I remember hearing from our old Comp. Apps teacher that it's better to just leave your computer running rather than turn it off, and to only turn it off if you're going to be gone and not use it for over 2 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does not shutting down every time you get off the computer really help out your computer a lot?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or should I just continue shutting it down at night, or maybe putting it on standby? Or should I not worry about it :P

Shut it down overnight, unless you want to get a big electricity bill

Leaving your computer on might help your hardware or whatever, but not your electricity bill :P

I've also heard that it in fact takes less electricity for your computer to idle than it does to shut it down and start it back up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not true, I guess?

I've also heard that it in fact takes less electricity for your computer to idle than it does to shut it down and start it back up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not true, I guess?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That'd probably depend on how long you idle it, and leave between shutdown and startup. For an entire night, this is surely not true. For 5 minutes, it might be. I wouldn't know where the 'border' is, I guess that'd depend on what hardware you're running exactly :)

well when I got a computer my old flat electricity bills seemed normal, then I started leaving my computer on all the time, or on standby (for like 2 weeks at a time) and the bills soared :) I thought there might have been a link so I started switching it off at nights and the bills went down again. Coincidence perhaps.

 

 

 

Not exactly sure, but I'm gonna agree with what Hannibal said.

I always just leave mine on unless I will be gone for a while... :)

I could really care less about leaving it on, my dad owns tons of companies and has the cash to easily pay the bills ( and phostoshop, flash, etc, and no i'm not spoiled i still only get suff like that for my b-day or if i make staright a's)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...but yeah i usually turn it off anyway as my computer chassis has a window with neon and cathode lights and when i go to sleep i like it pitch black so yeah thats the only reason i turn mine off.

If you use the power saving modes and all that and you have a high powered PC, it's debateable whether or not switching it off for 8 hours is better than keeping it on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So no Hannibal you can't test the theory with that P2 of yours. :P :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Power saving would be like the Athlon 64's Cool 'n' Quiet, as what it's doing is lowering the FSB to keep it cooler which in turn if you done physics means less energy is exerted and SHOULD mean that less is used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also Hibernate in my honest opinion is the best power saver, it switches the PC off but it only takes a couple of seconds in the morning to switch back on. I use this when I'm taking my laptop to work. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for me, I keep my laptop on nearly all the time, as I like to idle in #dw. I don't have a PC at the moment so I can't keep that on, but I reckon if I did as I always used to. My mum and dad would see a drastic increase in the electricity bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html - Haha, I suppose it makes sense that a computer that's off would use less power than a PC that's on... :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAYBE, just maybe back in the day of huge room sized servers it might have been more efficient to keep them running that switching them off at night? :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm just guessing now. :D

You'll rarely be able to run a windows machine for more than a few days without incurring at least a few minor problems from keeping it on that long. Other oses that are designed for that sort of thing (linux, probably windows server) can handle months easily.

You'll rarely be able to run a windows machine for more than a few days without incurring at least a few minor problems from keeping it on that long. Other oses that are designed for that sort of thing (linux, probably windows server) can handle months easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

interesting because i leave my computer on all the time. i dont shut it down ever. i dont shut it down because i can't turn it back on. lol

interesting because i leave my computer on all the time. i dont shut it down ever. i dont shut it down because i can't turn it back on. lol

 

 

 

That sounds a bit Irish to me... How do you know it wont turn back on if you never turn it off?

 

interesting because i leave my computer on all the time. i dont shut it down ever. i dont shut it down because i can't turn it back on. lol

 

 

 

That sounds a bit Irish to me... How do you know it wont turn back on if you never turn it off?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

first of all u mean polish.. second i can turn it back on but i have to mess with it for about 15 minutes on average for it to actually turn on and boot up. its messed up.

If you have a bad computer dont leave it on for days on end. My [cabbage]box computer i left on for 40 hours the harddrive died and the cpu was on its last legs. So yer when your done with it at night just turn it off

I leave my PC running all the time, unless it's happens to be storming and I'm there to turn it off. I've noticed no big difference in my electric bill between leaving it running and turing it off.

i perfer 2 leave my computer on however some computers get real hot

 

 

 

(over 200F or 95C) and if ur cooling systems fails u can say goodbye 2 ur motherbored or powersuply if u do leave it on all the time make sure u have a built in thermomiter(sp)and make the shutdown tempeture about 100C

If your computer is hitting 95C then you've really neglected cooling.

 

 

 

I'd be seriously suprised if hardware isn't failing already at that temp.

Hmm, I leave my computer on all day, and usually shut it off at night. I use a labtop, so I'm assuming it won't take up too much electricity. Besides, I turn on hibernation so it will go to sleep after a period of time.

Unless you have some dire reason to have your computer on (updates, defragging, scanners, etc...) Then there's no reason to just let it sit there. For some reason people like to leave their computer on so all their friends can see their "cool" away message on AIM, I personally think that is a crap reason, but hey what do I know?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides wasting electricity you coud possibly fry your HDD if you're using Windows. Leaving your computer unmonitored just begs for hackers as well.

I'd say people do it more for the uptime.

If your computer is hitting 95C then you've really neglected cooling.

 

 

 

I'd be seriously suprised if hardware isn't failing already at that temp.

 

 

 

i never said that my computer hits 95c right now the led display says it is 70c and it has been running 3 days now

i leave mine on 24/7. and i have it turn my MONITOR off..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also i make sure to turn my tv's off as well lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that really helps in power... if you have a LCD screen it might help in the longrun to turn it off...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but the theory about a computers parts wearing out.. it might help.. HD bearings and such wear down. cpu and other non spinning things wont wear down as easily......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so if you want to extend the life of your HD yes turn it off.. or have windows spin down the hd after say a hour. that will save power (FYI more power is needed in a laptop to spin a HD constantly then is required to power the monitor for the same time)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also to protect your computer i recomend getting a UPS Universal power supply.. its better if you get one that also FILTERS power.. it protects against brown outs voltage [bleep]es and the like. and would give your computer the ability to shut down when out of power ( which can cause errors if you don't in win2k and xp )

 

If your computer is hitting 95C then you've really neglected cooling.

 

 

 

I'd be seriously suprised if hardware isn't failing already at that temp.

 

 

 

i never said that my computer hits 95c right now the led display says it is 70c and it has been running 3 days now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was just a general comment to anyone ;) And what are you doing to push it up to 70c anyways? (just out of curiosity)

I usually leave my pc on round the clock. I dunno what the difference is in the power bill because I live at home and my parents pay it. At night I usually just hit ctrl alt del and click "lock computer"(i have windows 2000) and turn the monitor off. Then when I get back on the next day I don't have to wait for it to boot and usually my rs windows and tip.it or whatever else i was using is there waiting for me. I've left it on for more than 2 weeks at a time without windows giving me any issues. Usually when I restart it has nothing to do with windows becoming unstable, more like having to restart after installing something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only problem I have is with the heat that my computer spews out constantly. I have a small room and I keep the door shut and locked, even when i'm not in it(that's right, i have a keyed lock on my door....parents didn't like it at first but i just ignored their complaints til they got over it) so it keeps all the heat in and my room ends up like a furnace. I have a wall clock that gives the time, date and temperature and my room has been as high as 92degrees that I can remember. It's 84.1 right now.... farenheit of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think leaving your computer on is bad for the computer, because mine has run for literally thousands and thousands of hours and nothing has ever gone wrong with anything on it other than the keyboard. Cost me about 1000 bucks to build and I'm fairly certain I've gotten my use out of it. I also know a ton of people who leave their computers on and they have about the same track record as me.