I generally keep my computers running all day every day, with the exception of laptops that I suspend but keep powered.
Do people actually turn off their computers when they are done with them each day? Do you hibernate or suspend, or power off completely?
If you leave your computer running all day do you think about power consumption? Have you changed your metering or electricity plan to suit?
I turn mine off the switch as well. I don't know if its the same for every PC but mines trickles energy even with the PC off but wall switch on. Don't really wanna leave that unattended for the whole day haha.
Did you notice a click sound when you turn the switch OFF? I turned my desktop off at the switch too and may have killed a power supply or 2. Only power off now and leave the switch ON.
Sort of off topic: Does anybody else find Windows 10 is logging in super slow for an “online” account? No issues with speed when reactivating from hibernation though.
Hmm not really sure I've never paid attention but I'll check.
Thanks 👍
@fenikkusu: I've done it a couple of times over the weekend and I never heard of a click. I do wait for a bit before turning the switch off tho.
Power supplies can die even if you do everything right. If you want to turn it off at the wall to save power then do it.
Most modern PC's will keep some USB Ports active even when completely powered off so you can still charge phones and headsets via USB.
I used a Watts Clever energy meter (similar to a Kill-A-Watt plug-in meter) and was surprised to see my desktop consumes about 15W when turned off.
Probably right as Gumster said. Seems PC components(?) will still be running unless you switch it off at the powerpoint.
Desktop at home I turn off because I just don't use it that much anyway. Waste of power keeping it turned on with electricity prices, and we can't get solar panels because our roof gets too much shade from the big trees in the neighbouring yard.
Especially these days with so much working from home, I've had to kind of push my own PC out of the way to make desk space for my work laptop, so my PC is getting less use than before. After sitting in that room all day for work, I no longer feel like sitting there even longer to use my own PC.
yes. but other people use my desktop always left it on
no desktop, but turn off laptop when not in use.
It's good practice if you ever get into using cloud VMs - they charge you when VMs are on.
why do you think cloud vms shut down when your laptop is off 🤔
I don't think that laptop off = VM off, they aren't the same device.
My point is, get into a habit of turning "off" your device whether it is VM or not when it is not in use :)
monitor off after a minute, suspend after another minute, tap on the keyboard to resume. couldn't be easier
Shutdown at end of the day, boot time is less than a minute,
Back when i used mechanical drives i would hibernate
I used to run my PC 24x7 but have recently started shutting it down. With boot times nowadays there's no point running it overnight just to collect extra dust and waste electricity.
I shut down my laptop when I'm done for the day. I leave it running otherwise and it automatically goes to sleep after some time of inactivity
I used to shut it down when I finished using it as why bother paying for power for a desktop to sit and do nothing. After getting a new GPU recently I have set it up to mine Ethereum when I'm not gaming, so I leave it doing that 24/7 now.
What??? They can be powered down??
Some of newer models, yes…
Seems everyone has forgotten the "It's now safe to turn off your computer" messages on early Windows OS's
Cause they're always updating
And don't forget to 'park' the RLL/ESDI hard drives !
USED to hold down the power button 10 secs every time lol
I used to leave my computer on 24/7 when I was torrenting. But, since I haven't used torrents for years, I switch off my computer.
I used to leave my computer on 24/7 when I was torrenting.
Did you get help?
SEED, SEED, SEED
When I had the GTX590 I realised I was spending $200 a year keeping it idle so switched it off overnight.
Why was it drawing so much power at idle?
The GTX 590 at idle was always pulling a lot of power… So much so that it was much better to upgrade to the 980ti because over 3 years the power savings made up for the difference between the new card and the price i sold the 590 for.
$200 per year works out at about 90 watts.
That is pretty typical for an average desktop while idle, many would be considerably higher.
90W * 24 * 365 = 788 kWh
At 25c per kWh: 788 * .25 = $197
I shutdown overnight. Power is a bonus, but its also a security issue. If its powered on its theoretically accessible. Since I don't need to access it remotely I don't have any need to leave it on.
Theoretically better for constant thermals to not power cycle, but I don't know how much of an issue that is for the average user.
