keeping a system on vs shutting it down regularly

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Shantanu Ghose

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Mar 17, 2013
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hi!! i am at my system all the time,,and i leave it on for downloading stuff,,so it stays on for at least 5 days a week,,today a friend's system didnt boot up and he took it to a local expert,,he said the processor was close to getting burnt and stated the reason to be excessive usage(he too is a download buff),,after that i read some articles debating over whether to leave the system on all the time or shutting it down when not needed,,some say keeping it on will make it last longer but shutting it down on regular basis will affect the hardware and some say it is the other way around,,so i am pretty confused,,i just recently upgraded my system and dont want to damage it,,so can someone help me out??
 
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The_OGS

The_OGS

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Systems are not always designed/engineered to operate 24/7.
The fans, coolers, PSU, case, etc. need to be all up to speed...
Plus this PC usage is described as 'severe service' and a different (more intensive) maintenance schedule is prescribed.
So can you leave it running overnight?
Sure - but just make sure you re-boot it first thing in the AM.
Windows OS needs a fresh startup, at least a few times per week...
 
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goodguy713

goodguy713

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well with adequate cooling on the processor there shouldn't be an issue with your processor burning up.. granted some of the stock heat sinks that come with them now days are generally just enough.. when there are much better solutions out there. just making sure that you keep the fins clear of dust will generally prevent that .. as for turning your system on and off all of the time .. I too turn my system off quite frequently but also leave it running for days on end.. generally speaking unless your overclocking your system and leave it at high settings for a prolonged period of time .. things like capsitors and possibly your power supply could fail .. but this would be over time .. most of caps are rated for 3 years + and trust me Japanese make good caps .. but those are things you should worry about .. putting a computer in sleep mode vs powering off is on your personal preference because of phantom power draw I tend o unplug my equipment before I leave as a power saving measure.
 
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4745454b

4745454b

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Apr 29, 2006
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I disagree with OGS. I've left my machine on for months at a time. No worries. Windows XP and newer are very good at memory management and don't "require" reboots "in the AM" to run well. Even 98SE and 2000 were pretty good as well, just not as good.

As mentioned above you need good equipment. Using the stock heatsink that you don't clean and putting the tower in that tiny little hole in your desk is a good way to kill a CPU. My CPU isn't OCed, has a 212+ cooling it, in a good airflow case with a 140mm fan helping, and gets cleaned at least twice a year. I've already had this system, which I bought used, for 3 years and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm upgrading soon to support USB3, SATA3, etc I'm sure it would last another 3+. Treat your stuff well by keeping it clean. It should last till its obsolete.
 
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unksol

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Windows does NOT need a "fresh" startup except for updates, and leaving it on 24/7 is NOT severe use, nor does anything special need done. You can leave windows up for months with ZERO issues.

If it was at full load 24/7 thats a little different but ANY properly built PC should be able to do that as well. The argument for leaving it on is that there are less heat/power cycles which stress components. The reality it doesn't make enough difference either way.

As for your "expert" either he meant the temp was higher than it should be, or he's smoking something. There is no real way to tell if a CPU is "close to getting burnt out" and it would CERTAINLY not be from "excessive usage". that's not a thing, and leaving it on at idle is pretty much zero usage. unless your friend was overclocking, running unsafe voltages, or had a temperature issue that guy has no clue what he is doing.
 
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Shantanu Ghose

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he said some damage had been done on the processor and took rs 3000 to fix it,,that guy has enough experience to smoke something like that,,but even the best can be wrong sometimes



 
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Shantanu Ghose

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i only switch it off once a day,,is that a prob?

 
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CompuTronix

CompuTronix

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In this world we live in with dwindling natural resources and rising prices for everything including electricity, it's like turning off the lights behind you when you leave the room ... if you're not using it ... then simply turn it off!

It just takes a little forethought and discipline to break old habits and form new, more beneficial habits. If everyone does a little, it will mean a lot, especially for the environment. We Americans are by far the most wasteful power piggy's in the world! Really! We're 5% of the world's population and use 20% of the world's energy!

Then consider the wear and tear on hard drive spindles and bearings, as well as fan bearings and dust in power supplies, CPU coolers and graphics card coolers. Moving parts do wear out, and certain electronics circuits don't tolerate excessive heat, meaning those who severely overclock, over-volt and over-temp their dust-clogged CPU's and GPU's, while disabling the power saving features.

As an electronics engineer with many years of experience, I can tell you that electronics has come a long way. There was a time when it was advisable to leave systems up and running, because frequent restarting would risk blowing power supplies, boards and components due to high in-rush currents and a lack of adequate circuit protection. However, with today's circuit designs and low power components, leaving a system on 24/7 or even over night, unless it's mission-critical equipment, is not a reliability issue; it's a waste of energy and money.

Bottom line ... just turn it off!
 
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4745454b

4745454b

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Shame? None here. I've left my system on for months at a time before. Never an issue. I'm better about running windows update now so it gets rebooted at least once a month. I've had a few issues with my new 7950 so I've been rebooting about every week but the new drivers I'm using seem to be more stable. Either this sunday or monday I'll swap my parts over to my new case. After that, it's not getting shut down again until next month when I buy my new Motherboard and CPU. Couple times a week? Why would you bother? I've never seen anything that says windows needs it that often.
 
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