Does A Black Background Save Power?

by on Aug 12, 2009 | 3 comments

You may have heard the statement that having a black background uses less power than a non-black background. Google even switched to a black ground a while ago to attempt to save energy. Logically, this seems true because your screen doesn’t light up as much, however this is not the case.

For proof, check out this video (ignore the advertisement)… the demonstration speaks for itself. So if you are using a black background solely for the purpose of saving energy, it might be time to look for another color.

Note: this holds true for LCD monitors, if you are using a CRT black is probably still the way to go.

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  • David M

    Don’t forget the cost of the optometrist you will need to see from the resulting eye strain of watching a black screen with white letters. The last time I checked, the optometrist was more expensive than a watt or two difference.

    • hank

      actually it is proven to have less strain on a black background and white lettering it is a tactic use by speed readers they highlight the text to see it better

  • http://none Sergio

    good times when we received full tips in the email… i know, more traffic means more cash for someone (not us readers)

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