A simple computer question

[-Alcatraz-]

So this may be a strange question however lets begin. I haven't exactly turned off my main computer in lets say... a week or two? Should I be worried it might well ''Break''?

Thank you!

[Vayshan]

Depends... Is it doing anything most of the time? If it's idle for the most part I don't rly think it could hurt. Remember, a server runs almost 24/7 as well and they last a long time If your harddrives are constantly writing, it will take it's toll faster than under 'normal' use. Specially with a SSD. Your PSU (if good quality will survive a longer time) might get 'worn' out faster as well.

[vesseblah]

Nop. Your computer can be on 24/7 for years if you want to. In home use it's usually not practical since you'll rack up pretty high electricity bill for nothing unless your computer is doing something that's important for you 24/7.

[-Alcatraz-]

Depends... Is it doing anything most of the time? If it's idle for the most part I don't rly think it could hurt. Remember, a server runs almost 24/7 as well and they last a long time

Usually just stays upon the desktop personally, Nothing more.

[Vayshan]

Usually just stays upon the desktop personally, Nothing more.

No harm. Just don't leave your (LCD) monitor on without a screensaver as that would be the most harmfull thing that could happen really.

[-Alcatraz-]

No harm. Just don't leave your (LCD) monitor on without a screensaver as that would be the most harmfull thing that could happen really.

Like really harmful in a way? Cause I'm pretty sure I don't have a screensaver haha

[vesseblah]

No harm. Just don't leave your (LCD) monitor on without a screensaver as that would be the most harmfull thing that could happen really.

Picture wont burn in on LCD, only on old CRT (tube) monitors and plasma TV's. No need for screensavers anymore.

Usually just stays upon the desktop personally, Nothing more.

It's probably generating about $200 electricity bill per year for the time you are not using it unless it goes very deep into power saving modes. If your house is cold it's also heating the place reducing heating bill a bit :P

[Celticmoon]

Nope. It should be fine. My computer never gets turned off. It only sleeps or goes on stand by.

[Vayshan]

Like really harmful in a way? Cause I'm pretty sure I don't have a screensaver haha

No biggy if you turn your screen off, else you will get that 'burn-in image'. Whatever was on your screen the whole time will burn into the LCD film and you'll alway see that as a sort of ghost image.

---------- Post added 2012-02-13 at 11:38 PM ----------

Picture wont burn in on LCD, only on old CRT (tube) monitors and plasma TV's. No need for screensavers anymore.



It's probably generating about $200 electricity bill per year for the time you are not using it unless it goes very deep into power saving modes. If your house is cold it's also heating the place reducing heating bill a bit :P

I could swear LCD still had that problem but the old CRT's never did.

[Mr Gnomage]

No biggy if you turn your screen off, else you will get that 'burn-in image'. Whatever was on your screen the whole time will burn into the LCD film and you'll alway see that as a sort of ghost image.

---------- Post added 2012-02-13 at 11:38 PM ----------

I could swear LCD still had that problem but the old CRT's never did.

I've had my current monitor for almost 3 years, and left it on for 48 hours+ on one single thing on accident, and there are no burns on it. The main harm you'll do with a monitor and leaving it on 24/7 is fuck your electric bill.

Turning off your monitors when they're not in use will save you a decent amount of money. As for leaving your computer on, well, it's better to leave your computer on all the time than turning it off every time it's not in use, as that will damage a computer over time.

[kronpas]

You can leave a computer on 24/7, even its monitor also and its mostly safe, except for the PSU. Desktop PSUs aint designed for non-stop operation so its not advisable, but most branded PSU can last for quite a long time running nonstop esp. if your electricity line is stable. I know this because I have an old PC used as torrent box at home running almost 24/7.

Screensaver is a relic of the past when a plasma screen get burnt in if a static image stays on the monitor for too long. Same for current plasma TV screen. It wa almost gone on the last gen CRT and non existent on nowaday LCD screens.

