Turn the PC off or leave it on?

[pretty puppet]

I turn mine off every night simply because it's in my bedroom and the glow of the lights bothers me. I'm not quite as concerned with "longevity" - I've had this thing for over a year and (knock on wood) it's still running wonderfully. If I get a new one, it will probably be because of compatibility issues, not anything else.

 

[Eugene Na]

Leave it on, works for me.

 

[Loneua Technologies]

If you guys leave it on all of the time,

You should seriously consider buying an Energy Efficient Power Supply,

It will save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

[satbir]

I turn it off for multiple reasons:

- Shutdown and booting clear ups lot of open stuff
- Security (I am not net all the time that way)
- Even in hibernate mode something is on so why not give rest.

 

[Smith6612]

How is the computer still powered on during hibernation? Hibernation dumps the content of the RAM to the hard drive and shuts the computer off, using the same amount of power the computer would use if it was shut down normally once it has gone into hibernation, which is why all laptops now a days should have this enabled, in case the battery were to get super low. Standby "Sleep" is what still draws power to keep the data in the RAM intact, while shutting down everything but a few components in the computer. On my gaming computer, if I ever do put it in Standby, I have the fans set to run even after the system is sleeping. So there's a difference from writing stuff to a hard drive then shutting down to having to keep the RAM powered to keep the unsaved/system data

 

[Starshine]

I turn my laptop off every night ( or if I am not using it for a while )
I leave my desktops on almost 24/7 ... turning them off only during long period where I won't be home or during storms outside ( lightning, etc )

 

[Smith6612]

hehe, my stuff stays on even through lightning storms

I've even left my laptop on for a few months solid before in my basement, so yeah

 

[Blazer9131]

i would constantly keep my PC on, but when my dad's in town, he never lets me. But when he leaves, its always on.

 

[Livewire]

- Even in hibernate mode something is on so why not give rest.

I know Smith6612 hit that point already in that you're likely thinking sleep mode, not hibernate, but I just wanted to point out that most TV's, VCR's, DVD players, and even some of the recent game consoles and stereos draw power even when turned "off" - they do that cause the remote control still needs to be able to turn the tv on, but it needs to have some power running to it so it can receive the infared signal


Sleep's annoying though. Sleep keeps the fans and everything on, that just makes no sense to me. Better to hibernate and at least have everything shut off like it normally does.

 

[dwd2000]

Yes, dust is a killer. I'm a retired heating mechanic. One thing you could do, is buy a disposable furnace air filter and cover the holes on your computer. That should catch most of the dust. Yes, check it monthly to see if if the filter(s) need to be cleaned. Yes, you can clean them with a vacuum. (same with your furnace air filter too)
I have a new lcd monitor, so I turn it off, or at least tell my computer to turn it off, if I forget.
I have never had problems leaving computers on all the time. We have 4 computers in the house, and I've had at least one since 1989.

 

[warlordste]

i shut down 3 of my comps and keep 1 on because it dose all me trasfers and backs up all the data and i have no trouble at all with ani of them so to me it not realli matters if i turn off or leave on i do reboot them all now and then just to clear all that data and so it can run the bios and run the post making sure its all working fine

 

[intheclutch]

I usually keep my computer on unless I'm gone for vacation or a weekend. The obscure hours are when I have updates run, so it doesn't interfere with or slow down anything I'm working on while I am at the computer.

 

[Jesse]

Actually Turning on a PC a Whole week or whole day will not damage it unless it has lowtech parts. But turning on a pc a whole week/day will cause a pain on your head because of high electric bill... LOL

Yes that's true that you need to perform some weekly/monthly maintenance on the pc's like cleaning it, etc.

 

[mlsoft]

Well, I leave my computer on most of the time simply because I'm afraid it wont turn back on, its had been stalling on startup, so I've been trying to burn as much stuff of the harddrives as possible, but having an internet connection just makes me download some more stuff right after I burn. lol. Oh well, I should start burning some more stuff now.

 

[dirtracer36]

I have two PCs that are on 24/7. One I am on most of the time working. Some times I shut down to do a cold boot. Some times I forget and after 4,5 days I run out of memory and freezes and have to shut it off anyway.

I don't have high tech PCs, just good for what I do with them, so far, so good. The things that I like to keep unplugged are transformers, those from cell phones, printers,. They use alot of electricity, even when they are not charging a cell phone or even when your printer is off. Just like LiveWire said about stereos and TVs.

 

[tittat]

yaa i would like to keep my pc always on.So that i needn't wait for booting..

 

[intheclutch]

Actually Turning on a PC a Whole week or whole day will not damage it unless it has lowtech parts. But turning on a pc a whole week/day will cause a pain on your head because of high electric bill... LOL

Yes that's true that you need to perform some weekly/monthly maintenance on the pc's like cleaning it, etc.

Maybe when I get a place to call my own, that'll be the case.But right now, the dorm room doesn't have an electric bill, so I'm fine with leaving it on for now.

 

[EOWorld]

I leave my computer on 24/7 and I'm just too lazy to turn it off... lol.. I Only turn it off if i need to...

 

[Dutch]

This issue goes way back......

All my machines run 24/7. They are clean and cool, with proper standby/hibernate settings for minimal power use. They get a weekly shutdown during their maintenance session.

If you have quality components and good airflow in the case, letting it run will not "tire it out". Keep it clean, and adjust the power settings properly. A PC in hibernation uses very little power.

If I owned a stock Dell or HP, I wouldn't let it run while not in use. A Cheap PSU/mobo combined with minimal cooling due to a stuffed case is bad news.

Most of the "Leave it On" die hards I know, swear that powering up the computer sends an initial surge to all connected components, and those repeated surges, over time, can cause an early failure to a number of components.

I say, it depends on what you got under the hood.

 

[noerrorsfound]

Most of the "Leave it On" die hards I know, swear that powering up the computer sends an initial surge to all connected components, and those repeated surges, over time, can cause an early failure to a number of components.

I don't know how true that is, but it makes sense. An example I once heard was it's like how light bulbs usually burn out when you turn on the light.