I used to always shutdown. Now I just put it to sleep and shutdown occasionally.
But why?
Because I want the state of my computer to be exactly as it was when I left it. I’m not going to start my computer and open everything up again. By putting it to sleep I can pick up right where I left off.
If I leave my desk and the computer isn't doing anything, that power button is getting smacked.
If for no other reason, why would you leave it on. Boot times are just a few seconds these days too.
Desktop is on 24/7 but it acts as a media server as well. For those that are running 24x7, set your maximum processor throttle to 80% to reduce the amount of power it's using when on standby especially if you're overclocked. Makes a big difference! No need for the CPU to keep bouncing up to 100%, chewing 50% more power for a few seconds, to then throttle down to idle when you're not in front of it. I've created a simple bat file for this, all you need to do is create a text document ("Max Performance Timer for Power Savings.txt"), paste the following in it, and then rename the .txt to .bat. Double click the file when you're using your computer and the maximum CPU will be up to 100% for 2 hours. Once you're done, just press enter in the command prompt window to cycle the code to set the power saving to 80% CPU max (don't close the window). I use this all the time and I feel a bit better about myself for leaving a High End DeskTop on 24x7 =)
@echo off
echo —————————————————————————————————————-
echo CPU Max of 100%% for 2 hours before going back to 80%% for Energy Efficiency
echo —————————————————————————————————————-
set runforseconds=7200
@echo on
powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR PROCTHROTTLEMAX 100
powercfg -s SCHEME_CURRENT
@echo off
echo Power Saving Mode Activates in %runforseconds% seconds
timeout %runforseconds%
@echo on
powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR PROCTHROTTLEMAX 80
powercfg -s SCHEME_CURRENT
@echo off
timeout 3
I used to put it on hibernate because the startup time on a HDD took forever. Now I shutdown since I have an SSD, it boots up really quickly.
3 PC's at home, they all run all the time unless we go away for a week or so.
Backup PC stays on because it's full of HDD's that like to keep spinning and most of my backup and maintenance jobs run overnight.
Streaming/TV PC stays on because it handles Plex & Sonarr and stuff and turning it off/on would first involve finding where my partner hid the keyboard from the kids this time.
My PC stays on because I leave millions of tabs/spreadsheets etc open and arranged in very specific way and hibernate burned me a few times in the past. Mostly I just like that I don't have to wait at all before I can use it. I turn the monitors off though!
Probably costing you about $500 per year
yes..cause heat
I don't get why you wouldn't use sleep mode when you're not using it unless you need it to run tasks?
It's a small amount of energy for 1 person, but millions of people doing this worldwide and it adds up to a lot of energy waste.
Plus it reduces the longevity of the hardware. Unless this is work computers and you don't care. But again, more waste.
Is longevity much of an issue with PC hardware? Usually they become obsolescent long before anything breaks and with some very rare exceptions there's not likely to be any collectible value in an older PC either.
Yea true, I guess it depends on how long you keep the computers for. Mobos and hdd's can be used for quite a while, decades even while the rest can be upgraded. Especially in the case of workplace hardware.
Plus they can be sold to people who don't need high spec hardware and re used if they're still working when upgrade time comes around
I remember reading somewhere that for many components, ICs and solder joints especially, it's the number of on-off cycles, not total up-time that shortens lifespan. Heating then cooling down causes expansion and contraction and eventually failure.
Yes
Shutdown the laptop in my room - mainly to reduce noise, heat, etc.
And I'd rather not be woken up at 3 am by Windows doing updates.
pc hibernated, laptops auto sleeping. pc is running on nvme drive so hibernate and resume is instant
Gaming rig is custom water cooled so I don't run it unattended. I also don't want to run expensive GPU and CPU 24/7.
my separate NAS / Torrent Box / Server runs 24/7
my laptop shuts down when I close it after use.
all use SSD.
I leave my desktop and laptop on 24/7
Most computers only take less than 1 minute to startup so not powering it off is just bad habit or/and laziness. It consumes a lot of power, quite noisy at night and it dries the air which gives you a bad night's sleep.
