Leave Computer On?Here's a smart guy's opinion:
By Ben C Preston
Many of you, after reading my article titled "Computer Battery," had questions regarding how long you should leave your computer turned ?ON.?
In this article, I will discuss the negatives of leaving a computer ?ON? all the time.
A number of you asked "Does it hurt anything to leave my computer ?ON" all the time?" The answer is, ?YES.?
There are more good reasons to turn your computer "OFF" than there are to leave it "ON" all the time. Hopefully, this article will give you the knowledge to decide for yourself which is best for your situation.
Two things happen each time you turn your computer on:
(1) Power Surge - the initial ?jolt? to the power supply inside the computer, which is almost insignificant.
(2) Thermal Shock - going from cold to hot, from room temperature to operating temperature. This is only critical when the room is very cold and the computer gets very hot by being situated in an enclosed compartment.
Let's consider what goes on inside the computer during the time it is ?ON?:
(1) The hard drive runs continuously.
(2) The fans run continuously.
(3) Onboard memory accumulates ?junk? even when there are no programs running and it gets worse when there are background programs running.
The drives, such as the hard drive, are simply motor-driven devices with a shaft that rotates at a high speed when the computer is "ON." The same is true for the cooling fans.The bushings and shafts wear out. The longer the motor runs, the sooner the bushings and shafts wear out. I replace fans all the time as a result of worn out bushings.
Note: The cooling fans pull air into the computer. This causes pollutants to accumulate inside, which include such things as oily residue from smoke, dust particles, hair, carpet fibers, etc. Cigarette smoke gums up fans to the point they can't even spin. I replace those fans on a more frequent basis.
The 4-hour factor: Windows programs perform housekeeping operations in the background while the computer is on. These operations take up memory. After 4 hours of "ON" time, Windows becomes degraded to the point the computer should be re-started to clear the memory.
In other words, the computer begins to become sluggish at or near the 4 hour mark. I've seen the computer's available resources drop as much as 25% after just 3 hours of "ON" time. Rebooting will clear this.
There is a common-sense rule of thumb I use to balance the good with the bad:
Turn the computer "OFF" during your sleep period and during times when you know for a fact you will not be using it for at least 4 hours. Leave it "ON" during your active time when you know for a fact you will be using it during the next 4 hours. This should be based on "probable use" within any 4- hour period.
Highly organized individuals schedule their time for the computer and they accomplish everything they need to during that scheduled time. If a person only uses the computer once each day for a few minutes, there is no need to leave it on all the time.
I turn mine on early in the morning and use it for abour an hour, then turn it off while I am out on appointments during the day. Later that evening I turn it on and use it for two to three hours, then turn it off at bedtime.
Four other factors for consideration are:
(1) The computer uses electricity as long as it is turned on.
(2) Computers can raise the room temperature in small rooms by as much as 5 degrees, which in some instances will cause an air conditioner to run longer or more often. Don't laugh! Think of the combined usage of millions of computers running, but not being used, and you begin to realize what a waste of energy and financial resources.
(3) If a computer is located in a tight closed area it will get hotter than one in an open free-circulating area. The longer it runs, the hotter it gets.
(4) A computer running all the time in a polluted area will become packed with dust, smoke residue, etc., faster than one located in the same area that isn't running all the time.
Reminder: You should never leave your computer on during lightning storms or when you will be gone for extended periods of time. One of my customers left his computer on and the monitor caught fire according to the investigators, actually setting his house on fire! Electrical damage and fire damage from computers is more frequent than you might realize. See related article "Thunderstorms And Computers"
Finally, for those who must leave their computers on, you should use an UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) in conjunction with a good surge protector. See related article "Surge Protection"
As you can see, when to turn your computer ?ON? and "OFF" is going to be a judgment you have to make.
Happy Computing!
Ben C Preston
CompTIA A+ Certified
April 22nd, 2001, Revised March 5th, 2003
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