Will having a PC run 24/7 damage it's components?

[M4_Marwan]

I keep my PC running all the time, it isn't download nor completing any tasks, but it's just always on, and I have started noticing that i'm starting to have some weird minor issue's with my GPU and I've been wondering if this is the result of me not turning my PC off.

So all i'm curious about is am I damaging my PC by having it run 24/7?

Thanks.

 

[ehmkec]

I would say that only the mechanical parts will show signs of age. Like the fans, pumps, hard drives or disk drives.

 

[finitekosmos]

I keep my PC running all the time, it isn't download nor completing any tasks, but it's just always on, and I have started noticing that i'm starting to have some weird minor issue's with my GPU and I've been wondering if this is the result of me not turning my PC off.

So all i'm curious about is am I damaging my PC by having it run 24/7?

Thanks.

Well, firstly lets approach it from a logic position, There are lots of Computing devices that never get switched off, Routers, Servers, Switches, Phones, etc. As the earlier poster said the biggest issue you'd face is the potential wear on mechanical parts, things like cooling fans have bearings that just wear out over time. As with even normal operation of a computer moving parts will wear out faster if the computer is operated in a dusty environment or if you have pets that shed hair/fur.

Having said that switching off and on an electrical appliance can also induce component stresses too. Having said that this isn't an issue for high quality components. The biggest risk that you face really is wear and tear, fans will wear out and if your system is using a custom liquid cooled loop then the likely-hood you will need to change the cooling fluid sooner also increases. If you are using an all in one (closed) loop you may encounter a point when the fluid permeates.

The biggest issue I can see though is that you are simply running up your power bill by leaving your computer switched on all the time. If its not doing anything then why burn the power? I'm not saying that to be critical it's something that could at least save a little bit of money if you switched it off when you don't need it.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

there were always two schools: that power surge when powering on and off might damage delicate electronics, while leaving it on all the time might wear out mechanical parts.

Fort the most part, over the effective lifespan of a PC (2-5 years), it isn't going to be a problem wither way.

 

[JoeMomma]

I was told by IT to leave my PC on 24/7 and set it up to sleep / hibernate / whatever when not in use.
I have never had a component up and die on me because it wore out.

 

[Eximo]

Both schools of thought are valid, really. Fans will tend to wear out first in long term setups. Power supply main capacitors degrade over time. To a lesser extent the capacitors on motherboards and GPUs. Audio still uses electrolytics typically.

Hibernate is effectively shutting it off. Hibernate writes the contents of the memory to disc and restores it when you awaken the computer.
Sleep keeps the memory running so the CPU is still effectively running and the RAM being refreshed each cycle.

I have a system that runs 24/7, but I built it to be low power. (Now fanless GPU, next CPU, maybe PSU) My old gaming rigs used to run 24/7 with no issues. But I am pretty diligent about fan noise and replace them at the first signs.

At work, we keep some OEM desktops for testing. They run 24/7 and get tortured with constant re-images and huge downloads. Most common point of failure I would have to say is the PSU, they are designed to last long enough...Though the majority last through our 4 year cycles.

 

[punkncat]

As a side to this line of question....

When was the last time you powered down, opened the case, and blew the dust out?

You say GPU issues, what issues?