is it better to turn off computer when not in use or leave on all the time?

Answer 1

I'm a software engineer and I have left mine on all the time. It will go in "stand-by" mode when not in use. The only time you really should turn it off is if you leave (work) for the weekend or if it is at your home, turn it off if you leave for vacation.
If you are looking to conserve energy, then yes, turning it off everyday will not hurt it either.

Answer 2

As a rule: turn it off. Exception: when you're going to use it again within say 30 minutes.

It does save bundles!

EDIT: What Jeffrey F writes, below, is pretty much pure crap. Even very energy efficient computers use more than 25 watts, and that type of computer is still rare. Most computers use 8 times that, excluding the monitor. Read more here:

http://www.localcooling.com/

Answer 3

ok look, you cant study autos to desktops... thats stupid.. you cant circulate away your motor vehicle on 24/7 using fact a motor vehicle is a mechanical device and aspects positioned on out rapid. the only element mechanical in a working laptop or laptop are the followers and the stressful drives ( that are the two made to be working 24/7, servers around the international has followers and hard drives that wasn't grew to become off for months or maybe years ) the excellent thank you to make a working laptop or laptop final long is greater acceptable cooling. save your laptop cool and unfastened with airborne dirt and dust each and every of the time and additionally you're good to circulate. desktops are geared up to final in long runs while saved it the main appropriate ecosystem. save your laptop cool with followers or water cooling and constantly clean your laptop from airborne dirt and dust. replace followers that coach positioned on and tear. and constantly examine the temperature of all hardware by utilising utilising courses. now to reply to your question "which permits a working laptop or laptop final longer? Shutting it down for a jointly as after 2 or 3 hours, or letting it run?" , shutting it down 2 or 3 hours after won't help in any way. in the adventure that your laptop has a heating situation that's going to break the laptop. the temperature won't circulate up. attempt working your laptop for 2 hours and record the temperature, then record lower back after 6 hours.. it's going to be an identical.. its unlikely to circulate up and up till laptop melts. in case you sense your laptop has a heating situation then improve your followers or cooling gadget.

Answer 4

I NEVER turn my system off...

The power consumption is about that of a 25 watt light bulb. Without a monitor being on, this drops to even less........

There are two arguments to this:
Keeping it on will cause your equipment to fail earlier.
and
Turning it on and off will cause your equipment to fail earlier.

both arguments hold water, so either way it wouldn't matter..

If you leave it on all the time, you may want to consider doing something useful while the computer isn't being used........check out http://boinc.berkeley.edu/

Let your computer crunch numbers in the interest of different sciences.....like curing diseases or other projects......

Answer 5

Since you're not using it, I'd say turn it off. Because it will save the bills, you know? Leaving it on all the time will make a whole list of bills.

Answer 6

Its estimated by the year 2010 that we will need more enegery plants to satisfy the demands of power for the earth. We all need to go green, thats conserve or we won't be able to turn our computers on/off. Just a thought. Shut it off.

Answer 7

I'm gonna star this cause actually I would like to see an answer to this question and if someone gives a good reason why to----either way.....

Answer 8

turn it off

Answer 9

turn it off, it doesnt take that long for it to turn back on..

and it like halfs your electricity bill

let alone all that envirnment crap

Answer 10

HEATING AND COOLING WEARS OUT LIGHT BULBS, THAT'S WAY THEY NEVER TURN OFF EDISON LIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN BURNING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS! WHAT DO YOU THINK!