Is it better to leave your computer on or turn it off?

Question

I am wanting to save energy and wonder is it expensive to leave a computer turned on even while you sleep?

Answer 1

If you want to save energy, better turn it off.

If you're using the computer, you ought to turn off the monitor and everything except the CPU.

Answer 2

Since it looks like you're on the shut it off side of the argument, I'll try to convince you of the other side. If your computer is sufficiently cooled and ventilated, none of the components will ever overheat. They have a certain running temperature that they will not exceed. However, as dust enters and settles on fan blades and such, the efficiency of cooling goes down. Also when you shut down your computer, this dust has a chance to settle in and really gum up your fans. Dust will stop them completely at some point. By keeping the computer running, the fans are less likely to get stalled, or at least it will take longer before they are immobile. Once fans stop turning, thermal issues rear their ugly heads. Now let's assume that all your components are properly being cooled. When the computer is on, the components will be operating at a certain warm temperature. When you shut off your computer, the parts that have warmed cool off. Then they heat up again when you turn it on. Forcing these very small and fine components to heat and cool DOES cause wear. This is in addition to the wear created by starting and stopping these things. In addition to this, the metal pieces in your hard drives wear down and tiny shavings and shards of metal will come loose. The same way the engine in your car wears off slivers of metal that stays in the motor oil until you change it, the slivers in the hard drive will be in the oil in the gears of the hard drive. If you stop the hard drive, those slivers will act just like the dust in the fans I described above. Your hard drives then start to click or stop. Your RAM and processor do not care if your computer is off or on. They have no moving parts. They just want to be adequately cooled. For the most part, the parts of a computer should last you 3 to 5 years. If you are using a 4 or 5 year old computer, you are probably wishing for a new one anyway. My advice for you is to shut the computer down when you don't need it and save the money from the electricity to buy a new one when the time comes. Unless you are going to turn it on and off 5 or 6 times a day, you should be fine. Clean out the dust periodically. Make sure the air flows easily through the case from front to back. The worst thing you can do to your computer is to leave on for a long time (months or years), and then turn it off. Parts may have already warn out before stopping and might not get started again. If you've left your computer on for a couple years, just plan on leaving it on forever, unless you are prepared for the consequences. It is a case where the computer may be worn down, but it will still run as long as it doesn't stop.

Answer 3

A computer uses the same amount of power to boot up as it does to run in idle mode for about 8-10 hours. So, if you are planning to use the computer again that day, it's best to leave it on.

Personally, I just leave my computers on all the time. They would almost never get turned off for more than 8 hours, and then I would have to wait for them to boot up.

Another factor to consider is that your hard drive and fans will wear out faster if you turn your computer off and on all the time. When they are running, the bearings run on a cushion of air, causing virtually no wear, while when you start and stop them, the metal parts grind against each other until they get up to speed.

Answer 4

It is better to leave them off because they need to rest also even thought they are machines it is recommended to just have your computer a maximum of 8 hrs a day on if you use it a lot or your parts will get overheated faster.

Answer 5

leave it on , my computer man tells me it is better for the computer too leave it on , 24/7 and saves energy also ,

Answer 6

You should turn it off... it wastes electricity & it isn't good for the computer to leave it on for lengthy periods of time.

Answer 7

Computers need to be shut off thru the night.

Answer 8

its like 5 cents an hour

vs. 5 minutes to boot

if your time is $12 per hour

then its worth leaving it on if you are going to use it within 10 hours

Answer 9

You should put it in hibernate. It wont use power and its much faster to start up when you turn it back on. But shut down completely once in a while.

Answer 10

you will save energy if you turn it off...you should think about unplugging things that you dont really need. Like chargers or appliances that you dont used.