Question:
Is it best to leave my computer running 24/7 or turn it off when it’s not being used? I’ve heard people give both answers and I’m confused as to what do do. Thanks! —Carol P.
Answer:
Carol, as you have discovered, if you ask 100 “computer experts” this question you’ll likely receive a “Yes” answer from half of them and a “No” answer from the other half. Why? Because there really is no definitive answer. It really all boils down to personal preference. What follows is simply my opinion:
During my training as an electronics technician back in the day, I was taught that the cycle of heating and cooling that results when electronic components are powered up and down causes tiny fissures in the electrical connectors inside of those components over time, which eventually leads to component failure. But over the years I have also learned that while this is true, the damage rarely occurs in computer equipment before the hardware becomes obsolete anyway. Therefore, in my opinion, it’s just fine to turn off your PC and monitor when you aren’t going to be using it for a while.
Why turn your PC off instead of simply letting it run? Well, there are a couple of reasons why you might want to do that:
1 – It saves electricity, an advantage that is extremely important to both people on a tight budget and folks who believe in living a “green” lifestyle.
2 – Shutting down a PC clears the RAM and CPU cache of the “clutter” that naturally builds up over time, reducing system performance. For this reason it’s a good idea to shut down and restart your PC every few days even if you don’t plan to leave it off when you’re not using it.
About the author: Rick Rouse is the owner of RLROUSE.COM. He is also an A+ Certified Computer Technician with over 30 years of experience in the industry.