To save energy on my computer do I log off or hibernate when not in use?

Answer 1

To save energy/power/electricity:

Shut your computer down if you will not use it for more than 3 hours. Put it in hibernate mode if it will be idle for just a couple of hours. If you will be gone for several minutes, just turn off the monitor (physically) if you are using a desktop PC. If you are using a laptop, make sure that you have set the power options in control panel to turn off h/d and monitor when not in use for a specific number minutes depending on how long you want. Ultimately, to really save energy, only turn-on your PC if you intend to use it.

By the way Logging-off is a security feature and not a power saving feature. So it does not save energy.

Answer 2

Danlow, be nice to people. You dont need to point out individuals. Just state your version if its different than others. As in this statement:

When you log OFF your stuff does NOT continue to run in the background with the screen blank, regardless of what others have said. Only systemic privileged applications and processes will run.

As someone else said, the power savings in the monitor turning off is the best you can do short of powering down.

On hibernation: Whenever I have come out of hibernation, I always end up rebooting for one reason or another. I have disabled it cause I really dont have a need for it.

Answer 3

Logging off or Hibernating I believe would be pretty much the same. Deciding between shutting off the computer and hibernating, I would hibernate...but then again it depends on when you plan to use the PC again. If you are running programs such as a torrent tracker, logging off would end the process but hibernating will keep the process running with a blank screen. I usually leave my computer on and let the screensaver kick in and eventually it hibernates.

Answer 4

Logging off does not save any energy but,by hibernating you can save a lot in your energy bills and in the same time it's really easy to go back to your work whenever you want.
I suggest that you should Hibernate when you are not using your PC.

Answer 5

Either A: turn off your computer completely...

B: Log Off.

Do not hibernate unless you are leaving for 6 months or something... When you hibernate the computer actually spends a couple of minutes or more to compress crap... Hibernating your computer everytime you leave is a terrible thing to do lol...


GNOMUS YOU IDIOT you are WRONG, hibernating does not allow stuff to keep running... If you log OFF your stuff can continue to run in the background with the screen blank... Hibernating puts your computer in a suspended sleep....

Read the article below for the information on the differences...

Answer 6

It doesn't make much difference if you shut down your monitor. Most of the power is utilized only by the monitor. The CPU needs only about 2 volts to run. I usually log off and shut down my monitor when not in use for 24-48 hours. But if it is not to be used for say about 4-5 days then i use hibernate. that's it.

Answer 7

I think both would work actually but i would just safely log off and don't have a screensaver on cause that just wastes energy and eats up the memory.

Answer 8

Hibernate it.....it would save energy....and you wouldn't have to worry about waiting for it to boot back up again......Which takes more energy....

Answer 9

nicely there is sleep the place it makes use of electrical energy to grant potential to the ram or there is hibernate which places all your ram on the hard disk then shuts down the notebook making use of no potential collectively as its off or shutdown which shutdown the notebook completeley so it dosnt save something

Answer 10

You should shut down your computer when not using. And kill your power strip.