Quick Question....

[Pale Rider]

.... leave your computer on, or turn it off?

I've heard both, and I've always turned mine off. But what does everybody else do, and why?

And if you leave it on, how much electricity does that eat in a month?

[CockySOB]

Mine runs 24x7x365 (and yes, it's Windows XP Pro for your Linux users out there). I've had very little downtime that wasn't by my own choice (storms and the like I disconnect it). And this computer has been running since ~2001 in its current configuration.

[Monkeybone]

i turn mine off. even if you do turn it one, you should still turn it off once in awhile

[nevadamedic]

.... leave your computer on, or turn it off?

I've heard both, and I've always turned mine off. But what does everybody else do, and why?

And if you leave it on, how much electricity does that eat in a month?

I leave my desktop on and turn my laptop off. If it has a good fan then you can leave it on. I also put an exaust fan in the desktop and they go from 5-10 dollars. Since most of the power supplies after 2002 are energy star compliant it desn't cost much at all. Just remember to keep your monitor turned off if your not there, especially if it's and LCD as they have a lifespan measured in hours used.

[Pale Rider]

Mine runs 24x7x365 (and yes, it's Windows XP Pro for your Linux users out there). I've had very little downtime that wasn't by my own choice (storms and the like I disconnect it). And this computer has been running since ~2001 in its current configuration.

Do you have any idea what it costs you as far as electricity to leave it as opposed to turning it off?

[CockySOB]

i turn mine off. even if you do turn it one, you should still turn it off once in awhile

Performing a hard reboot (turning off power to the system) is a good idea once in a while just to allow the OS to reset its memory system. But turning it off and leaving it off for more than 30 minutes (general rule) will produce thermal wear and tear on the circuitry which can shorten the life of the components.

That 30 minutes is a general rule I use to compensate for cases with poor airflow/ventilation and dirty innards. New computers in well-ventilated areas which are opened and cleaned regularly will tend to need much less time to reach cool-down, usually 5-10 minutes maximum.

[nevadamedic]

Mine runs 24x7x365 (and yes, it's Windows XP Pro for your Linux users out there). I've had very little downtime that wasn't by my own choice (storms and the like I disconnect it). And this computer has been running since ~2001 in its current configuration.

Just get a good surge protector, I reccommend the Monster brand, they can take a big hit so you dont have to turn it off and unplug it durging storms. I can get you a link to their site if you want to see what im talking about. I also reccommend a battery back up.

[Pale Rider]

I leave my desktop on and turn my laptop off. If it has a good fan then you can leave it on. I also put an exaust fan in the desktop and they go from 5-10 dollars. Since most of the power supplies after 2002 are energy star compliant it desn't cost much at all. Just remember to keep your monitor turned off if your not there, especially if it's and LCD as they have a lifespan measured in hours used.

I might try shutting off my monitor, which is a 19" LCD, and leaving the computer on for a change. My son keeps telling me it's hard on them to turn them off and on. I've never had anyone tell me WHY though. I can't see how.

[Pale Rider]

Performing a hard reboot (turning off power to the system) is a good idea once in a while just to allow the OS to reset its memory system. But turning it off and leaving it off for more than 30 minutes (general rule) will produce thermal wear and tear on the circuitry which can shorten the life of the components.

That 30 minutes is a general rule I use to compensate for cases with poor airflow/ventilation and dirty innards. New computers in well-ventilated areas which are opened and cleaned regularly will tend to need much less time to reach cool-down, usually 5-10 minutes maximum.

Thermal wear... now that I can understand. I do have a degree in Electrical Engineering.

[nevadamedic]

I might try shutting off my monitor, which is a 19" LCD, and leaving the computer on for a change. My son keeps telling me it's hard on them to turn them off and on. I've never had anyone tell me WHY though. I can't see how.

