Does leaving your computer on for a long time take a lot of electricity?

zbeckabee

Yes, but you can save some of this energy by setting your PC modes. Sleep mode, stand by, and hibernation, all refer to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers. Waking up resumes normal operations. Whilst Sleep mode (or Stand-by mode) is supposed to place electronic devices into a state of "waiting for a power-up" command, some devices (mostly televisions) in this state actually consume approximately 1/3 of the power required during full operation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_mode Jun 16 06, 3:16 PM

robboy

PCs cost about a buck a week to use, based on about 9 cents per KwH, which is considerably less than, say, your curling iron for an equal amount of time. You can figure how many watts anything uses by knowing the voltage and the amperes, and the reality is that anything that heats or cools uses the most electricity. You might cruise this site for info: http://www.nppd.com/My_Home/Product_Brochures/Additional_Files/electric_usage.asp Jun 16 06, 4:53 PM

MyAlias

Leaving the computer on is the most advisable thing one can do. Starting and restarting a computer puts a large strain on the chipset, CPU, the RAM and the H/D. It is your monitor that uses the most juice, especially if you have a CRT (not flat panel). Go to display in your control panel, click on screensaver, select power options and set your monitor to turn off after 10 minutes and your H/D after 1 hour. This is the best you can do for your computer. It is also advisable, if you do not use a router or Proxy, to turn off or unplug (network connection not power connection) you modem when not in use. If you use McAfee, you can lockdown your computer thusly not allowing incoming or outgoing data. Sleep and hibernation is not the best mode to use. It does a full restart and stress internal memory components. Jun 16 06, 5:21 PM

MyAlias

Does the equipment wear out sooner if you turn it on and off frequently? Perhaps, but you'll probably replace the computer before most components fail. The one exception is the hard drive. Moving parts are the weak link in any system and the most likely to fail prematurely. The question is what causes a hard drive to wear out fastest: continuous operation or frequent warm up/cool down cycles due to being turned on and off. A lot of people think warm up/cool down places the most stress on the HD, but again it depends on personal usage: it's silly to run the computer all the time if you use it only occasionally. As for the other arguments your buddies used, it doesn't take a whole lot of power to operate a computer, particularly if you enable the power saving features available on most modern PCs, and the heat generated should be taken care of by your fans. If it's not, you should take it to your local repair shop and get your fan replaced. http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mturnoff.html Jun 16 06, 5:33 PM