Computer on or off?

[JDGREEN4ME]

Do you turn your computer on and off each day? Leave it on all the time? Just curious as I have heard arguments both ways.

 

[Jimbrown]

Mine runs 24 hours a day. It uploads weather data and pictures to 5 weather sites every ten minutes amoung other things.

 

[BigE_]

My "server" computer, I leave on 24-7. This is my web server and email server. It is currently a P3 - 1GHz. It has been running continuously for 7 years now. The only time it shuts off is when we have a power failure. (No UPS on this). My other server is also on 24-7, but it is on a UPS.

Two of my laptops are on almost 24-7, and the third is turned on only when I use it. Otherwise it goes into standby. Both of my kids computers are turned on / off as needed. My main computer I put into standby or hibernation when not using. The family room computer is turned off / on as needed. My work computer is on 24-7.

I design computer motherboards for a living, and my larger team designs complete computer systems.

When you turn a computer on and off, the power cycling shortens the life of the hard drives. Leaving it on in low power state doesn't affect the electronics, assuming proper ventilation and cooling. Leaving it on *does* affect your power bill. It basically becomes a tradeoff between convenience, higher power bill, and replacement cost.

Oh, I also use a free online backup program to back up all of my critical data. Up to 2GB is completely free.
https://mozy.com/?code=QYWB4D
I've had way too many hard drives fail on me.


Disclaimer: If you sign up using the link (with the code) above, I get an additional 256MB free storage.

 

[MossRoad]

Home computers are only on when we are using them, then off they go. Work laptop is on 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. Same for monitors.

 

[teg]

Leave on 24/7 but put into standby mode as soon as I'm done using it. Wake up is faster (vs. bootup) and I like that...

That reminds me I have not backed up for a while... I guess NOW is a good time.

 

[Scooby074]

24/7. Never turn it off. I hate waiting the 20 Seconds for boot

 

[ray66v]

If your going to use it more than once a day, let it go to sleep, (stand by), if not, turn it off.

 

[George2615]

I have two computers at work and they are on 24/7.
The home computer is only on when in use.

 

[Bird]

I'm another one who never turns the computer off, except in a power outage. I do have a UPS, but wouldn't expect it to last long with no power. And when we went on a week's vacation, I shut the computer off while we were gone in July.

 

[JayC]

I've got a UPS for my computer (got it at an auction for a whopping $1! ). I turn my computer off at night. I turn it on the first time I need it in the day and it stays running until I turn it off at night.

 

[heehaw]

24-7 except for power outages or when we go somewhere for at least a couple days
heehaw

 

[Tig]

On 24/7 as a rule. They do cancer research when we are not using them.World Community Grid - Home

 

[DreaminGreen]

I have a 4 yr old Dell, I turn it off every night, why waste the electricity and then have to pay for it at the end of the month. I figure why spin the hard drive and fans when you don't need too.
I also do cancer research with World community grid (Boinc) and also SETI@ home (Boinc).

 

[RadarTech]

Hey folks,
as I am sure several of you may be IT types too.. let me inject a few thoughts:

1. Scheduled Antivirus search
2. Automatic updates from Microsoft and others.
3. backup programs
4. Spy-ware removal tools

As a computer network consultant we typically reccomend:
1. Leave your computers on at least 1 night a week for Anti-Virus.
2. Leave your computers on for Patch Tuesday (the day Microsoft updates are released)
3. If you have any critical data and it is backed up off system, leave it on those days.
4. See #1


Now here are some never shutdown thoughts:

Microsoft Windows has some memory leak issues- At some point the PC performance is so poor the only corrective action is a restart...
Other apps have this problem too...

Some older systems act weird with minor power glitches-- a reboot corrects this...

For me-- I run my systems when they are scripted to perform tasks. or when I am on them. or when they have updates to do...

just my .02 cents worth...


Later,
J

 

[ronjhall]

Never turn off any of our three computers. All three are set to go to Standby after 1 hour of inactivity. 2 of the computers are notebooks. Disconnect power to them one time a week and use them until battery is below 1/4. This keeps the batteries working longer. Updates, backups and other computer maintenance is done as needed. But each computer is set to maintain it's self on a different day. There are only 2 of us using 3 computers. This leaves one always running most of the time.

 

[ray66v]

I have a 4 yr old Dell, I turn it off every night, why waste the electricity and then have to pay for it at the end of the month. I figure why spin the hard drive and fans when you don't need too.

If you set it up properly, the hard drive(s) turn off, and the monitor turns off. Also, a good computer has variable speed fans that either stop or all but stop, when it goes to sleep. The amount of power it uses at that point is almost nothing, and is not really an issue. Especially if your leaving it on all day, and not continuously using it. It can easily save enough power going on standby on intervals, during the day, to cover the little it would need at night.

 

[aczlan]

Workstations at work:
Shut down if I am not going to be in the next day.

Computer at home:
on, unless I am going to be gone for a couple of days. then everything gets unplugged from the wall (2 powerstrips and an amp, internet is wireless) to avoid possible lightening damage

Aaron Z

 

[arrow]

The company I currently work for has done much research on this. Being an energy manager that is dealing with 1400 computers in our district, it is an essential element to turn off computers for energy savings. We saved $72000 the first year by turning computers off. At one time turning them on and off was detrimental to a slight degree to the longevity of a computer. This is no longer true for todays machines. Currently computers are made to be turned on and off. Depending on trhe age and size of a computer, they can draw between 150-350 watts. Apples are the most energy efficient with some of their units only drawing 10 watts in sleep.

 

[MicroPilot]

The company I currently work for has done much research on this. Being an energy manager that is dealing with 1400 computers in our district, it is an essential element to turn off computers for energy savings. We saved $72000 the first year by turning computers off. At one time turning them on and off was detrimental to a slight degree to the longevity of a computer. This is no longer true for todays machines. Currently computers are made to be turned on and off. Depending on trhe age and size of a computer, they can draw between 150-350 watts. Apples are the most energy efficient with some of their units only drawing 10 watts in sleep.

You saved $72000 in power usage, but how many work hours were lost to computers that were unusable while doing updates and AV tasks? How many hours of worker time were lost to failed computers? It's just fact the the initial power surge when turning on stresses electrical components. This is the age of making it cheapest and just good enough.

In other words has anyone done a COMPLETE cost - benefit analysis of turning off vs leaving on?

 

[Soundguy]

24-7

less power cycles

soundguy