View Full Version : How often you shut down?
scooter4n
12-14-01, 11:34 AM
How often you shot down your comp? If I use my comp on and off 4 pm to 10 pm, is it better to leave it on for all day, and what is good for comp? Stay in stand by? Please open my eyes on this. I use Win 2000 pro.
Thanks
blebs99
12-14-01, 11:51 AM
Most everyone will tell you to leave it on.
Not me! I start this thing up at 5:00 a.m. and shut it down at 11:00 p.m. or there abouts, everyday. I've had no ill effects from doing this. Electronics are stronger then the used to be and will put up with alot of abuse. I'm the abuse professional! :D
Its not neccessarily an abuse factor, its more along the lines that in order to power a computer up from a cold start requires quite a bit more energy then it takes to leave it running. Try one month of turning your computer on and off all the time, then try one of leaving it on. You will see on your power bill that your cheaper month was when you left it on. It requires a little more oomph kind of like your car needed a battery to kick over but just using its own methods once it's running. Now don't take that to mean your computer has an alternator. Just that your computer is more energy effecient when it is running.
J
flounder43
12-14-01, 12:39 PM
Leave it on, and let it Fold, or run Seti all night!
I have four comps, and have never shut one down, willingly, anyway...
Dissolved
12-14-01, 12:50 PM
i never shutdown.. i used to run UD which is why i had my pc on 24/7, but all that did was stress my pc more then id like it.. so i usualy just online just for friends, and seeing im home 24/7 ill go post some, and read about mod stuff.. :)
KILLorBE
12-14-01, 01:09 PM
Originally posted by flounder43
Leave it on, and let it Fold, or run Seti all night!
Did I hear you say se*i;)
FOLD!!!! seti is useless (IMHO).
It depends, if there's a big change in ambient temp, lets say ~25C during the day and ~10C at night its better to let it run, if the temp stays about the same it doesn't matter much.
The change in temperature stresses the components and that's no good.
I have bookmarked a site that has more info on that. I'll see if I can find it (700+ fav's:p ).
But on the other hand, I wouldn't care if my 'puter dies 5 years earlier, by the time it dies its worthless anyhow:D :( :rolleyes:
Dissolved
12-14-01, 01:11 PM
Originally posted by KILLorBE
But on the other hand, I wouldn't care if my 'puter dies 5 years earlier, by the time it dies its worthless anyhow:D :( :rolleyes:
thats what i say.. neone whoes anyone will upgrade there pc stuff every 6 months~year :)
I try to leave my PC folding over night at least once a week. There is an obstacle however: MY MUM!
If I leave it on all day while I am at school I come home and find the plug pulled out. My mum doesn't even bother to TRY and shut the thing down properly!!
SteenkyBastage
12-14-01, 01:54 PM
i used to comfortably leave it running 24/7 (btw, that gave me higher electric bills). but in order to get max stability, i had to disable ACPI, which makes my shutdown program not work.
now i turn it on when i get home from work, and off when i go to sleep. (usually 4-5 hours max lately with all the extra work i've been doing).
13oots2
12-14-01, 02:42 PM
Never hit the off switch. Only time it goes off is updates requiring re-boot, or hardware upgrades/tweaking. I have heard that switching a monitor on and off lowers the lifetime, but by how much????
Eliminator
12-14-01, 05:42 PM
Originally posted by flounder43
Leave it on, and let it Fold, or run Seti all night!
I have four comps, and have never shut one down, willingly, anyway...
hehe..
Same here.
Crunch Seti or Fold all night when your computer is lonely. Don't let those cpu cycles go to waste. :)
Mines on 24/7 I don't know how much price difference there is but I like mine on 24/7!
I'm too lazy to shut on and shut off...
24/7 SETI Cruncher... This never gets shutdown. The only time it is off is when the thing freezes, and I have to hit the power button rather than doing a nice shutdown.
As for the electricity thing, I don't believe that it would require THAT much power to get it working. If you have it off for 7 hours, and your computer uses 10W of power (I don't know how much a computer actually uses...), then the PS would need a surge of power equal to 0.07kWh in a few seconds. Converting to seconds, that is 252kWs (kilowatt-seconds). That can't be... But who knows?
The only problem with leaving the computer on all the time is dust. Those darn dust bunnies just LOVE running computers. Mabey because it's dark inside :rolleyes:
JigPu
Currently 5 pcs running all day, every day- except when I am changing components and so forth..........
