSC may be found on their website at: http://www.cecp.org.cn/englishhtml/index.asp
