should you leave your computer on all the time?

Answer 1

No
because electricity will become a scarce resource in 20 years
computer hardwares will also get damged

Answer 2

You can leave your computer on all the time if you wish but here are the pros and cons of both so you have to decide which is best.

Pro: Not having to wait 30 seconds for Windows to boot up
Pro: Being able to let large files download around the clock

Con: Power use and higher electricity bill
Con: Your PSU (power supply unit) has a life expectancy based upon the hours it is on. So leaving your computer on 24/7 drastically reduces the amount of actual use you may get out of it.
Con: Having your computer on is wear and tear on all your computer components. Nothing major most of the time but it adds up.

Answer 3

You can. I've heard it argued that it is actually harder on the computers resource's (and even energy consumption) to shutdown and turn on, then it is to simply leave it on. I'm not sure how true this it though.

Frankly, I wouldn't bother leaving it on all the time without a purpose. An off computer is always more secure, stable, safer if there are any power surges. But if you are hosting anything (ie. using the computer as a server), don't hesitate to leave it on.

Personally, I usually turn my computer off when I sleep, but if I am downloading something I will sometimes leave it on for days. I've pretty much treated my computers like this for 10+ years, and my systems have always lasting long and worked well.

Answer 4

When your compuer is not in use (stand-by or 'sleep' mode), it uses very little power. In fact even when it is active, a CRT monitor uses MUCH more power than your computer does (minus any audio equipment you may be using). When you are not using your computer, the power consumption is basically miniscule and won't affect your energy bill very much. As for the environment, the argument could be made that shutting down your computer is a good idea. However I deal with alot of office environments in my line of work and have seen examples of computers and servers that almost never get shut down and they last for years.

Answer 5

I have been using computers for 15 years and have always let the computer run 24/7/365 just set the display to hibernate.

And all my computers still work!!!
Even the IBM Aptiva 66MHz thats been running since 1996

Answer 6

it's up to personal preference:

1) do you want to have computer always ready for you to use at any time? do you want to keep your security software always up-to-date? If you answered "yes" on both, leave it on, but restart the computer once a while, say, every other day or 3 days, to refresh your computer's memory.

2) do you care for enviroment? do you want to pay less on electric bill? If you said "yes", then turn it off whenever you're not using for more than 3 hours, especially overnight or away working.

Answer 7

Well it depends on the strength of ur power supply. The larger the watts, the long is can run without heating up fast. Im running on a 1200 Watts power supply and i can run it 20hrs a day sometimes more.

Answer 8

I dont leave mine on all the time. I just don't like paying for electricity I am not using.
Here is a good article, go have a good read.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000426.html

Answer 9

not recommended. Needs shutdown and power off for at least 12 hrs a week.

Answer 10

personally i shut mine down at night.