Which costs more: leaving computer on 24\7 or turning it off & then on each time you want to use it?

Answer 1

Costs more in what way? Turning the machine on & off is much more stressful to system components so your machine is likely to suffer hardware failure sooner if that's your routine , rather than leaving it on 24/7. So you've got the cost (in both $$ and lost time) of replacing some component like a hard drive, video card or motherboard after a year or two instead of 3-5 years.

Electricity bill is higher leaving it on, although when your computer goes into standby/sleep mode, it's using only a fraction of what it uses when you're actually doing stuff. Typically the monitor and hard drives are shut down. Still, keeping those little LED lights on isn't quite free.

If you're not going to use the computer for a day or two (like over a weekend) then shut it down for sure. But if you're just dealing with a few hours of idle time throughout the day, I'd leave it on. And of course, always shut down during electrical or thunder storms.

Answer 2

I leave mine on 24/7. I think it costs more. You could leave it on all day and then shut it off each evening.

With my last computer which was the third model put out by IBM, the hard drive wore out where it boots, so that is why I'm not comfortable turning it off.

I do agree with most of what was said above especially when it comes to power surges.

Answer 3

This is like a religious debate - my wife and I actually tested this out last month. My computer is brand new and has a lot of Energy Star rated parts. We spent an entire month shutting the PC off when we were done - and we didn't save any money!!

PC hardware nowadays is very energy efficient and Windows has several power saving modes you can use. If you have Windows XP - right-click on the Desktop and click on properties. The go to the Display tab. At the bottom you will see Power Management options.

In the long run it may be more expensive to shut down every night because that is really hard on the power supply. Check out the story I linked to below. It is really good.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1459260,00.asp

Answer 4

I had thought leaving it on 24/7 cost more but I learned that the electric company charges a spike fee so like when computers and larger electrical devices as such turn on the electric spikes and they charge you more so than as if you were to leave it on.

Answer 5

Think of it this way. Leaving the computer on all day causes it go get hot which is not good at all for the pc. Replacing fans each year is not fun. Also it could cause other components to malfunction. So i suggest turning it off.

Answer 6

Depends on how much you turn it off & on or how much you actually use it.

The power on process can stress your system a good bit. I leave mine on almost all the time. But, I use it frequently during the day.

If you only use it once per day, shut it down. But, the power bursting through your system over & over again can cause fast wear & tear and cost more in electricity. Use your best judgment here.

Ensure you have a FANTASTIC uninterruptible power supply with built-in surge suppression though!

Answer 7

Of course when its on for 24/7.....

Answer 8

It's foolish to leave your computer running 24/7, all it takes is one lightning strike and it's dead. The only reason you would want to leave it running is if it's a server. Other than that shut it down when not in use.

Answer 9

I think 24/7..
what you should do is put your computer on ' Sleep Mode' because not only does it go on low power mode, it quickly goes back to the way it was.

Answer 10

Leaving it on can be a hazard. A 12 year old girl died from an electrical fire becuase she left it on sleep mode while alseep. She didnt have a smoke alarm though.

If you decide to leave it on make sure all fans are clean and the case is free of dust.

Yes it does waste more electricity becuase its on