

“Always use a surge protector,” suggests Leslie. Shouldn’t we try to squeeze a little extra life out of our desktops by taking better care of them? Millions of PCs end up on the scrap heap every year.

You could save a lot of power with no real downside. If you’re going to leave it on all the time, make sure that you check out the Sleep option in the Power menu. Hibernate is a less desirable option because it produces wear and tear that is similar to start and stop.” “In hibernate, your computer stops using power and resumes where it was when you put it in that mode. “Sleep is fine because it puts the computer into a low power state without turning it completely off,” said Leslie.
HP SHUTDOWN TIMER PC
You’re using the PC as a server, or you want to access it remotely.Putting that argument aside, there are some solid reasons for leaving it on or turning it off that aren’t up for debate. To many, the very concept that shutdowns and startups create extra stress is dated. There’s still debate about the impact of shutting down and starting up modern components. Allowing them to turn off (or sleep) and spin down when not being used will extend the life of these components.” The real reasons to leave it on or turn it off “The battery and hard drive also have a limited life cycle. For this reason, it’s good to let the panel time out and turn off when not being used,” says HP’s Ajay Gupta, director of Notebook Product Management and Commercial PCs. For instance, if the panel is left on all the time, it’s only specced for about 15,000 hours or about two years. Computers also heat up when they’re on, and heat is the enemy of all components. Mechanical parts will fail eventually, and using them constantly will inevitably wear them down. A traditional hard disk drive, for example, has moving parts, whereas a solid-state drive doesn’t and is far more robust as a result. The risks are greater for older computers. “Every time a computer powers on, it has a small surge of power as everything spins up, and if you are turning it on multiple times a day, it can shorten the computer’s lifespan.” “Leaving a computer on all the time is less stressful than turning it off and on several times a day - but it is constant stress,” added Leslie. If you use it for a short time - say an hour or two - just once a day, or even less, then turn it off.” “If you use your computer multiple times per day, it’s best to leave it on. “It depends on how often you use it,” explains Geek Squad agent Steven Leslie. d3sign/Getty Images What’s the problem?Ĭutting the power or pulling the cable without shutting down your computer properly could damage it, but are components at risk from standard shutdowns and startups? What impact is turning that computer on and off having, and how does it compare to leaving it on all the time?

So, what’s the deal? Should you turn it off or leave it on? We asked the experts to find out.