[lilbruz]

Unless you have really cheap hardware, I wouldnt worry about leaving your PC on for extended periods of time. However, if you are running a stock off-the-rack (so to speak) brand name (like HP), you dont want to do it unless you have to. (Just to clarify, I dont have anything against HP, but their cheap consumer pre-built PC´s are made from really cheap parts).

Its true that most servers have to run all the time, 24/7 all year, every year...but they are also built for that, so comparing a server to a normal consumer PC in the case of "can it run all the time" would be a little silly.

But bottom line...if you have decent hardware, you will be fine

[RadmaKanow]

The only "harm" I can think right now is lack of vital updates. You don't write if you let it on all the time or you occasionally reboot but never truly power off. Some updates require system to reboot to apply patches and such so not doing so may make your stuff vulnerable. If you stay logged all the time and don't reboot it may be an issue in near future.

As for screen savers. Don't know how yours work but my LCD turns screen off when nothing happens for a short time (like 5 min) even when system is set not to go into power save or SS mode. So really no need to config that as screen itself turns off to preserve energy and its own components. Well, at least in my case.

[Adon]

The only real factor is heat, if you have good cooling your parts will be fine. If your system is hot or even warm, you are cutting the life span by quite a bit.

Other factors that will come up are fans and electricity. The fans in your PC have the lowest of life spans. My Antec Truepower Quattro 850 has seen a total of 3 fans, not that they are expensive or anything. Just had to pop a new 10 dollar unit in every couple years or so.

Your electric bill will go up when you leave equipment on, which is senseless. Just power down, it only takes 15? seconds to power up, why is this even an issue.

This is also why you should have quality parts, when you can keep one PSU for 5 years you know you bought the right part!

[kronpas]

The only real factor is heat, if you have good cooling your parts will be fine. If your system is hot or even warm, you are cutting the life span by quite a bit.

Other factors that will come up are fans and electricity. The fans in your PC have the lowest of life spans. My Antec Truepower Quattro 850 has seen a total of 3 fans, not that they are expensive or anything. Just had to pop a new 10 dollar unit in every couple years or so.

Your electric bill will go up when you leave equipment on, which is senseless. Just power down, it only takes 15? seconds to power up, why is this even an issue.

This is also why you should have quality parts, when you can keep one PSU for 5 years you know you bought the right part!

personal torrent box requires you leaving it on for 24/7. I have unlimited bandwidth plan (quite slow though) so why not make use of it.

[Bikni]

Windows 7 finally got hibernate spot on, there's really no reason now to leave your pc running 24/7.

[Sephiracle]

Any 'harm' that may happen you couldn't attribute it to leaving it on 24x7 anyways. I always just have my computer shut my monitor off after awhile since if I'm not doing anything on it, no point of it continuing to send a signal to it.

[noteworthynerd]

As for leaving your computer on, well, it's better to leave your computer on all the time than turning it off every time it's not in use, as that will damage a computer over time.

That's simply untrue, computers are built to be both turned on and off (assuming you're doing so by going to the Start Menu and hitting Shut Down) or left running, neither has any detrimental effects on a computer within its expected lifetime.

Hardware is generally very resilient, the computer will likely die of something unrelated before turning on and off does any harm. Software, however, can greatly benefit from the computer being rebooted every once in a while. Not to mention, turning the PC off or at least setting it to hibernate when you're not using it can save you hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of the PC.

Source(s): http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/...f-computer.htm & http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question328.htm

[-Alcatraz-]

Thank you all for the replies =)

[Jalfrezi]

Picture wont burn in on LCD, only on old CRT (tube) monitors and plasma TV's. No need for screensavers anymore.

Not true... my old work place had computers in use 24/7 with the same UI open 99% of the time, on the odd occasion you would drag another window on top you could see the ghost text from the main application being run. Not cheap shit monitors either, they were decent Dell ones.