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computer on vs off


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#1
BInarY

BInarY

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just wondering, i wanted to know if i should leave my computer on or off, i use it alot and its mostly on while im at home, before work or leaving to go do an errand ill shut it down. it this causing alot of stress on my computer with all these shut downs? another one real quick, if i do decide to keep it on 24/7, how often should i reboot it, and how long will the fan last until its worn down? i have a 120 mm ball bearing blue led thermaltake fan and another regular 120 mm fan. Any help is appreciated.
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#2
audioboy

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oh boy, there are never ending debates on this one!

on the one side, turn it off, it doesnt really hurt it to start up/shut down. its not like a car, where those first 30 seconds after it starts the fluids arent really flowing yet, and thus causing damage.
they also say that it reduces the wearing of bearings in fans, etc. which is true to an extent. this also reduces your power bill a little- but as long as your monitor goes into hibernate, thats the biggest user of juice anyway.

on the other side, leave it on, its an electronic device, and is either doing something, or its not. it just sits idle when not it use. fans dont really wear out taht much, especially if you clean them occasionally- its the dirt that gets in the bearings that really kills fans.

my opinion is it doesnt matter much one way or the other. I leave my pc's on all the time, unless I am going to be away for several days, etc. I schedule my virus scans, defrags, and such for when Im not home, and can see the results if theres a problem when I come home. the ocassional cleaning of dust from the case, fans, etc takes a few minutes at most, when I shut them down for that.

at my work, we have many computers that are on and functioning 24/7/365. some are servers, many are desktops. its rare to see a large failure in either case. some of these machines have been on and running, with only a monthly reboot (and cleaning!), for 8 years.

you can typically hear noises when a component such as a fan or power supply is getting worn, thus warning you to check things out. if you activate the SMART technology on hard drives, it monitors their health, and will warn you when things arent right.

so really, its whatever your comfortable with. I dont think there is a clear advantage to one side or the other.
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