How are you treating your desktop computer on a daily basis? Do you turn it off every time you finish your work? Do you leave it on for an entire day just in case if you need it again in a couple of hours? May be, you do not turn it off at all?
Which one is the best way approach to your device? It turns out, the answer to this question is not thus obvious, however, every computer user should be aware of the pros and cons of each of these options.
What are the reasons for leaving your computer on all of the time?
There are several reasons which make leaving your computer on all of the time quite sensible. In all likelihood, you yourself leave your computer on because of one of them.
Convenience
Needless to say, having your computer on all of the time is simply convenient since you can use it at any moment you need it without waiting for it to boot. It is comfortable no matter whether it is your home device or work PC. This is especially obvious if your computer is not equipped into an SSD which takes nearly 30 seconds for booting on average. Older discs can take several times longer to boot your device.
Of course, using Sleep mode will let you bring your computer back to functioning in a shorter time.
Constant access to your PC
As we have just mentioned, keeping your computer on all the time gives you constant access to it. This means not only the physical access to your computer,
For example, if you do a part of your work on your home computer, you can always use Windows Remote Desktop in order to reach the data you need on your home computer even if you are not at home. This will not be possible if you turn your computer off.
Keeping your computer up-to-date
Leaving your computer on without any breaks allows it to perform a large amount of crucial tasks which will keep it up-to-date. For instance, your computer will be able to run regular virus scans, create backups, download or upload large quantities of information. Some of these tasks require an essential amount of the computer resources which can make the device somewhat slow. That is why, if your computer will be performing these tasks on its own, you will be able to work more effectively without a need to share the computer power with the programmes you do not need right now.
Why turning your computer off is reasonable as well?
Although leaving your computer on without any breaks seems to be highly convenient, giving it a break can also be a good idea. There are several crucial reasons for it.
Protection of the computer components
Undeniably, each of the parts of your device whether it is an internal component or a monitor has its own lifespan. For instance, for SSDs it is measured in the cycles of program/erase and the average number of these cycles for a regular SSD is around 3000. For monitors this time is measured in hours and it can be dozens of thousands.
On the one hand, this time is limited, on the other hand, if you count how much time of actual work on your computer it is, you will see, it is quite long. Yet, this is only approximate time and, as far as you know, these components can be broken before the estimated time of the finish of their lifespan.
Having your computer turned on all the time can shorten the lifespan primarily because of heating of the elements of the PC. In addition to it, your computer will be under constant stress, which, even if not detrimental for your PC, is still not good for it.
A possibility of being damaged by power cuts and surges
The problem with power cuts and surges is that you never know when there will be one. Do not think they are only a result of a strike of a lightening. A lot of things can cause them starting from some problems with electricity supplying up to the excessive usage of electricity at your home. This can happen when you turn on several rather energy-consuming devices at a time, for instance, an iron and an electric cattle. If your computer is on all of the time, it definitely won’t omit any of them. Unfortunately, power cuts and surges can be really damaging for sensitive devices including computers and modern TV sets.
For that reason, using a surge protector for your computer is essential especially if you want to keep it on all the time.
Power wastage
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, a constantly running computer is a rather energy-consuming device, especially, if you keep the monitor on as well. Of course, the energy consumption will differ for different modes of your computer with the highest one during the active mod of your PC and the least energy-consuming for the Sleep mode.
Still, if you want to use your computer all the time, you can’t turn the Sleep mode on. For instance, there will be no way to use it remotely as we have discussed it before.
Improved performance
Undoubtedly, new devices are not like the computers of the previous generations which were rather prone to freezing and required constant rebooting for appropriate functioning. Still, turning your PC off for night will refresh the system and help you to prevent some of the bugs.