Dell stops some US gaming PC shipments over new efficiency rules

PC maker Dell Technologies Inc said it has stopped shipping some versions of its powerful gaming systems to California and five other states because the products do not meet new energy efficiency standards. The regulations affect "select configurations" of its Alienware Aurora R10 and R12 gaming PCs, Dell said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday. Gaming PCs made by Dell and others use powerful chips for cutting-edge graphics in video games. Those components mean gaming systems typically consume far more electricity than an average computer.

Dell said it planned to have new models and configurations that "will meet or exceed these regulations, in line with our long-term focus to address energy and emissions." It did not give details on why specific models did not meet energy standards, what it planned to change and or when new models would be introduced. The affected models contained graphics processing units from Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Nvidia Corp, along with central processors from AMD and Intel Corp. The Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 gaming desktop, which is among the affected products, costs $1,819.99, according to Dell's website.

California's toughened efficiency regulations for computers went into effect on July 1. The state has said the new standards will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and will also lower electricity bills for consumers.

Residential computers and computer monitors account for up to 2.9% of the electricity consumption in the most populous US state, according to a California report.

In addition to California, Dell will no longer ship the products to customers in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. The California Energy Commission, which wrote the new standards, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.