[michald]

hi guys you know i have this stupid but important question i have to know if its ok to turn off the computer over night or just put it on stand by or something my friend told me that his computer is running all the time but i don't know if its a good or bad idea i heard that if you turn off your pc a lot it can brake faster so tell me which idea is better

thanks

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It is ok to turn off the computer at night.

With that said ...

If you are going to leave it on all the time you should consider getting a UPS to ensure that it always has good power.

Yes, there is "damage" done everytime the machine is power cycled. The power will never come up perfectly cleanly and often machines fail when powering them up. For example, a capacitor will continue to work as long as it is powered, but if it loses power it can fail. There is also the thermal shock of going from "cold" to "hot". There is also some "damage" with running the computer all the time, especially with heat issue. Add to that the cost of running the machine, which adds up over time.

Personally I would not power off a machine for a short period of time, it is best to leave it on, but if you are not going to need it for many hours then I would turn it off. If the room is warm, then it is better to turn it off.

[Kemasa]

It is ok to turn off the computer at night.

With that said ...

If you are going to leave it on all the time you should consider getting a UPS to ensure that it always has good power.

Yes, there is "damage" done everytime the machine is power cycled. The power will never come up perfectly cleanly and often machines fail when powering them up. For example, a capacitor will continue to work as long as it is powered, but if it loses power it can fail. There is also the thermal shock of going from "cold" to "hot". There is also some "damage" with running the computer all the time, especially with heat issue. Add to that the cost of running the machine, which adds up over time.

Personally I would not power off a machine for a short period of time, it is best to leave it on, but if you are not going to need it for many hours then I would turn it off. If the room is warm, then it is better to turn it off.

[warriorscot]

You should turn your machine off when leaving it unused for any period more than an 30 minutes. All the time the system is on you eat into its lifetime, by turning it off you preserve that lifetime, Many people say damage can occur when it cools, however it has to be rapid cooling form high temperature and the equipment is designed to be turned on and off.

Also there is cost factors and all the time it is on its collecting dust and becoming an ever greater fire hazard.

[Kemasa]

Sorry, I disagree. 30 minutes is a fairly short time and the harm from power cycling is going to be much greater. There is no magic lifetime with a counter that counts down. Perhaps you should check into when most machines fail. Under the proper environmental conditions with quality equipment, the machine that is constantly left on can last longer than a machine that is powered down all the time.

It does not have to be rapid cooling, it is the cycling that can cause problems. Both with heating and cooling, although the heating happens much faster.

If you are leaving and going to be gone for a while it is a good idea to turn it off.