is it really better to leave your computer running rather than shutting it down?

I've heard all the "omg shutting down your computer is bad because of electricity jolts when you turn it back on" things already, and I'm wondering if that's really true or not, because if it is true, I won't shutdown the computer then since I switched to gentoo

 

nah, shutting down the computer doesn't have much affect on it's life, it is a waste of electricity to leave it on all the time anyway, a single PC can cost $80 or more per year. at least put it in standby.

 

Well, it won't fry. The MOBO is filled with buffers, capacitors, etc. the excess power surge is for getting the hdd to spin. Computers are made to be shut down, why else would they put power buttons on them... However, so long as your firewalled and have anti-virus, leaving it on won't harm it, and will allow for self-testing of anti-virus and other proggies when you schedule them.

 

One disadvantage to shutting a computer down regularly is the heating and cooling of componets causes them to stretch and such, which may cause just enough damage to disable componets. I'm not sure about the likely-hood of this but is something to think about.

 

Do you like nosiy/failing fans? Keeping your computer running all the time generates more dust, and those fans have a limited life span.


Will it hurt it? No. Will it cause more maintenance? You bet.

 

True but fans are cheap and they make dust filters which work great.

 

thats funny, myu dads PC is always on and his gpu fan is dieing, I cna hear it 20' away. He hasn't ever done a thourough cleaning, I clened it a few times over the last 4-5 years, the result
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/guinea_pig_slave/100_6315.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/guinea_pig_slave/100_6313.jpg

 

Air just couldn't handle this, I had to use... "THE TWEEZERS"

 

Yes, but if the cheap fan stops spinning on your expensive CPU/GPU, there could be trouble.

 

oops, I meant to hit edit, i guess I did "quote"

 

Exactly. That 10-15 dollar fan is protecting expensive equipment. What if it dies in the middle of the night?

 

OMG.


Is there something living in the CPU heatsink?

 

I shutdown everynight,all sorts of programs and crap keep running and nab small bits of memory and cpu time

That heatsinks scaring me

 

Well Adrenalyne if your fan fails in the middle of the night most likely the system will shut down as well to protect itself or keep rebooting. Also if the pc is in a cool enviorment it should be ok. I gots an old 6 year old computer that my sister uses. I put it in standby but now my sister owns it (doesnt know as much as I do) she lets it run full power 24/7 and it runs fine. So will it hurt anything probably not as long as you maintain the cooling properly. I check on her every once in a while so she is fine and you will be too if you check out the system from time to time to make sure its doing what it should be doing.
-the new tech guy

 

When is the last time you saw a GPU with protection that will shut down your computer?

Do Athlon XPs have thermal protection? Not everyone has a newer CPU.

Do Hard drives have a way of cooling themselves down?

If a PC would be fine without fans in a cool environment, they would be sold that way.

 

Also note, if your machine keeps rebooting, it doesn't remove the heat problem.

 

yeah, I think there was a nest of CPU mites in thier, they feast on silicon. and I agree on the cooling issue, I hate having stock fans and a 300w bestec psu in my pc, fortunately it is under Hp warranty but I am planning to replace those soon.oh, and anotehr thing, i am using riva tuner I think so it gives me video card temp readings, the problem is the temp threshold is 145C and it wont let me change it!!! at that temp my 6600gt would be smoldering.

 

Here is a good read ( and a video ) thats kind of on the subject. Note: the "modern" thay speak of here is September 17, 2001 modern ....

 

damn, why do they have to abuse those AMDs so badly. does the athlon 64 series have thermal protection?

 

Yes, but do you want to test it?

--I don't

 

I belive thay do..

 

Reboot it,I'll bet you notice a performance improvement,I consider a freshly booted machine as a clean slate which over the session will become more and more dirty,after a few weeks without a reboot I can imagine a computer practically grinding to a halt

I also think the wait of it booting is no big deal when you consider the extra power consumption,even if your Rich and can afford the bill,its just waste,like throwing good food away

 

I will agree that rebooting the machine does give the computer a good performance boost. But overall it would not hurt the system. It may cause certain parts to wear down faster but they are relatively cheap parts and usually have a long life anyway. Most office machines run 24/7 and they have no problem.
-the new tech guy

 

Cheap by who's standards? Not everyone can afford to run out and replace puter parts when they fail or has the 'know how' to do so which adds the additional cost of taking it some place for repairs.

Comparing office PC's to home PC's is comical..there is no comparison...big difference between businesses that have the $$ and systems that are backed up daily.

HD's don't have their own cooling mechanisms as previously mentioned. If you're off in dream land and the PC starts making an odd noise who's gonna trouble shoot it or shut it down (hopefully) before costly damage is done?

