View Poll Results: how often do you restart/shut down your computer

Voters
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  • leave it running all the time

    1 3.57%
  • leave it running most of the time, but restart sometimes

    7 25.00%
  • shut it down at night

    12 42.86%
  • shut it down when you're not using it

    7 25.00%
  • only shut it down when Windows crashes

    0 0%
  • other... (please post)

    1 3.57%

Thread: how often do you shut down?

  1. #1
    Registered User WayTooHigh's Avatar
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    how often do you shut down?

    ok this has been bugging me. i've heard a bunch of different things... 1. leave your computer running all the time. 2. shut it down when you're not using it. 3. leave running most of the time, but restart sometimes... and so on. so what do you do?
    Sometimes, the farthest point from the center is the center itself.

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  2. #2
    l'Anziano DavidP's Avatar
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    im not running a server...so i dont need it on all the time...i shut mine down at night.
    My Website

    "Circular logic is good because it is."

  3. #3
    Linguistic Engineer... doubleanti's Avatar
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    i usually shut down every time i start up... however, i've invented [or reinvented] many keen ways of doing so by now... if you get my drift...
    hasafraggin shizigishin oppashigger...

  4. #4
    _B-L-U-E_ Betazep's Avatar
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    From an electronics standpoint... and believe me... I know electronics, it is better to leave it on... but from a mechanical standpoint, it is your call.

    Most premature electronic failure in direct current circuits is due to applying power and removing it over and over. (Notice I said direct current... some people believe that power supplies burn out faster when they are on all the time. I disagree with that, but it is possible. They don't take into account heat loss and gain. It wears out the p/s faster in my opinion.)

    Although... the same doesn't go for mechanical devices... For example hard-drives. Friction causes a lot of damage over time. (hence why most power save features have an option to shut down drives)

    I leave mine running... go to screensaver on the monitor, then power off monitor display later on. I leave my hard-drives going too, because I do not think that it is a big deal... I have backups of everything, more than one hard-drive and three operating systems on the same computer.

    I think a lot of it is just personal preference because any glich in manufacturing can make your components break anyway and at any time.

    Interesting topic...
    Blue

  5. #5
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    My machines are never idle. I normally shut down only when there is a threat of power outages, or, I need to connect to the net to get something and haven't the time, (like just about to walk out of the door).
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

  6. #6
    No Genius That's For Sure
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    It is a waste of electricity to leave a machine running for extended periods of time if it is not being used in that duration.

    Like me, I only power up my machine at home when I use it. In fact my PC at home is only on for maybe an hour a day.

    Why waste electricity powering something not in use?
    He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.

  7. #7
    _B-L-U-E_ Betazep's Avatar
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    The cost of running your computer with the monitor turned of and drives shut down (stanby mode) is only a couple of pennies per day (~$1.00 per month over your normal usage fees). To start your computer, it takes a couple of pennies.

    Energy conservation isn't a valid reason to shut off your computer. You most likely waste the amount of money it takes to keep your computer going by spending half a minute too long in the shower, over-drying your clothes for 20 seconds, and/or cooking a turkey for five seconds too long. (water heater, dryer, oven being the largest consumers of power in your home... barring the use of gas, then it is the refigerator)

    We did a big assesment at work to find out if turning our computers off in the evening (my idea) was cheaper than putting our computers in standby. We did't find a considerable enough savings on 600 computers to warrant my idea getting a prize.
    Last edited by Betazep; 10-10-2001 at 12:58 PM.
    Blue

  8. #8
    Linguistic Engineer... doubleanti's Avatar
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    hmmm... it's interesting to see that startup of computers uses a different amount of power then when it's currently running... in California isn't it something like 14 cents a kw/hr?

    >We did't find a considerable enough savings on 600 computers to warrant my idea getting a prize.

    with that, is it really practical to bother to keep tabs on computer time? i've never had a part need to be replaced because of wear and tear...
    hasafraggin shizigishin oppashigger...

  9. #9
    Red Panda basilisk's Avatar
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    i shut down my server and workstations every night but mainly as they make a lot of noise and are the next room to my bedroom so would keep me awake (plus my cats may try and chew cables if i am not keeping an eye on them)
    Do not meddle in the ways of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup

  10. #10
    Registered User Aran's Avatar
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    "We did't find a considerable enough savings on 600 computers to warrant my idea getting a prize."

    To further justify my idea of "shut it off when something isn't working or when you are on vacation but keep it on elsewise and turn off the monitor", 600 computers would exagerate the numbers (statistically speaking) for the power bill by 600x... i, though, like to get rid of all of those crap programs that run for no apparent reason after you run some other progs once in a while...

  11. #11
    Registered User
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    betazep
    >The cost of running your computer with the monitor turned of and drives shut down (stanby mode) is only a couple of pennies per day (~$1.00 per month over your normal usage fees). To start your computer, it takes a couple of pennies.


    LoL, you probably don't live in California...
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  12. #12
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    Theologian:

    >>> Why waste electricity powering something not in use?

    Your response was directly below mine so I am not sure if you were responding or simply making a perfectly valid point with which I would agree. If it was a response, perhaps I should clarify my first sentance, "My machines are never idle." I mean they are working, actually doing work. I also believe it is a waste to invest in something that could be doing something useful, and having it switched off.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

  13. #13
    _B-L-U-E_ Betazep's Avatar
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    >>>LoL, you probably don't live in California...


    Don't get me wrong... I spend about 8-10 dollars a month in computer electricity fees (two computers, one printer, one scanner). What I was saying is that a dollar of that (give or take some), I could save by shutting of my computer if the computer didn't take about that much just to run startup every day.

    It is much like a car. There is a point in which leaving it running wastes less gas than turning it off and restarting it.

    As much as I use my computer, I wouldn't be saving money (or it would be nearly negligible--less than 1%--in comparison to my bill...$105.00 a month)... even if I shut it off for the 5-7 hours that I sleep every night.

    Florescent bulbs are like that too. It takes the amount of power for about three hours just to get one going. It is best to leave them on unless you are going to be gone for longer than that.
    Blue

  14. #14
    _B-L-U-E_ Betazep's Avatar
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    >>>14 cents a kw/hr

    200-300Watt p/s... but you are not using nearly that much normally (prob 150-220 Watts loaded) and definitely not even close to that in standby... probably about 10 watts (maybe less).

    Say you only spent 8 hours on your computer actively every day... leaving 16 hours inactive... making 160 watts in a day.... times 30 days... equals 4.8 kw/hr... times 14 cents (which is godly high... you damn Californians)===== 67 cents a month.

    Go to twenty watts and double that cost. But then again... I spend more than eight hours a day on my computer (or on and off) as sad as that may seem.

    And none of that takes into account that your computer draws quite a bit of initial watts to startup.

    No matter what... it isn't much.
    Blue

  15. #15
    _B-L-U-E_ Betazep's Avatar
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    Interesting to find out that even turned off... your computer uses 2 watts of power (I assume an hour) through "leaky voltage".

    CPUs 60 minutes Continuous 70 watts

    That is the average power consumption for a CPU running fully.

    The same article said that an effective standby mode can drop computer costs to as low as $2 per year.

    Interesting... I wonder if that means you can never use it!
    Blue

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