Turn off an idle computer, or leave it running?

PhysOrg ^ | November 26, 2008 | Steve Alexander

[CE2949BB]

Q. Sometimes a day or two can pass without anyone using our desktop computer. Should we leave it on or turn it off? Do we extend the life of the hard drive when the PC is turned off?

A. There are two issues involved: power consumption and component wear. On both counts, I think it's better to leave your computer on.

Computers don't require much energy, particularly when they're inactive. On a PC, you can set your screen to darken and your disk drive to stop spinning when the computer has been idle a certain number of minutes. You can find these settings under Power Options in the Control Panel.

Computers also tend to suffer less wear and tear if you leave them on. Turning a computer on and off creates tiny power surges which eventually can damage electronic components. You can also reduce wear by using the automatic disk drive power-saving option mentioned above.

Another benefit to leaving your PC on is that programs that run automatically, such as antivirus scanning software, aren't interrupted. For more about whether to leave the PC on, see http://www.5starsupport.com/tutorial/on-off.htm.

[Woodman]

They are obsolete in 4 years, I have 8 year old hardware that works just fine. There was a stint around 2000 which brought a large number of bad capacitors to the motherboard market (thank the Koreans), but even that that didn't fully kill most motherboards.

[djf]

I have an old ASUS board (P2L97) that has dual slots for two processors.

I fitted it up with matching Celerons (the ones with the Klamath core) and overclocked it up to about 500MHZ.

It has about 500 meg of memory, and about 100 meg of hard drive.

I only use it for certain types of testing and turn it on once in a blue moon, but it still runs.

Not bad at all for a board that came out in like 1997.

[Lazamataz]

They're called vestments

Well then.

I consider these girls in vestments.

Y'see.

[Lazamataz]

Idle computer?

My religion, Lazamatology, has a few rules:

- Lazamataz is a jealous god. He will tolerate no idles before him.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

You are a good shepperd, brother Laz.

[dglang]

I once kept up to 10 machines running 24/7 on United Devices cancer research wich I ran for a few years before it finished up.

There was no wear or adverse effect to the processors themselves and the only ‘problems’ I encountered were the cooling fans breaking and excess power consumption.

Once the project ended, my electric bill went down a lot.

The micro processors do enter a lower power state automatically when they idle and they do cool down if not active. Once a load is placed on them, they do heat up a lot.

A side effect of keeping the computers running 24/7 is the heat that they generate. In colder climates up north, that usually isn’t a negative, especially during the winter, but down here in Florida, it does effect the electric bill a lot.

[dglang]

I run ALL my machines through a router which is connected to the internet. Hiding a machine behind a router greatly reduces the chances of getting hit by ‘drive by’ villians.

Once, I took one of my machines off the router and exposed it directly to the internet and within 30 seconds, I got hit with a virus.

Since I’ve been running behind the router, I’ve never had any virus at all. I even had my anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-rootkit uninstalled for several monthe with no ill effect.

I don’t recommend running without the anti-virus etc protection, but the router absolutely stops most attempts to even get in.

The only way can possibly get a virus would be to download some ‘freeware’ or visit a contaminated site, or possibly through email. If I am dumb enough to visit contaminated web sites, then I deserve what I would get hit with.

[Larry Lucido]

Binatonka, the Aztec God of Digital Equipment.

I'd hit her.

[PushinTin]

I also concur, it really doesn't matter if you leave it on or turn it off. I will caution you on one point, if you leave it on the fans will run constantly. This cycles all the dust suspended it the air through your computer 24/7. Leaving it on is fine, but set a strict schedule for cleaning the inside of your computer. I have worked on some of theses 24/7 machines and you would not believe the amount of dust that can accumulate in the heat-sink fins and on the fan blades. Leave it on and keep it clean and you will be fine.

[Proud 2BeTexan]

What about laptops?

[woofie]

I keep my computer on all the time except when I use it

[Lazamataz]

What about laptops?

Dances are only $20.00.

[Lazamataz]

"Binatonka, the Aztec God of Digital Equipment."

I'd hit her.

Who wouldn't???!?

She's got kinda a 'Sarah-Connor-in-the-second-Terminator-film" thing going on.

[Lazamataz]

once kept up to 10 machines running 24/7 on United Devices cancer research....

Whoa!

United devices get cancer?

I'm unplugging my printer.

[Larry Lucido]

I’d rather meet Badonkadonk, the Ass-tech God.

[mad_as_he$$]

His sanity may have already been in question.

[cva66snipe]

there is a person out in California who has had Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" playing on a CD player constantly since 1985. He simply has the CD player in repeat mode and it has been spinning Pink Floyd ever since. I assume that he puts it on mute from time to time to keep his sanity

LOL either that or he has a lot of BRAIN DAMAGE :>}

[ErnBatavia]

I wouldn’t hit that skank, even with yours...

[Lazamataz]

I'd hit it with yours, though.

I'm thoughful like that.

[neverdem]

Absolutely no news value to this, so I'm putting it in General/Chat.

For those who don't know it, it's news.