Oh yeah: once in a while the Cellar Section of my SETI Farm gets shut down: old house, few outlets= Tripped Circuit Breaker!!
(I just got home from a 3 day work trip to find 3/5 of my rigs NOT RUNNING! I gotta rewire my basement.)
Seti@Home..... The Best way to put unused cpu cycles to work!;) ;)
Softwebdev
12-14-01, 11:42 PM
Originally posted by scooter4n
How often you shot down your comp? If I use my comp on and off 4 pm to 10 pm, is it better to leave it on for all day, and what is good for comp? Stay in stand by? Please open my eyes on this. I use Win 2000 pro.
Thanks
I never SHUT DOWN at all...........keep running.......24/7.......i got 3 120 m fans inside...........
scooter4n
12-15-01, 12:09 AM
do you put on the stand by? turn off hard disk?? I notice that my Matrix screen saver uses 100% of my CPU, when it's runing, is that normal?
Softwebdev
12-15-01, 12:12 AM
Originally posted by scooter4n
do you put on the stand by? turn off hard disk?? I notice that my Matrix screen saver uses 100% of my CPU, when it's runing, is that normal?
the stand by will not work well in my xp pro computer because of the driver issue
i just let the computer run 24/7. and it's ok
i pay and spend a lot of time to build this computer...........i want it to work HARD like I did :)
how do all you guys keep your computers on 24/7 as you say and not see a huge performance decrease in whatever you do!, windows is horrible at memory management and after i run a 2 hour game of tribes 2, work in photoshop, go to Bryce and render some things this comp is shot and i have to reboot to get my performance back! even with winXP Pro with everything tweaked to death for performance and 512mb of ram!??
Softwebdev
12-15-01, 12:40 AM
Originally posted by touser
how do all you guys keep your computers on 24/7 as you say and not see a huge performance decrease in whatever you do!, windows is horrible at memory management and after i run a 2 hour game of tribes 2, work in photoshop, go to Bryce and render some things this comp is shot and i have to reboot to get my performance back! even with winXP Pro with everything tweaked to death for performance and 512mb of ram!??
add more fans on your computer to COOL off, install LATEST drivers and software and tweak your system for PERFORMANCE..............
get 3 -120mm fans like MINE..................don't have to worry the thing
you work hard for your computer..............it should WORK HARD too even though you go to bed
the only you see in my computer is the DUST.........will clean it later on.............don't have time to waste...........:)
i overclocked graphic cards
processor under 31 c
system under 28c
how cool it is, heh?
**new EDIT**
when running the computer, never think of your computer. Let it do the work
if it freezes, just hit reset.................and keep running..........
computer components nowsday is so cheap..........i will upgrade every 5 months any way..................so what the hell?
coming through folks.................
Originally posted by Softwebdev
add more fans on your computer to COOL off, install LATEST drivers and software and tweak your system for PERFORMANCE..............
get 3 -120mm fans like MINE..................don't have to worry the thing
you work hard for your computer..............it should WORK HARD too even though you go to bed
the only you see in my computer is the DUST.........will clean it later on.............don't have time to waste...........:)
i overclocked graphic cards
processor under 31 c
system under 28c
how cool it is, heh?
yup, already have my 3 120mm fans, and my 2 80mm fans :), what i meant when i typed that was not that it was overheating, but it is running out of resources and becomes very sluggish if i do not reboot from time to time
*edit*
got the latest drivers as well, check everyday for new drivers :)
Softwebdev
12-15-01, 12:50 AM
Originally posted by touser
yup, already have my 3 120mm fans, and my 2 80mm fans :), what i meant when i typed that was not that it was overheating, but it is running out of resources and becomes very sluggish if i do not reboot from time to time
*edit*
got the latest drivers as well, check everyday for new drivers :)
make sure you don't have a lot of things running in the background
any junk stuff.....in the background...........go head and DELETE IT
disable a few SERVICES if you don't use it
make a SWAP files
did it :), only my AV virus software starts up on startup, and i disabled a few services i did not need,and my swap file is set to 512mb.
Softwebdev
12-15-01, 01:00 AM
Originally posted by touser
did it :), only my AV virus software starts up on startup, and i disabled a few services i did not need,and my swap file is set to 512mb.
disable or uninstall your AV too
i don't have any AV in my computer...............because AV only gives you the false alarm any way.......and slow thing down too because it has to scan background.
as long as you don't download or copy UNKNOWN source..........you won't have any problem with VIRUS
is that something your AV company told you ?
what is your setting on VISUAL EFFECT and PERFORMANCE under my computer's property?
