Computer electricity costs

BrightonLad

i leave mine on a lot of the time too, but now and then i cold start them too, otherwise a lot of software updates, eg antivirus, don't take effect.

Graham1

For a typical desktop PC including a CRT type monitor it varies from a low of around 200 watts (e.g. older 1Ghz and lower processor speed models) to a high of around 250 watts (latest fastest models). Obviously there is some variation according to the number of cards etc. installed but not by very much.

No, switching it on does not use more than leaving it on - if it did then your lights would dim for a fraction of a second every time you switched it on.

Curry_Queen

I've been told by several different people that powering up the PC every day puts far more strain on the components than if you leave it switched on 24/7 too. The power used will depend on your PSU which could be anything from 200 - 500 watts, although most mid-ranged PC's will have around 350W fitted.

Aletank

Curry_Queen wrote:

The power used will depend on your PSU which could be anything from 200 - 500 watts, although most mid-ranged PC's will have around 350W fitted.

So your saying leaving your PC on is like leaving a 200/350/500 watt light bulb on all day ??
I always thought the 200/300/500 watt power ratings of a PSU was what it could handle when needed eg when burning a DVD it would be using more etc

Graham1

The power supply unit in the PC is generally rated between 200 and 400W maximum load. That is fully used only when it is fully loaded with cards, memory and disks etc. So most PCs real consumption is less than that but not negliable, like I say 200-250W is a fair estimate, or 6 units per 24 hour period (less if you turn the monitor off).

The latest systems put a high load on the 12 volt rail (which is used for the CPU chip power changer) which is why they often have a 350 or 400w PSU even though the actual consumption is quite a bit less.

quoia

hansi wrote:

...It probably takes more power to switch a computer on and off rather than leaving it on all day ..........

This is absolutely 100% not true.
A recent article on this subject showed how 24 hour use of a high spec 3Ghz Pentium 4 (without it entering standby/sleep/hibernate modes) used £152 MORE electricity in a year than using it for 8 hours a day (say 9am to 5pm) and turning it off for the other 16 hours.

hansi

I accept that, but my PC is not on for 24/7 but I keep it on during the day when I am at home, and I reckon it does more harm than good to keep switching it on and off all day. That is my personal view.

Curry_Queen

It can put a huge strain on hard drives in particular if constantly switched on and off. I guess at the end of the day it all depends on what you use your PC for and how long per day as to whether it's worth switching it off.

If you only browse for a couple of hours in an evening then it would be waste to leave it on 24/7. However, someone like myself who uses their PC around the clock would have very little reason to turn it off

raeble

I have absolutely nothing to back up my opinion but I think that leaving a pc on 24/7 is going to cause more wear and tear the switching it off when you have finished using it besides running up my electric bill. Besides I'm a bit worried about it short-circuiting and catching fire or something.

hansi

Offices leave their PC's on 24/7 365 days per year and they don't seem to have problems. I like to keep mine on when I am home to check e mails, and if I'm reading the newspaper and there's something interesting on a website, I can check it straight away and being on broadband this is made very easy by being online continuously, bearing in mind that you must have a firewall enabled.