It's not hard on them, it''s just most people dont want to wait for it to boot up. Anytime you leave the computer even if its for a matter of minutes turn your LCD monitor off. I also really reccommend you plug it in a monster power bar, you can get the cheap ones at Best Buy for around $12.00. If you get into the higher ones they actually have a filter that cleans the power that goes in. I use that on my tv, it stops the static you see when you turn on appliances or any other interfearance. I know poeple who use that on their LCD monitor's as well.

[Pale Rider]

Mine runs 24x7x365 (and yes, it's Windows XP Pro for your Linux users out there). I've had very little downtime that wasn't by my own choice (storms and the like I disconnect it). And this computer has been running since ~2001 in its current configuration.

So if I leave it on, I guess it's a good thing I have Zonealarm then, to lock out all internet access because I have cable, for when it's just sitting.... right?

[Pale Rider]

It's not hard on them, it''s just most people dont want to wait for it to boot up. Anytime you leave the computer even if its for a matter of minutes turn your LCD monitor off. I also really reccommend you plug it in a monster power bar, you can get the cheap ones at Best Buy for around $12.00. If you get into the higher ones they actually have a filter that cleans the power that goes in. I use that on my tv, it stops the static you see when you turn on appliances or any other interfearance. I know poeple who use that on their LCD monitor's as well.

I'd never plug a computer into anything but a surge protector. And I have my HDTV and surround system plugged into a Panamax 1000 line conditioner. It's warrantied for life, and guarantees to protect anything plugged into it for up to a million dollars.

[nevadamedic]

I'd never plug a computer into anything but a surge protector. And I have my HDTV and surround system plugged into a Panamax 1000 line conditioner. It's warrantied for life, and guarantees to protect anything plugged into it for up to a million dollars.

Panamax is just as good as Monster as long as they have the filter.

[CockySOB]

Do you have any idea what it costs you as far as electricity to leave it as opposed to turning it off?

I figure it costs me around US$20-US$35 per month to keep the computer running 24x7 with both monitor and computer having a power-saver mode which consumes much less than full power.

Figure that a normal computer from a couple years back consumes around 330 Watts for 30 days at 24 hours per day. That's 237.6 kW hours of electricity at whatever your monthly rate is. The co-op I am part of uses a sliding scale based on overall load and seasonal expectations. But if your computer is set to enter a reduced power state (most are) then for at least 1/3 to 1/2 of that time, your computer is drawing only a fraction of what the full-time load would be (close to 1/2 the normal usage).

So lets say a full-time load for my computer is 240 kWh per month. If I leave it in automatic reduced power mode and it enters that mode 1/2 of the time I would be using:
240 kWh * 1/2 monthly hours = 120 kWh for the full-load usage
240 kWh * 1/2 monthly hours * 1/2 load = 60 kWh for reduced load usage

Grand total = 180 kWh per month for a computer left on 24x7 but using a reduced power state when left alone for more than 10 minutes. My cost on that right now is around US$20. During the school year, my home systems only see about 4 hours per day of heavy usage, to the number drops considerably as my systems are generally on reduced power consumption.

Hope that helps answer your question.

[CockySOB]

So if I leave it on, I guess it's a good thing I have Zonealarm then, to lock out all internet access because I have cable, for when it's just sitting.... right?

Yup. Zonealarm is one helluva firewall. Personally I just use a router appliance as my first line of defense, and another firewall on my PC as the second line of defense. Between the two, I've never gotten hacked. I also use AVG Free Edition on my home computer and recommend it as one of the best anti-virus applications around. Also, SpywareBlaster from Javacoolsoftware.com and Search & Destroy from safer-networking.net to help keep the other malware at bay.

A good, quick fix for cable users is to put a little wired router between their cable modem and the computers. The little router application can absorb the hit of the attempted hacks which occur on every cable network, allowing your computer's firewall to focus on only the stuff that makes it past the first line of defense. Personally, I'd grab something like the little Network Everywhere 4-port router from Wal-Mart or the like unless you have specific gaming needs in which I'd probably go with the much more expensive Dlink gaming routers.