# Shutting off computer



## frank b (Nov 5, 2003)

Is it better to shut of your computer when not in use (like 2 - 3 time a day) or is it better just to leave it on constantly. Thanks Frank


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

We've discussed this before here but I'm not sure we reached a consensus. 

The argument for leaving it on is that the IC chips are laminated ceramic devices that get very hot, so many people believe that the repeated heating and cooling of the chips (from turning it on and off) will shorted their life. Other people claim that IC chips have come a long way over the years so it doesn't matter as much as it used to.

The argument for turning it off is that hard drives have bearings which can wear out, which is related to run time. Of course you can always place the hard drive into sleep mode in your power settings to avoid that.

Another consideration is a persistent Internet connection. By leaving your computer on with a DSL or cable Internet connection you expose yourself to an increased risk of having your machine hacked.

I knoweth not for sure, but I turn my workstation off when I'm not using it.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

In addition to what Nevada mentions, most computers have at least 2 fans, with bearings that can wear out and make a lot of noise, not to mention stop working, in which case some much more expensive part may follow shortly. They can be lubricated or replaced, but the fan in the power supply can be a real pain to get to.

There's not really a right answer, but leaving it on all the time is the wrong answer. My rule of thumb is, if I expect to return within an hour or so, I leave it on; if longer, I turn it off.


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## HockeyFan (Jul 27, 2007)

In hot weather, I turn mine off when not in use. In cold weather, I leave it on and whatever heat gets generated, is BTUs that I don't have to come up with otherwise. So I save electricity in the summer, and I save the computer in the winter.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

The answer is YES or NO depending on who you ask. If I was on a home system several times a day I wouldnt turn it off. If you must then turn it off before bed and leave it on all day. If you have a laptop going into hibernate is fine. If you have a tube monitor I wouldnt turn it off and on, let the screen blanker turn it off on the control signal side.


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## Faithful One (Mar 22, 2008)

This is what I do, the computer is OFF when I am at work, and I turn it on when I get home, and it stays on until I go to bed, somtimes I leave it on all night(playing music) but it is NEVER on when I am at work.

:cowboy:


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

if the temps get below 45 or so in my pc room, i normally leave the machine run. i just like to avoid the extreme temp changes that can work to dislodge memory and device cards as well as to affect the soldered components. the cpu itself is very susceptible to sudden heating damage as it is made of ceramic. if it is too cold and it suddenly heats up(newer cpu's make a lot of heat), the cpu can actually crack or shatter from the sudden change in temps.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

MELOC said:


> if the temps get below 45 or so in my pc room, i normally leave the machine run. i just like to avoid the extreme temp changes that can work to dislodge memory and device cards as well as to affect the soldered components. the cpu itself is very susceptible to sudden heating damage as it is made of ceramic. if it is too cold and it suddenly heats up(newer cpu's make a lot of heat), the cpu can actually crack or shatter from the sudden change in temps.


We're not talking about freezing computers in solid blocks of ice here. Nothing it going to get dislodged from temperature changes. Soldered components don't know the difference. And if you run a temperature monitor for your CPU, you'll notice it routinely sees large, fast temperature swings with load changes in normal operation, particularly if CPU scaling is active. If you can survive a given ambient room temperature, your computer will be just fine.

To recap and rephrase some of what's already been stated in this thread, there are two points to consider:

1. Mechanical components' (basically, hard disks and fans) lifespan is largely measured in power on hours. Chances are they'll still be working long after the computer is obsolete, but you don't want to run them for hours on end when they're not being used. Hard disks' lifespan is also measured in spin-up times and power cycles, among other things, so you don't want them going on & off every minute or two because of power management etc. And of course, fans are always pulling dust, cat hair, etc. into the computer.

2. Electronic components don't really care about being left on forever (assuming temperature is in spec), but when the power is turned on they get a bit of a shock (no pun intended) and if they're going to fail, chances are that's when it'll happen. But they too will probably still be working long after the computer is obsolete.

So all things considered, on balance, you don't want to be turning it on & off 20 times a day, and you don't want to leave it on all the time, or even all day, if it's not being used. It's a judgement call, but as I said above, my judgement is, if I expect to be gone less than an hour or so, I leave it on; if longer, I turn it off. This has worked well for me for well over 20 years.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

As someone who has been in tech support/help desk positions for 10 years, the answer is - its a personal preferance. For the average computer there are pluses and minuses on both sides. The one hard and fast rule I have is that I do a shutdown at least once a week, to clear the memory out -- poor programmers sometimes put something in memory and then don't clear it after its used - this was a big problem in the old days, but now with most computers having 1/2 gig of RAM or more its not so much of a problem - but I still shut it down at least weekly.


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

I normally leave my computer on all the time - some morinings I find that it has been "re-started" - this is without an electrical outage or any of the other things that would create a shutdown. If I have DSL and leave my computer on all the time - do others have access to my computer in any way?


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