So what's better for the computer? Putting it in sleep when you're gonna be away for many hours or just shutting down completely? I once had a guy tell me it was bad for your computer to put it in sleep mode. I really don't see how. I used to leave my old computer powered up 24/7. I'm trying to save a bit of wear and tear on it now.
I think it depends on how you use the machine (apps) and what OS you are running. Technically, from Win 2000 and forward, allowing the machine to go into suspend/sleep mode "forever" is possible. However, given how temp files work in Windows, as well as certain things like network drivers and such, Windows can get really choked up if you do this perpetually -AND- are running programs that produce a lot of these types of temp files. Games that access DirectX are the worst offenders, although Adobe products do this also. On a work PC (desktop) running Win XP Pro, I've gone weeks without a hard reset...but sooner or later, Windows more or less forces it. On my Mac, I've not done a hard reset in over year now. The OS seems to be less complex in how it stores it's files and cleans up after itself better. Ironically, my Windows session on my Mac OSX (Parallels running WinXP) hasn't been "virtually rebooted" in almost 4 months now. It's more stable on my Mac and Parallels than it ever was on my Desktop or laptops. Like anything else, YMMV. Personally, I think you are fine using sleep mode whenever you want...just be sure to save important files before leaving the PC unattended...just in case.
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Jul 23 2007 : 7:48PM
I say shutting down is best unless you have stuff you are running like an FTP or whatever. My reasoning: No moving parts will be moving. Less dust will accumulate in your heat-sinks. Little things. EDIT: I am including fans along with drives as moving parts. Also leaving a computer on that you aren't using pumps heat into your living space. I don't know how your air circulation is but I have been able to readily feel this effect in stuffy apartments. Edited by - conquistador on 7/23/2007 7:50:29 PM
But Conq, going into "sleep" mode: Shuts down the power (except a small trickle) Turns off the HD Turns off the fan on the power supply Turns off the screen Turns off pretty much everything until you touch the keyboard again and cause it to "wake up." Then it's fairly instant and ready to use again in seconds as opposed to a complete reboot. Sleep=Suspend. Power Down=Shutting Down.
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Jul 23 2007 : 7:59PM
My computer has 10 fans. My no moving parts thing may be personal for me, I have tons of big loud fans. EDIT RP: what kind of screens do you use? CRTs generate a good deal of heat even on standby as they operate better warm. I run a gaming rig that would have kicked major ass a year ago.
HOLY CRAP! 10 FANS?!?!?! Yeah...in your case, I'd say shut down to give the Nuclear Reactor time for the rods to cool down. Wow....some rig you got there. You really should look into water cooling systems.
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Jul 23 2007 : 8:13PM
Notorious for leaking... I am also running my desktop over 4 CRT monitors, it gets hot. I was going for the most outlandish set-up that I could. It started with just 1 screen, but at my job I keep getting free ones that people abandon. When I clear out apartments I find computer gear. 7 80mm fans and the ones on the graphics cards (SLI, I'm running 2 graphics cards scaled) and the CPU heat sink. Nicest computer I have ever built. I just wish there were games I wanted to play.
I tried the sleep mode, and shut down, both being recomended to me by two different people. I don't like sleep mode, because I've woken and found the computer on when I had it in sleep. So I just leave it on for several days, when downloading extensively, and turn it off when done. I was told by another person that turning the computer on is the worst thing you can do to it, because the internal components or whatever start from a dead stop or some shit. "When they're runnin' down my country, man, they're walkin' on the fightin' side of me."
The single biggest cause for computer failure is heat. Your friend may also be wrong since all the mechanical components are designed to start from a dead stop, they've come a long way from the days when you had to park the drive's heads.
Well, I used to just leave my old one running because it was a cheapo eMachines and after a couple of years, I figured I'd already gotten all the bang for my bucks I needed and it never seemed to protest. I've also worked at several places that just left their computers running. They seemed to last forever. Nevertheless, that one obviously eventually took a shit. I'm pretty sure it was the power supply. I never cleaned the dust out of my old one. Something I'm trying to keep up with on this one. Plus, I always used to smoke in the house with the old one and that gunk gets on everything. But anyway....yeah. I kinda figured sleep should (in theory) be OK. I think mine has variable speed fans that work harder when they need to to keep the temperature right so I'm not so much worried about that. But it sure gets expensive replacing hard drives that develop worrisome sounds after a while. I think it's the bearings just wearing out (or almost). I just don't like to take chances so I replace them when they start complaining.
CQ - That's not a rig. That's a factory! Anyway. I just have one 17" CRT. I've been wanting an LCD because the heat really bothers me when it's on but they're still excessively expensive for a halfway decent one so I'm just trying to hold out. Mine seems to shut everything down when it goes into sleep. No fans running or anything as far as I can tell. I have a "Sleep" button on my keyboard so that makes it painless. Just save my session in Firefox, hit the button and I'm good to go.
I usually put my computer into hibernate mode when I leave my apartment, and often when I sleep during air-conditioning season. You know, where the computer saves what it was doing to the hard drive, and shuts down, and opens right back up to the programs you were using when your computer restarts. As opposed to stand by or suspend, which is a lighter sleep than hibernate. Sometimes my computer still comes back on by itself when I have it hibernating, for some reason. I only completely reboot my computer once every couple of weeks, if I can help it. It's annoying how after a full restsart I have to log back into ADT and every other web forum I visit. In the winter I leave my computer running more. I figure I can use the heat. But in the summer, I don't like to pay for electricity to create heat which my air conditioner has to remove, using more electricity.
