*OT* Powering Down your Computer or leave it on 24/7

Once a week I shut it down to clear out the sinuses. I find the longer
it's up, the slower the MP gaming gets.

if you can turn it off why not? I used to leave mine on all the time but
with 6 hds and a bunch of fans the thing got too noisy so I turn it off. The
electricity consumption isn't that much but overall energy savings huge if a
lot of people also do it with you

"Visceral_Syn" wrote in message
.. .
Thanks for the replies, i was just wondering. I do pay my own electricity
bill and have 4 pc's, 3 of which i don't turn off. My main gaming has a
6000rpm Thermaltake HSF on it, due to the level of noise that only bothers
me when i'm not exactly usin my rig is why i power it down in the
evenings.
My light bill has been not affected all that much with 4 rigs runnin
constantly. Wifey is not fond of it, but she only complains a lil. Thanks
again, for the responses.


...Syn...

Furthermore PC's hardly die from failure due to excessive on and off
switching.

Not true - this is exactly what eventually leads to component failure.
It's my job to know...
One of the main reasons monitors quit just after the 3 year warranty is
because the soldered connections at the power transformer crack from the
expansion and contraction of heating then cooling. Same thing happens to
motherboards and power supplies.

On 4 Dec 2004 14:54:52 -0800, "bmchan" wrote:

Once a week I shut it down to clear out the sinuses. I find the longer
it's up, the slower the MP gaming gets.

I run a 24/7 system in my downstairs closet. It is my web, samba,
dhcp, ntp, etc linux firewall box. My 2 windows xp boxes on my lan, I
have setup to shut down to standby mode at the level that turns off
all the fans and leaves it almost completely powered off - consuming
just enough juice to power the RAM and flash the power LED on the
front cover.

MT

Visceral_Syn wrote:

I've got a question after reading a previous post. Have *The Minds
that Be* ever determined if its better to leave a pc on 24/7 or is
the powering up/down thing does more damage over time?

The one thing I worry about is that a crucial fan will sieze up and allow
something to fatally overheat, although I must say it hasn't happened yet
even though I've had fans on CPUs and GPUs quit on me.

dvus

Visceral_Syn wrote:
I've got a question after reading a previous post. Have *The Minds
that Be* ever determined if its better to leave a pc on 24/7 or is
the powering up/down thing does more damage over time?
\
Leave it on and cure cancer at the same time.
http://www.grid.org/download/gold/download.htm

RonK wrote:
Furthermore PC's hardly die from failure due to excessive on and off

switching.

Not true - this is exactly what eventually leads to component failure.
It's my job to know...

One of the main reasons monitors quit just after the 3 year warranty is
because the soldered connections at the power transformer crack from the
expansion and contraction of heating then cooling. Same thing happens to
motherboards and power supplies.

Actually, I think you mean the Flyback transformer, (supplies EHT for
the tube). Almost all TV's use switchmode PSUs these days, so no
"power" transformers - exactly the same as PCs.

One of the main causes of switchmode PSU failure is electrolytic
capacitors failing due to high ESR, Google ("equivalent series
resistance" "bob parker") and also
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_100895/article.html.

The longer a SMPSU is left on, the longer the capacitors are subject to
heat & ripple current. This leads to the electrolyte drying out, which
leads to high ESR, which leads to component failure, which leads SMPSU
failure.

End result - it don't work anymore.

Always better to turn off if not required for 24, (or near 24), hour
operation - it's cheaper in the short, (power bill), and long,
(equipment failure), run.

NOTE: There are, not exactly, exceptions to the above - i.e. if the
equipment is of very good quality, (ie. excellent component choices were
made and used), just means it will take a bit longer for it to break

Dave

dvus wrote:

Visceral_Syn wrote:

I've got a question after reading a previous post. Have *The Minds
that Be* ever determined if its better to leave a pc on 24/7 or is
the powering up/down thing does more damage over time?

The one thing I worry about is that a crucial fan will sieze up and allow
something to fatally overheat, although I must say it hasn't happened yet
even though I've had fans on CPUs and GPUs quit on me.

See if you can find an Intel Cabrillo-C case on ebay--it's got two
pieces--the case and the mounting, which can be pedestal or rack. Multiple
redundant hot swap everything including three 400 watt power supplies. On
the other hand, the Concorde used to fly over here occasionally on takeoff
and the Cabrillo drowned it out nicely.

dvus

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

J. Clarke wrote:
dvus wrote:
Visceral_Syn wrote:

I've got a question after reading a previous post. Have *The Minds
that Be* ever determined if its better to leave a pc on 24/7 or is
the powering up/down thing does more damage over time?

The one thing I worry about is that a crucial fan will sieze up and
allow something to fatally overheat, although I must say it hasn't
happened yet even though I've had fans on CPUs and GPUs quit on me.

See if you can find an Intel Cabrillo-C case on ebay--it's got two
pieces--the case and the mounting, which can be pedestal or rack.
Multiple redundant hot swap everything including three 400 watt power
supplies. On the other hand, the Concorde used to fly over here
occasionally on takeoff and the Cabrillo drowned it out nicely.

I don't know, I'm kinda attached to my Antec case 'cause it has lots of room
inside for my sausage-fingers to make connections and such and most stuff
can be swapped without too many tools being needed. I see Intel has dropped
that line, that oughta make 'em a good buy on E-Bay!

dvus

"Visceral_Syn" wrote in message
.. .

I've got a question after reading a previous post. Have *The Minds that
Be*
ever determined if its better to leave a pc on 24/7 or is the powering
up/down thing does more damage over time?

Most PC's 'break' when they are turned on. Think about it.