This is one of those queries where there is no one right answer. Quite simply, it depends on how you employ your computer.
There are a minimum of three situations that will force you to leave your computer on 24 hours a day:
•You are saved to a network, and the network administrators support files and/or upgrade software over the network through the night. If that is the case, and you want your machine copied or upgraded, you will want to leave it about all the time.
•You are using your current machine as some sort of server. For example, CCW Technology has a machine that handles all computers that hook up to it. It needs to be in 24 hours a day. If your device acts as a file server, print server, Net server, etc., with a LAN (local area network) or the Web, then you need to leave that on all the time.
•If you happen to be running something like SETI@home and you want to produce numerous result sets as you possibly can, you need to leave your own machine on constantly.
If you do not fall into these categories, then you have an option about whether or not to leave your machine on.
1 reason why you might want to turn it off is economic. A normal PC consumes something like 300 watts. Let’s assume that you use your PC regarding four hours every day, therefore the other 20 hrs it is on would be wasted energy. When electricity costs 10 pennies per kilowatt-hour in your area, and then that 20 a long time represents 60 pennies a day. Sixty pennies a day adds up to $219 annually.
It’s possible to use the energy-saving functions build into contemporary machines and cut in which figure in half. By way of example, you can have the monitor and hard disk power down instantly when not in use. You’ll still be wasting $100 per year.
The argument for leaving behind your computer on continuously is that turning it on and off somehow tensions the computer’s components. For example, when the CPU computer chip is running, it can get quite warm, and when you flip the machine off this cools back down. The development and contraction in the heat probably provides some effect on the particular solder joints holding your chip in place, and also on the micro-fine details on your chip itself. But here are three ways to think about that:
•If it were a significant problem, after that machines would be declining all the time. In fact, computer hardware is very reliable (software packages are a whole different story, and there is a lot being said for rebooting every day).
•I don’t know one person who leaves the TV on 24 hours a day. Tv sets contain many of the very same components that computers do. TVs certainly don’t have any problems being cycled on and off.
•Most vendors can sell you an lengthy service contract. In case you are worried about it, take the of the money you might be saving by switching your machine away and buy a service agreement. Over three years, you come out way in advance!
My personal opinion? Nicely I like to leave my own computer on all the time for 3 reasons: 1) I’d rather not wait for it too up each time I use it 2) I prefer the computer do to virus scans at night 3) I like the computer to setup the latest updates along with perform other servicing (such as defrag, etc) because i am not making use of it.
So, in the end it really is more of a personal personal preference than a hard and fast rule.
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