[Kemasa]

Sorry, but you are wrong. First off the power does not come on perfectly cleanly. Second, there is the heating and cooling effects, which causes parts to expand and contract at different rates. Third, capacitors, for example, can fail in a way which will not be a problem until the power is drained from them, which causes a failure when power is restored. Fourth, devices are NOT supposed to be jolted with electricity, it is just tolerated.

An easy example is a light bulb. Often these fail at power on. It is a more extreme example of the affect of heating and cooling, but the concept is the same.

[Advertisements]

Kemasa is right about the heating/cooling effect and chip creep. My computer room is at 53 degrees when I'm not in there. There's no way I'm going to power down my pc. But I do turn off the monitor. When you do computer work for family, relatives and friends, they tend to give you their 'old' computer gear as they upgrade to the newer stuff. I've currently got 2 17" monitors on the shelf so if mine fails, I just get another one off the shelf. Once I get moved and advertise the business, I'm sure I'll have tons of everything given to me. Even right now, I know that I'll never have to buy another pc or monitor......

[macten]

Kemasa is right about the heating/cooling effect and chip creep. My computer room is at 53 degrees when I'm not in there. There's no way I'm going to power down my pc. But I do turn off the monitor. When you do computer work for family, relatives and friends, they tend to give you their 'old' computer gear as they upgrade to the newer stuff. I've currently got 2 17" monitors on the shelf so if mine fails, I just get another one off the shelf. Once I get moved and advertise the business, I'm sure I'll have tons of everything given to me. Even right now, I know that I'll never have to buy another pc or monitor......

[dsenette]

#1...we've had this arguement a couple million tiimes
#2...we will continue to have this arguement again and again


fact of the matter is...there are differing opinions on what's better...leave it on or turn it off....there is VAST amounts of evidence for each side of the arguement...

but we can agree on a few things right?

is it a good idea to power cycle your pc a bunch of times in an hour? not at all

are computers (as other electronic devices) designed to be turned off and back on? of course...why else is that power button there?

will leaving your PC on 24 hours a day reduce it's life span? no matter what you say...yes...yes it will...but by what margin? i don't have any studies to get actual info here...but i'm going to bet...that..under normal conditions (i.e. the PC isn't filled with dirt and the room isn't 10,000 degrees) you'll have bought a new computer before it dies from being left on

will turning your pc off every night reduce it's life span? of course it will...switches wear out...the stress of startup can weaken parts...but...it's designed to handle these stresses....and unless you're powering it on and off every 15 minutes...then the same applies here...that you'll probably have gotten a new machine before you could ever prove that turning it off every night caused it's demise..


you have to think in rellative terms here...MOST consumer devices made in modern times ARE not designed to be permanent fixtures in your home...they've all got a shelflife and at some point they're going to crap out....take into account that the average person (making up statistics here but i'm sure i'm not too far off) probably buys a new computer every 3 to 5 years...why would the manufacturer design the pc to last for 15 when they know it's probably gonna hit the heap at 5 or 6 max?...leaving the pc on 24 hours a day...will probably shave..what...a month off of the total life of the machine? (based on normal conditions...and it's a total assumption)...turning the thing off at night would probably have the same effect...

in short (i love rambling)...you're gonna be buying a new machine before it craps out from either being on...or being turned off daily...

[dsenette]

http://computer.hows...question328.htm
http://www.pcguide.c...werOnOff-c.html
http://www.computerh...es/ch000390.htm

[Kemasa]

Some of those articles are better than others. It is clear that some of the people who writ things of a technical nature have no training.

I like the comparison to the TV, but for some reason most TVs don't have a fan, yet computers do. Hmmm, I wonder why.

[superstar]

My pc was manufactured in 2001, I bought it off a company that was upgrading there pc's with new ones and selling the old ones. I actually paid $20 for it, and ended up upgrading it because it wasn't up to par (ram, processor, hard dribe, etc). I bought it February of this year... So I'm assuming it was probably left on for 5 years. Either that or turned off every night the workers left.


Point blank are you trying to say my pc will die soon because it has a lifespan of 5-6 years? That's bogus. If true I should worry because this is the only machine I have.

[dsenette]

i was listing those times as an estimated average life expectancy for a PC...and that life expectancy isn't just based on "how long till the thing dies"....in today's world...life expectancy is more determined by "how long till i throw it in the trash and get a new one" you can succesfully run a computer for many more than 5 years...and that's not what i meant to insinuate...so sorry about that confusion...my PC at the house is pushing 7 years (and it's full of cat litter....which...i guess somehow extends the life of the thing)...my basis for the arguement is that...normally...by the time you would end up noticing any strain from turning teh pc off...or from leaving it on (under normal conditions)...you'd probably be on you way to the shop for a new one anyway...

[happyrock]

if / when you decide to build your own computer...get the latest and greatest mobo with all the bells and whistles...spend the extra $50.00 or $100.00 to get it....everything connects to it and instead of buying a new computer in 4 years you will have upgradibility options as the mobo more than any other component decides what you can upgrade on your computer.....the rest of the components can be considerd consumables like brake pads or a starter on your car....I still have a KAYPRO 4 CPM machine that does all the accounting for me...bought that one about 1981....still works...

Edited by happyrck, 09 November 2006 - 10:56 AM.

[superstar]

Hmm you know what HAPPYRCK?

I never thought of upgrading like that. That's a great way to think about upgrading. To "focus" on the motherboard instead of parts or the whole thing. That makes a lot of sense to me and call me stupid but I never thought of that.

[happyrock]

Hmm you know what HAPPYRCK?

I never thought of upgrading like that. That's a great way to think about upgrading. To "focus" on the motherboard instead of parts or the whole thing. That makes a lot of sense to me and call me stupid but I never thought of that.

This proves my theory...even a broken watch is right twice a day....this leaves one more today for me...and some lucky poster here on the forums

[superstar]

I hope that wasn't an insult.

[happyrock]

I hope that wasn't an insult.

not at alll...just a joke about someobody thinking I was right...my kids hate it when I'm right

[superstar]

I dunno I still continue to use my pc with hibernation and standby off. Still have'nt had any probs... & I've left my monitor on whenever my pc is on. Only time I shut down the pc and screen is when I'm not using the pc.