****New Edit****
when you let your computer running 24/7, you should not think of your computer any more..................If you think it CRASH, it will CRASH
if it FREEZES, RESET it
do it a few time............and run chkdsk /r every 2 weeks...........Your computer should be fine.
when your computer gives you some kind of problems, it wants to let you know that it's TIRED
but if you say NO, force it working................it will
don't worry about hardware component thing...............I upgrade every 5 months............so no BIG DEAL.............
cyberey66
12-15-01, 02:58 AM
Originally posted by SteenkyBastage
[B]i used to comfortably leave it running 24/7 (btw, that gave me higher electric bills). but in order to get max stability, i had to disable ACPI, which makes my shutdown program not work.
B]
You can still shutdown with ACPI off. You have to enable APM, it should be in the "power options" control after you disable ACPI. There should be a tab for APM, if not it means that ACPI is still running.
BTW, how much more power do SCSI HHDs(10k) take over ide, and is setting the hhds to turn off a bad idea. I'm gonna hook up my cheetah as my main HDD but and worried about leaving it on and the power use.
Dissolved
12-15-01, 04:18 AM
Originally posted by 13oots2
Never hit the off switch. Only time it goes off is updates requiring re-boot, or hardware upgrades/tweaking. I have heard that switching a monitor on and off lowers the lifetime, but by how much????
i switch mine on and off all the time.. and its 2+ yrs old :)
I do a lot of file sharing so my PC never gets turned off. It may get restarted once a week or so. But's that's about it.
I have to reboot each time I wish to use Linux - but I try and leave it on as often as possible folding in windows.
Jeff Bolton
12-15-01, 01:29 PM
i almost never shut down unless my computer starts to get laggy (doesn't happen very often), i install something, or it just needs to reboot for some reason. i do have it set so my monitor turns off after 10 minutes though (should help the monitor live longer because that thing puts out a lot of heat, leaving it on 24/7 could cause damage IMO).
jeff
The reason I can stand my pooter on 24/7 is probably because I don't do anything really intensive on it. No new games with great graphics, no programs that suck resources up. I really wish I had something do do on here that would actualy take up some resources!!
Also, one more problem from leaving it on 24/7 without shutting down or suspending. Since your HD is running constantly, I don't think it would mechanicly last as long. I don't know for sure (since computers have such long lives), but it just seems with the platters going 24/7, the bearings would wear out quicker or something.
JigPu
CyboRob
12-15-01, 06:39 PM
I leave mine on always, and reboot a lot too (that's the only thing I worry about).
When is a light bulb most likely to burn out? hehehe!
FerrariF50
12-15-01, 07:25 PM
I had my Windows Xp running for over 1 week but my internet froze somehow and I had to restart...... But I hardly ever shut down my computer....I also leave my monitor on 24 hours a day.... I know it's not good..and it's not a lcd screen so it really sucks up some power.... 175Watts....
Why not just turn the monitor off? I always turn mine off even though me comp is on I hate to ruin a monitor, its a good hardware that'll last.
FerrariF50
12-15-01, 07:50 PM
Originally posted by tsunami
Why not just turn the monitor off? I always turn mine off even though me comp is on I hate to ruin a monitor, its a good hardware that'll last.
I only have one spare one...it's a 13 Inch but I use that as my 2nd display screen sometime... But I have no fear that monitor will go out.... It's a Sony rebadged as a ibm and I love it! 19"
Crash893
12-17-01, 01:24 AM
i leave mine running 24/7
its right by the head of my bed at fist i was going to shoot a hole in it becuase of the noise now i cant sleep with out it on.
alot of people say leave it on becuase of thermal expantion and contratciton. i say thats all bs not becuase it doesnt happen but becuase the compters life is about 5 years max and more likely 2-3 years. in that time the thermal expantion and contraction wouldnt do anything.
i leave mine on becuause i like to have it work every second of its existence. i paid for it its going to do something its on the clock so to speak)
lonewolf1983
12-17-01, 09:09 AM
i run 24/7 except to change out hardware
seti@home runs 24/7 and i set my monitor to turn off at night
Reboot? What's that? ;)
Recommend: don't switch your monitor off by hand, that is a hard on/off cycle, but rather let the computer put it into suspend.
cyberey66
12-17-01, 05:45 PM
I want to leave mine one all the time, the only serious errors I get where are when I turn it on. I'm worried about power ussage though. Maybe in college I can do that. What about stand-by, is that a practical choose?
