Turn PC off or sleep every night?

[simonz93]

I researched quite a bit but I'm getting a lot of opposite answers, and many answers don't really fit my scenario. I have a high end gaming PC that I leave on all day and turn off every night when I go to sleep. My OS is on a SSD and it boots up super fast so I don't mind the boot up time. I also don't care about power efficiency since electric bill is included.

So the only thing I care about is reducing "tear and wear" on my components: CPU, GPU, drives, fans etc. So does regular power-ons and offs do that to my PC? Should I turn it off or leave it to sleep?

Thanks

 

[boosted1g]

Neither.

You should leave it on.

Your PC will recognize it is idle so it will drop power to CPU, spin down hard drives (if you have any), and reduce power consumption to well under half.

If you turn off your computer your PC is not getting software updates and virus definition files. It then has to do this after you turn it back on.
Assuming you leave it on long enough for it to catch up, your PC is slower for 5-20 minutes while it updates (and possibly needing to restart in the middle of what you are doing. If you keep shutting it off before the task finishes, you end up with months of backlogged updates.

The biggest stress of any electronic device is the sudden amp draw of turning something on from an off state. Thus leaving it on but reduced power will be the best option.

 

[simonz93]

Neither.

You should leave it on.

Your PC will recognize it is idle so it will drop power to CPU, spin down hard drives (if you have any), and reduce power consumption to well under half.

If you turn off your computer your PC is not getting software updates and virus definition files. It then has to do this after you turn it back on.
Assuming you leave it on long enough for it to catch up, your PC is slower for 5-20 minutes while it updates (and possibly needing to restart in the middle of what you are doing. If you keep shutting it off before the task finishes, you end up with months of backlogged updates.

The biggest stress of any electronic device is the sudden amp draw of turning something on from an off state. Thus leaving it on but reduced power will be the best option.

Ok that's an opinion I've never heard of before. Until now the debate I read is always between off and sleep/hibernate.
So I should leave the PC on even when I'm sleeping?
Hum...

 

[USAFRet]

Ok that's an opinion I've never heard of before. Until now the debate I read is always between off and sleep/hibernate.
So I should leave the PC on even when I'm sleeping?
Hum...

I leave my systems on 24/7
At idle, monitors off, it is less than a light bulb. Verified with a Kill-A-Watt device.
Until it does its backup thing at 2AM. Then it arises to 1.5 lightbulbs, for about 15 minutes.

 

[simonz93]

Ok that's an opinion I've never heard of before. Until now the debate I read is always between off and sleep/hibernate.
So I should leave the PC on even when I'm sleeping?
Hum...

I leave my systems on 24/7
At idle, monitors off, it is less than a light bulb. Verified with a Kill-A-Watt device.
Until it does its backup thing at 2AM. Then it arises to 1.5 lightbulbs, for about 15 minutes.

This is done to reduce wear and tear of the components right?

 

[USAFRet]

This is done to reduce wear and tear of the components right?

No, it is because the non use power consumption is so low as to not really make a difference in the whole house electric consumption.
And to allow the systems to do their nightly backups unattended, while I sleep.

 

[Blackink]

B-I-N-G-O.......

What USAFRet said.
If i didn't look at the user name, I would have swore that I had posted that message myself.

The ONLY time I turn my computers off and unplug them, is if a strong rain/thunder & lightening storm is coming through. Other than that, they're on 24/7.
I either turn the monitors off by the front panel switch-on my 2 monitor PC, or I have the monitors plugged into a power strip and I turn the power strip off-on my 4 monitor PC.

 

[jsmithepa]

Ok that's an opinion I've never heard of before.

LOL. Now you have an additional third option.


My opinion, it doesn't matter. The dang thing is gonna get obsolete before it wears down.


Now lets talk about laptop's battery... 😀

 

[turkey3_scratch]

If it's in the same room where you sleep I would turn it off rather than leave it on. Nobody wants to hear those fans. And yes, even slow moving fans can be audible in the dead of night; silence is bliss.

 

[simonz93]

If it's in the same room where you sleep I would turn it off rather than leave it on. Nobody wants to hear those fans. And yes, even slow moving fans can be audible in the dead of night; silence is bliss.

not only that it's in the same room, it's 10cm away from my pillow LOL...

 

[simonz93]

Ok that's an opinion I've never heard of before.

LOL. Now you have an additional third option.


My opinion, it doesn't matter. The dang thing is gonna get obsolete before it wears down.


Now lets talk about laptop's battery... 😀

fair point lol! I would probably update most of the components in 2 years, as long as they don't die before, should be ok. I just wonder how much "tear and wear" are actually caused by turning on and off daily.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

If it's next to your pillow turn it off.

 

[jsmithepa]

Questions like this falls into the category of, "things people obsess about."

Open car windows or turn on AC to save fuel? Just to have your sweaty wife yelling at you doing dumb things. Everyday practically trumps "things people obsess about."

 

[Karadjgne]

My pc at idle is silent. Can't hear the fans with my ear more than 3" away. But I generally turn off the pc at night anyways. Reason is that the power/hdd light is extremely bright for its size and not easily covered. So in the dead of night during g upgrades when the hdd is pulsing, its a blue strobe affect.

Noise isn't an issue, but seeing blue flashes through closed eyelids is annoying at times. (pc is on wife's side of the bed.....)