A Powerful Question at the End of the Day
In response to reader requests for more basic information about personal computers, The Cutting Edge today debuts a new column by noted computer help specialist Kim Komando.
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You’re done using your PC to write a letter, play Quake or send e-mail to the president. Should you reach for your PC’s on/off switch or not?
It’s a matter of opinion, really. The debate over whether to leave the computer on or turn it off has been raging on and off for years. The two sides remain, uh, polarized on the issue.
The leave-the-computer-on-all-the-time people claim the “shock” to the components that happens when you turn on your computer causes more damage than just leaving it powered up all the time. The shock isn’t as damaging to the components, however, as the computer’s change in temperature. Let me explain.
When a PC is powered up, the system warms up and the components expand. A PC’s innards can go from room temperature to as high as 185 degrees in about 30 minutes. Turn the computer off and the components cool down to room temperature and contract.
Over time, frequent expanding and contracting action can take its toll on a PC. Boards may crack. Wires can loosen. Hard drives spin on bearings, and bearings can only last so long. Ask your car mechanic if you don’t believe me.
The worst thing you can do is flip the PC’s on/off switch all day. Keeping your PC’s temperature constant can prolong the life of its components. This means leaving the PC permanently on or permanently off. But if it’s always off, what good is it? Translated, the leave-it-on proponents believe you should keep your PC powered up day in and day out, even when you’re not using it.
All in all, I don’t buy the leave-it-on argument. First, there’s the simple hazard of electrical fire. About a year ago, I started smelling something strange in my office, and it wasn’t an old chicken sandwich in the trash. Puffs of smoke were coming out of the back of my PC. Luckily, I was right there to pull the plug and put the fire out. A PC-related fire is a very rare occurrence, but it does happen.
If your computer is in an office environment, you have other considerations. The cleaning crew could move your computer to get rid of dust bunnies and do more damage if the computer is running. Do you have any confidential information in your PC that you would not want someone to access when you are not around?
In addition, turning the computer off when you’re not using it is better for the environment and your electric bill. Look at the savings. The average computer and monitor consumes about 320 watts (0.32 kilowatt) of electricity. If you are paying 12 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity like I am, every hour your computer is turned on costs 3.8 cents.
If your computer is powered on every day all day, you’re spending $6.45 per week or $335.46 per year. By simply turning your computer off at night, say for eight hours, you can shave $110.66 per year off your electric bill.
Let me tell you what I do: I turn my computer on in the morning and off at the end of my workday. If I know that I’m going to be away from my PC for more than three hours, I shut it off. When I do have to leave the computer on for a long period of time (like overnight when I’m backing up the hard drive), I turn the monitor off, saving wear and tear and charges on my electric bill.
Kim Komando is a Fox TV host, syndicated talk radio host and founder of the Komputer Klinic on America Online. She can be reached via e-mail at komando@komando.com