Shutting down rather than leaving it on is the safest bet IMO. Added to that, as the daughter of a retired Arson Investigator I can tell you that leaving any appliance running unattended, especially anything that generates heat is just asking for trouble.

 

If I'm going to be away from the computer for more than
one hour, I shut it down.
I've been doing that for many years and have not had a
hardware failure.

Happy trailz,

 

Bottom Line. NO, shutting down your computer correctly will NOT harm it in any way shape or form. Save that 80 dollars a year on electricity ( and that 12 dollars you would spend on a new fan )and spend it on a new game!

 

Well, it may be OK to leave it on, but I lost 3 nice computers during the day while I wasn't using them. So, now when I'm not using the replacements, off they go!

 

I can't see the need, or advantage of leaving it on all the time.

Even though it's mostly electronic, everything has a life, and the longer it's left on, the shorter it's life will be.

 

All;

amd's have thermal protect when they go pop, I know the hard way no cooling they a go good bye and even if they are newer processor they will only heat cycle so many times and its good bye. ic chips and semi conductors, transistors, etc., hate heat.

asturnacle

 

Well, it sounds like most of you shutdown, rather than leaving it running. So I will keep turning my computer off. Thanks

 

I've "tested" it.. With an Athlon 1.2 a few years ago.. Quickest way to blow £100
Never put a heatsink on wrong again though!

 

Ok then thanks for the heads up then. We mainly keep our pc's running so that they start a little faster than if we shut them down. Usually though when were not using the pc for a long period of time it is turned off anyway. I know my sis wont turn hers off so i will set the power config to automatically go into standby. Thanks for the heads-up guys.
-the new tech guy

 

Hibernate or suspend to disk is the best way to go if the system supports it. The system shuts off but all your work is saved and back as it was when you turn it back one ...

 

Yeah i set her up to trun off her hd after 20 minutes then after a half an hour of idleing it goes to standby. 10 Minutes in she goes to screensaver and 15 minutes in her monitor goes down. Thanks again
-the new tech guy

 

Another big point to mention are the power cuts/power surges,electricity companies change fuses,jumpers and maintenance over at night when theres the least number of people using the grid causing as little disruption as possible

Theres the chance of storms and lightning strikes during the night

 

Boy ain't that the truth. I've had some very interesting discussion with small computer repair shops. They do massive puter repairs following electrical storms (we're talking extended hours and overtime here!) and for those that leave their puters on during the night. People think that b/c they have a surge protector they're fine but they are wrong. They tell everyone that unless you have a surge protector that's been professionally installed at the circuit breaker box by a certified electrician you are deluding yourself...turn your computer off during the night and if there is a storm unplug it not only from the electrical outlet but from your modem/phone line too.

 

Easiest thing to do: If the weatherman is predicting storms during the night, shut down the good ol puter. If you have a surge protector i think you are safe as long as you shut the main power input on it off so that nothing gets power. Abbysue correct me if im wrong on this statement. If you dont own a surge protector, unplug the computer when its turned off and make sure you internet connection plugs are also disconnected as the surge can go through there too.
-the new tech guy

 

Shutting off the power switch is inadequate and will not stop a surge in power... especially from a lightening strike close enough that it travels through your phone/cable/power lines. The only sure protection is to unplug from any electrical source or as stated above, have an electrician come in and install a home surge protector.

A very good friend of mine back in NY lost 2 computers in less than a year during electrical storms. After the first time she went out and bought one of those APC (?) ones for close to $100..while the warranty did pay to replace her puter, it didn't recover her lost data or all the time she went without a puter.

Many people never unplug during a storm or shut down their puter's when they aren't using them and and have never had a problem. It's kind of like rolling the dice or buying a lottery ticket...you know the risk, the potential for loss of $$, data & components and you make the choice to take it or not. I choose not to...I think it's senseless to risk the loss...besides, I have better things to do with my $$.

 

I leave my work Computer running 24/7 It hasn't been turned off for at least a year, it does however get an occasional restart.
I'll bet that SOB is full of Dirt, I Hope It Dies, then maybe I can get a new one!



MY computers at home, they are only on when someone using them or running a program/utility.
Sometimes my kids leave theirs on, if I see there on & their not home, Off they go
I do leave my Router/Switch & networked MF printer on 24/7, if I know bad weather is coming I'll turn them off too!

 

Well I thought when i hit the main switch is like physically disconnecting the connection to the curcuit so it is safe. My router and modem do run 24/7 regardless because if we shut them down we lose settings and its a royal pain to reset them. But if a storms comin and my sis's comp is on off it goes and my laptop if i wanna keep using it i run on battery so i am not plugged into anything at all scince my internet is wireless as well.
-the new tech guy

 

Nope, it must be physically disconnected from the power, and that goes for the phone line as well.

 

Ok didnt know that. Thanks for filling me in.
-the new tech guy