Sorry if this is not the right forum to use, but since it is post processing, I figure this would be the best place to talk about computers...
Anyway, I'm in need of a new PC (probably a Dell due to the price, but am open to other options). My general question is: Can I leave it on all day everyday, or will it overheat or have other problems? I would like to be able to go to it anytime and just start working rather than waiting for startup each time that I may need it.
You can, but I would shy away from leaving programs like photoshop open while its on and not in use. I would turn it off at night though, at the very least to save some money on the electricity bill. It might take a toll on the computers overall lifetime, but I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make.
Okay, thanks for the info. I did not plan to leave any programs running at night, just with the power on...but hibernate could be another option, but I'm not sure how much different that would be from turning it off completely, time-wise, since I've never used hibernate or sleep mode for that matter.
I've been using a desktop and always left it on, day and night, and it has been nice to just go to it when I need it (even if just for a quick search online).
I think you'll find hibernate a viable option, that's what I use on my Dell laptop. One suggestion I'll make is that you purchase a laptop cooler. It's basically a thin flat slab with a slot in the middle (between the top/bottom) with one or more fans that pulls the hot air from the bottom of the laptop and expels it out the back. It makes the laptop run much cooler. I have a little SW utility that monitors my hard drive temperature, and the HD temp drops >10C when running the cooler. It gets its power from one of the USB ports. You can pick them up on sale for <$20.
I believe.. and some others do also, that leaving the computers on will help its life. Also, from my experience, that is the case. I went through so many upgrades and it's a part of my life that I will not go a day without.
Well assuming you have a common sense, summer in AZ, 100F where the computer is located, turn it off. keep the place vented...and so on.
Here is why I believe it is better:
the computer doesn't have to warm up.. it's always at consistent temperature (again, temp is the most important thing when it comes to computers). It doesn't suffer extreme cold (if you are in a cold place like Midwest) that can be around zero degree in the room.
Running programs at night isn't a bad idea either. Batch processing images, run ram test, system test or calculating Pi ..helping researches and keep your computer working. I usually turn it off more often in summer. Normal time, i just leave it on with monitor off (monitor can get burned in as you know already, either put it on SS or turn it off).
If you want to keep your computer last longer, once every 3 months, open up the case and clean out all the component (CPU and GPU are the main ones) with either soft brushes or AIR (don't do WD40) spray bottle. You'll be surprised (if you haven't seen it) of how much the electrical component attracts those dirts and lints.
Another thing regarding your computer and I can't stress this enough .. almost EVERYONE i know who are not in the computer field, they installs stuff. That is a very bad thing and if you don't want to reformat and reinstall your main applications because your computer is so so so so so slow, don't install anything on it. No exception, once you install that DING! from SW airline, then you install Adware, then Zone alarm, then .. that nice tool bars from google and yahoo, then the google desktop .. is also nice, then you install cursor patch.. then yo uinstall windows plus and a million other utilities like norton crap (nightmare!, never needed one and never will be needing one)....
ok.. sorry for going on and on.
Anyways, leave computer on is good i think
..... and on and on...
tvphung wrote:
Another thing regarding your computer and I can't stress this enough .. almost EVERYONE i know who are not in the computer field, they installs stuff. That is a very bad thing and if you don't want to reformat and reinstall your main applications because your computer is so so so so so slow, don't install anything on it.
Well then whats the point of having a computer? Of course I'm a Mac guy so maybe things are as dull and dreary as the PC in a suite seems to indicate in those commercials.
the question is: what do you use your computer for? it's a tool box and if you put trash in it, it'll be a gabage can. Same thing as your house, if you put too much stuff, it'll clutter up the space and you can't walk.
It doesn't matter what kind of computer you have, PC or Mac, i'm not going to war over it. Mac is looking very desperate with that comercial anyways. I believe in normalization. you are what you are, if you are good enough for people to switch, people will eventually switch.
My point is.. everyone who doesn't know what they are doing or what they are ACTUALLY installing, should think twice. if you installing norton utils for the sake of having it, don't.
Turning a computer off and on is the hardest and most unkind thing you can do to it, epecially hard drives.
Witht that said, laptop hard drives are designed to be turned off/on more frequently than desktop hds, which in turn are more tolerant than server hds.
Personally, all of my computers, except laptops, run 24/7. I just set the monitors to power off after 5 min, hds after 2hrs. The same goes for all of the machines under my care at work.
Every OS since W2K has enabled HTL commands to the CPU to lower power states.
So, yes, you can leave it on all day, but make sure you at least set your monitor to power off. You will use a little more electricity, but your hard drive will thank you.
Make sure the display turns off - the backlight on the display does dim out over time. The standard advice used to be to remove the battery when you are using it in desktop mode (always plugged in) so the battery doesn't get killed by heat, but the newer laptops seem to be coming out with smarter charging circuitry that puts some hysteresis in the charge cycle and won't heat up the unit so badly while plugged in. I have one Vista laptop I use a lot, it stays plugged in on one work surface for days at a stretch, and generally I just hibernate it.
..helping researches and keep your computer working. I usually turn it off more often in summer. Normal time, i just leave it on with monitor off (monitor can get burned in as you know already, either put it on SS or turn it off).