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Computer - Better to Turn Off or Leave On?

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  • vuvuzela
    vuvuzela Posts: 3,648 Forumite
    Strider590 wrote: »
    Did you miss this?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Watt_Initiative

    Even an older PC PSU uses nowhere near 50w on standby.

    You missed that they weren't referring to PCs on standby.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    vuvuzela wrote: »
    You missed that they weren't referring to PCs on standby.

    It refers to everything...........

    Another point to make about PCs, the BIOS backup battery runs down if you turn off at the mains and you loose your BIOS settings which can in some cases render the PC inoperable until someone has set up the BIOS again.

    The whole business of turning everything off, it's just a general idiots guide.

    Back in 1998-2003, my father used to rant about my PC using a tonne of power purely because it had a load of blue LEDs on the front, I disconnected them and his moaning stopped. He simply didn't understand what sort of power anything used and assumed that anything that lights up must use the most power.
    The truth is most people don't understand either, so we're told to turn everything off because it's pointless going into great detail about what can and can't be left on, if people are too stupid to understand.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Samsonite1
    Samsonite1 Posts: 572 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Probably the more practical reason (software not hardware though) to shut down regularly (or actually rebooting is fine) is that desktop operating systems are not well optimised for being on for days on end. They accumulate temporary files, some software has memory leaks so you can end up running out of memory (happened with Firerox when I had a Mac), orphaned/zombie processes, etc. Windows tends to suffer the most from this - a server is different, especially if you do not log into it and run loads of desktop apps. Your PC will slow down over time if you never at least reboot it regularly. Also, Windows makes a lot of optimisations to your setup each time you shutdown, startup, reboot, etc. A lot of processes and software "learns" how to optimise based on your use, but a lot of is only happens over the shutdown/startup cycle.

    In the end, it really comes down to what works for you - there is no one right answer necessarily. As I am a software consultant myself and understands how software works, I know what works best for me - I am interested in how the software works optimally - the hardware is not a big issue as I know that modern hardware is pretty solid and I have never worried too much about it - one failed mechanical drive, but I use SSDs and a RAID 5 array...
    To err is human, but it is against company policy.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    ^^^ This isn't about simply shutting down, this is about turning the PC off at the mains.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Samsonite1
    Samsonite1 Posts: 572 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Strider590 wrote: »
    ^^^ This isn't about simply shutting down, this is about turning the PC off at the mains.

    The original post mentions nothing of the sort - no mention of turning off at the mains. I have never met anyone who turns a PC off at the mains.

    And to the original post, there is no problem with turning it on and off many times a day, but seems pointless if you are planning on using it at various points throughout the day.

    I suppose on reflection - it really will not harm you PC to leave it on all day or turn it off several times. The hardware is designed to cope with both. Laptops are turned off many times because you have batteries, but the components are either similar or less robust than a desktop PC. It is really not an issue what you do in this day and age, but it will not stop people have opinions. Just don't sweat it.
    To err is human, but it is against company policy.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    Samsonite1 wrote: »
    The original post mentions nothing of the sort - no mention of turning off at the mains. I have never met anyone who turns a PC off at the mains.

    By the look of it there are plenty of them in this thread.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

    <><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/
  • Samsonite1
    Samsonite1 Posts: 572 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Strider590 wrote: »
    By the look of it there are plenty of them in this thread.

    Not that I have met :)
    To err is human, but it is against company policy.
  • Samsonite1
    Samsonite1 Posts: 572 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Strider590 wrote: »
    By the look of it there are plenty of them in this thread.

    Actually, only one person in this entire thread turns off at the mains if you read every thread (yeah I was bored).

    Anyway, my point stands about software - leaving a PC on 24/7 is bad for software unless you are running a server (but desktop software can still wreck a server).

    Hardware wear and tear is negligible whatever you do, but leaving your PC on for days on end will not be good for most PCs in terms of software and general performance.
    To err is human, but it is against company policy.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Strider590 wrote: »
    Another point to make about PCs, the BIOS backup battery runs down if you turn off at the mains and you loose your BIOS settings which can in some cases render the PC inoperable until someone has set up the BIOS again.

    As above, I don't know anyone who turns their PC off at the mains! So long as the PC is plugged in and the motherboard has power (even if the PC is off), the BIOS battery will still be charged.

    Light bulbs also last longer if you don't turn them off. ;)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest-lasting_light_bulbs
  • prowla
    prowla Posts: 13,984 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I turn my computers off at the mains.
    I unplug my laptops when not charging or using.
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