Is it better to leave a computer on all the time or shut it off when you done?

Answer 1

Hmm... Well if you shut off your computer the proper way, then you are simply conserving power and want waste as much. Though if you think of leaving it on all the time, you can configure your computer to Stand-by or Hibernate after a certain time length has passed, that way saves power as well...

But in my opinion.... I always turn it off when it's not in use.

Answer 2

I've been seeing this exact question being asked online for over a decade & you will get two different answers from two people.

Here's what I think.

If you aren't using it for more than a couple of hours turn it off, even in standby it's using power. On the power usage side, if everyone who didn't actually need to have their computers on when not in use, that huge amount of power could be used for other purposes & as an added bonus less consumption means less oil used...less demand helps keep the price of oil down.

As far as the parts in the computer are concerned, while on how many parts are running/wearing out faster...fans...power supply, monitors, hard drives, ram, the processor & it's cooling parts, many parts on the motherboard.

Yes, I've heard the idea that shutting the computer down weakens the connections on the motherboard that are soldered as they go from a hot state when the system is on to cold when it's off, but seriously this compared to the hundreds/thousands of hours systems that are left on all the time deteriorate is nothing.

Personally I think people who never or rarely shut their systems off when there are many hours in a day no one uses them, have no right to complain about increasing costs of electricity.

Answer 3

It is said that cold starting a computer frequently can cause some of the chips to malfunction.

I would leave a desktop running all the time, with a screen saver. If it has a hibernate or sleep mode, use this instead.

For a laptop I would turn it off or put to sleep when not in use so that the fan lasts as long as possible.

Answer 4

It depends on how often you use your computer. Leaving it on all the time will wear out components and waste electricity if you use it only one time a day. On the other hand it is far better for your computer to be left on all day than to be turned on and off several times a day. Either way when you know your not going to be using your computer for a long period of time (e.g. when your sleeping) you should turn it off.

Answer 5

I'm no expert, but I would say shut it off. Doing so allows windows to install any updates it may have and saves your hardware from spinning 5800 times per minute for eternity. Hard drives and other hardware have life expectencies of tens of thousands of hours in most cases, but that clock isn't ticking when the computer isn't turned on. Personally, I turn my computer on in the morning and leave it on for convenience, then turn it off at night.

Answer 6

If you have a newer car, the engine is controlled by computer chips, do you leave it running?

Shut it off, regardless to what lots of people believe, it is not harder on the motherboard to shut it off than it is to leave it going. Also, when it is shut off, you cannot be hacked.

Answer 7

When you're not going to use your computer for about 20 minutes, then you can put it on Standby. If you're not going to use it in 30 minutes or more, you can Hibernate your computer. Before you go to bed, it's best to Shut Down your computer for the night.

Answer 8

Thats a good question. I think most people leave it on all the time. Even people that are computer experts do it, so I assume its not bad. But now that you mention it, I'm gonna research that, just to be sure.

Answer 9

it's always a good idea to restart or turn off your pc every once in awhile. leaving on for a long time can start making windows buggy. but if you must leave it on, or don't like to wait for the windows startup, just put it in stand by... hibernate takes up to much space

Answer 10

It's better to put the computer on "Stand by" or "Hibernate" mode. It quickly restarts when you're back at your desk, or if you're away, it saves energy.