I have an HP g3 mini and a Dell Optiplex flying around, both similarly specced. The HP has an i5 6500t and 16gb DDR4 RAM, the Dell has 8gb DDR3l, so nothing too different.
However, the Dell draws around 15W while idle, the HP one 5W.
The only difference I could think of (and that is in my power to change) is the PSU. The Dell has one of those SFF PSU for up to 180W while the HP has an external 65W power brick with a barrel jack.
So my question is: Does anyone have experience with one of those Pico PSUs? I guess they should be more efficient? I’m not planning to put anything power hungry into the optiplex.
On a slightly tangent topic: These PicoPSUs can make a significant difference if you plan to run directly off 12 V with no external 240V power brick. Like in a solar powered setup. However there are two different types, those that only operate on a narrow band around 12V and the “automotive grade” ones that are probably more resilient again power surges during battery-charging etc.