I used to never turn my PC off since I had a habit of trying to download the entire internet once upon a time torrents cough but don't do this anymore.
These days I don't do much downloading so I turn it off as soon as I leave it. I'm sick of staring at a PC after staring at one constantly at work all day. Even more so since I've worked from home a lot since Covid and I don't want to sit in the same chair I sat in for 8 hours and stay in the same room once I knock off work for the day.
I keep my home PC on 24/7 - I run Boinc (Seti@home, Rosetta etc) but my work computer, I always switch off.
I work from home and run all my computers 24/7. I try and avoid leaving my laptop running all the time, but I have the following all the time:
- Work NAS (hosted from home)
- Work VPN connector (Ubuntu PC)
- Work Windows Computer
- Windows Computer in the office for Security Camera feeds
- Office Security Camera System
- 2 x Wireless Units
- 2 x Network Switches
- Firewall/Router
- SamKnows box in line as well
All are within a cupboard or in the office, so no noise issues whilst it is always running.
I am about to get Solar installed to help reduce the power bill. It doesn't cost that much overall to run. Average monthly bill is $275 for electricity (3 bed home with an office as well as a Spa).
Don't really see the need to keep my desktop powered. Only takes ~15s to boot.
To boot
Simply "sleep" or "Hibernate", especially if you have a lot of programs and Files explorer windows, docs etc etc opened.
"Hibernating" is basically switch OFF your PC with the convenience of restarting where you left off.
I do a full shutdown once a week though, after updates, major changes or a maintenance clean
my hibernate fails nowadays, must be win10
If its failing, as in the PC does not go into Hibernation, instead, the screen just goes blank and it hangs all of the time, then yes, you have an issue somewhere.
Check in 'Power Options / System Settings / Turn On fast startup - Disable this if it is enabled. It may help.
I do get this one is say every 50 Hibernations, but for the most part, it operates just fine
when i press power button to turn on, after hibernation, it starts fresh (all my open windows gone)
@capslock janitor: If the fan [I'm assuming CPU] is still spinning then, it hasn't entered SLEEP mode properly.
Look like it needs thorough troubleshooting
I'll shut mine down if I get to for 20 minutes lol.
But I'm the kind of guy who walks around the house switching lights off if no-one is in the room.
I do the same with switching lights off.
Do people leave lights on in houses with no one in the room???….
They wear shoes inside.
You don't live with children?
I leave mine on 24/7 sometimes put my laptop at home to sleep at night
I Never turn off as my computer doubles as a Plex server for a few friends and family and me when I am out of my home. My oldest attached external hard drive is a WD 1.5Tb with those funny rubber “bookends” which has been spinning all the time since 2006. I think some devices can be better left running rather than constantly rebooted. My iMac is never in low power saver mode because some of my hard drives spin down and I get a stream of error messages saying they have been disconnected when all that happened was the computer hibernating.
My i5-10500T consumes 4watts when idle with the screen turned off. The screen is a 32" so consumes quite a bit. I don't have GPU, I don't game.
4watts is roughly a home LED light.
My older i7-4770 consumes about 13watts.
They boot up so quickly these days I don't mind shutting it down. Upside is you start with fresh state every morning and less likely to have issues with memory leaks etc etc.
My desktop doesn't have a power switch, it has a recover from a massive crash switch.
Also, which computer? There are ten devices just where I'm sitting that could be called computers. Turning everything off is a procedure here.
I just put it to sleep
I remember desktop PCs - lemme try to remember - last used one maybe 10 years ago ?
My wife always request me to shut it down to save the electricity.
Turn it off every evening before sleep.
Takes less than a minute to boot up anyway.
Windows 8 and Windows 10 have “Fast Startup” enabled by default.
With Fast Startup still enabled those who only ever Shut Down and never do an actual Restart will see Windows only ever puts the system into Sleep mode. Longest uptime I’ve seen in someone’s Task Manager is ~3 years.
Media pc (no login password as nothing secure is in it) goes to sleep automatically, turns back on faster than the TV takes to turn on.
Desktop pc - 2x monitors, printer, + water cooled pc = all plugged into 1 switchboard in the wall. I turn it off at the wall most of the time or the office heats up.