An idling average configuration Intel box with monitor off should not use more than 15-25watts, so in worst scenario if it's left idling for 24hours a day that’s 0.6kwh
So as an example idling the computer 24/7 is equivalent to running one 100w light bulb for 6 hours a day, which should be unnoticeable on any energy bill as the current going rate for 1kwh of energy is around 5 cents give or take 1.
31 days x 0.6 kwh = 18.6kwh x 0.05 cents = $0.93 a month
cyberey66
12-17-01, 06:53 PM
So say you have about 250w for a month. Thats about $10 then?
$9.30 if you wanna be real exact ;)
A decent sized CRT monitor and high loading the computer can easily get to 250w, but that's not the state at which it will be most of the time obviously.
I'll leave mine running 24/7. W/ Windows 2000, its better to leave it run all the time. It optimizes the file table when its always on for better preformance. That, and it does use less power.
xCarne_Asada
12-18-01, 12:39 AM
due to noise I turn it off every night, but after i get new cooling it should be on all the time.
Think about this. How many times have you seen a light bulb burn out while it is on? Every time I see one go out it is when it is turned on.
cyberey66
12-18-01, 05:43 PM
My new cycle is going to be 3:30 after home from school until about 11:00 on weekdays and later on fri and weekends. I hope I get cable internet soon, then I can setup my computer as a server to share internet and keep that baby running. I'll also have justification to have high end computer parts.
I think the monitor has alot of watts and turning it off would save alot of money, I believe I've read its 100watts per inch.
Also when I get a SK6 with the Delta this baby is not going to be on 24/7 anymore since I need some sleep since the computer is in my room heh...
Mainly the only reason I leave my comp on now is because I am using a AnalogX Proxy Server for the internet sharing although no one uses it at night... Anyways I've been doing it for years and I aint going to stop until something stops me *Pulls his hand up "Damn you Delta 46DB"*
Although the monitor is what you should be concerned about since it uses alot more watts than you may think.
cyberey66
12-18-01, 09:56 PM
Originally posted by tsunami
I think the monitor has alot of watts and turning it off would save alot of money, I believe I've read its 100watts per inch.
Here's my 17in specs
Power specifications
Power Source
100 - 240 VAC
50/60 Hz
Maximum power consumption
130 W (maximum)
100 per in is false, that means mine should be 1700w.
Have 7 running 24/7 unless it's absolutely necessary to shut one down (BIOS flash, hardware replacement, etc.).
One of them is shut down every once in a while (it's the only one in the bedroom and the little woman doesn't like to listen to it). Monitors are always turned off if not in use.
Yes, my electric bill is the pits...and it's only going to get worse with another dually on the way.
What exactly is SETI Cruncher or folding windows? By the way I turn mine off whenever its not being used. To me, its like leaving the TV or a light on. I just don't feel comfortable leaving it on all the time, its a waste of my computer life and the noisy fans are unbearable also:mad: That's probably the main reason why I turn it off.:)
My machines are all on 24/7 unless there's an outage, or I'm tweaking the hardware setup. If you want to get info in SETI click the purple link in my sig.
outhouse
12-19-01, 06:28 PM
My PC runs 24\7 SETI i reboot once a day and rite before i do any online gaming to keep my system resources high
PsycoPhreak
12-20-01, 02:44 AM
Originally posted by touser
how do all you guys keep your computers on 24/7 as you say and not see a huge performance decrease in whatever you do!, windows is horrible at memory management and after i run a 2 hour game of tribes 2, work in photoshop, go to Bryce and render some things this comp is shot and i have to reboot to get my performance back! even with winXP Pro with everything tweaked to death for performance and 512mb of ram!??
Windows memory manager SUX something fierce! it likes to hog up as much memory as it possibly can even if it doesn't need it, and it refuses to release actual free memory, which can and WILL slow the system down eventually leading you to reboot. I have one word for you
CACHEMAN
ya can get it here www.outertech.com
Experiment with the settings, it also has wizards to make things easier, but you'll not see the "slowdown" after the system has been in use for a long period of time. I keep mine on 24/7 so when i come home all my new mail and stuff is patiently waiting and i had the same prob with the bogging down, but using this proggie has eliminated it completely.:D
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