Work pc: leave it running to remote in from home.
In my experience, the most common time for PC hw to break is in the on/off cycle, which is part of the reason i dont switch off my PC.
Its a high-end PC and by my calcs, i'm losing $400/yr in electricity costs by keeping it on. Not enough incentive to switch off.
I leave my desktop on in winter, because it makes the room warm. But I would turn it off in summer when not in use because the room can get very hot from the computer's heat.
This one's kinda hard to answer. How do you define 'powering off' and 'hibernate'? Modern os' hibernate when you select turn off.
So I 'Turn off'.
Can't imagine why you would need to run a computer all day everyday unless it's acting as some type of server. If it's slow to power up, then get a SSD.
HTPC - 24/7 - recording downloading etc etc
Every other pc powered on and off as required.
They have NVMe etc so boot times are very little.
Shutdown your computers when not in use you savages
My desktop PC generally stays on during the day (have solar), though display turns off after 1 hour.
At night I sleep the PC. Power draw difference between a sleeping PC and a turned off one (not switching off at the wall) isn't enough to warrant the extra seconds of boot time (and sleep power draw isn't enough to warrant turning off at the switch)
If you shut it down you lose everything you have open. So that's a no go for multi-taskers.
But there's also zero reason to keep it powered on unless you have something actively running. You're burning money on power, using your PC as air filtration (clogging it up with dust) and wearing out the fans.
Sleep and Hibernate are the perfect solution. Sleep just requires power for the RAM which is only a few Watts. Hibernate doesn't require any power at all.
I put my laptop to sleep if I'm not using for 2+ hours. I'd power off more often, but Adobe Acrobat Reader doesn't reopen or make previously open documents visible which is a problem for me.
I hibernate my desktop and laptop and perform a shut down / restart once every week or two.
I usually feel after a week or so with no shut down or restart, things start to get a little laggy even though both my machines are high spec. I feel like a shut down / restart helps clear the ram / cache.
For those who opt for shutting down the pc, make sure you enable the deep sleep option to S5 in BIOS. That will cut all the power including from usb when you shut down Windows. No need to physically switch off the power on the PSU.
My main PC always gets powered down - my PLEX/CCTV PC is always on, my server shuts down at 00:30am and turns on at 8am
Low powered NUC based Celeron always on.
Main "Gaming" PC hibernated overnight and sometimes in sleep if expecting to come back.
Having a gaming PC on 24x7 is lot of power, even when idle. And modern operating systems always want to kick off a background task - updates, indexing etc.
I have smart plugs setup and linked to google for my PC/monitors/speakers, I still shut down PCs as normal in Windows and when I say goodnight to google it powers off the smart plugs (and lights etc) but have the BIOS set to boot on power which I set to google so when I say "Okay google, Battlestations" both PCs and all monitors (5) boot up.
Yes I'm a nerd but hell it amuses me when google replies with "Battle Stations Online" as well.
No idea how you'd keep it on with Windows 10, seems like there's a patch requiring restart every few weeks.
That being said I do turn off anyway - don't need it on to be collecting more dust inside the case.
Yeah the patches piss me off no end. Especially if I haven't realised one is coming and wake up in the morning to find my PC has helpfully rebooted itself and lost all the work that I didn't save before I went to bed.
Leave it on 24/7, restarts when needed.
Force of habit from back in the day when powering on and off your PC every day could f up the HDD.
Most problems also happen during the on/off cycle as i've found out over the years.
That's my reason also for leaving on pc 24/7.
My old PC would be on for weeks at a time as startup time was a pain.
New PC with NvME drives startup is sub 10 seconds I turn it off if im gone for more than 30minutes.
interesting question, i have historically always turned mine off but recently bought a little NUC box which doesn't draw much power and doesn't make any sound so i've been leaving it on for the plex server. also like @bobinv above i have a 6.6kW solar system so we're generally in the black on power. BUT i should probably do some more investigation on exactly how much power it's using in its downtime.
edit: wow just found an article with some power consumption test scores and turns out when idle it draws a whopping 5.6W. so no, i will not be turning it off unless necessary.
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