On Sunday 02 March 2003 06:23 pm, Robert Wideman wrote:
> >> I shut the machine off last night, started it back up this morning and
> >> everything worked great again. I guess that sometimes even Linux needs a
> >> restart
>
> If you use your system everyday then .... DO NOT TURN OFF THE COMPUTER.
> Literally. I have 10 computers (4 are my roomates, and this is half of the
> computers we own) that are on all the time, 24/7. It might increase the
> electric bill about $20-30 BUT it beats dealing with computer problems all
> the time and spending $50+ a month on replacing hardware. Also, the
> turning on and turn off everyday....would you like to be turned off and
> then turned on everyday? Wait, i woudl but thats a different story....
> Turned on, meaning...by the electro shocks like they use to survive people
> with in the ER??? Thats how the computer hardware feels. The more you
> turn it off/on the more you wear the parts out.
>
> Rob
There has been much debate over the years about this subject and I have
heard both sides of the debate.
After working with electronics and mechanical equipment since a hell of a
long time before the Personal Computer this is my 10 cents worth I am not
saying I am right this is just my opinion. In a computer the MOBO and other
cards are just more electronic stuff, more or less basic solid state
electronics much like a TV, radio cordless phone ect. These other devices
get turned on and off all the time without harm. if the boards and power
supply are of half way decent design turning power on and off a few times a
day should not be a very big issue. Inrush current on startup may be of some
concern on one hand but on the other hand most electronic components only
have so much life expectancy in tens or hundreds of thousands of hours and
eeventually they just sort of get used up espically if they are being used at
nnear maximum ratings so on this point we have what is probably a even trade
ooff. Constant power on operation and turning off power when not in use can
both have advantages.
I can see where expansion and contraction with heating and cooling can work
chips and other connectors loose from their sockets but all this means is
that every couple of years everything may needed to be reseated and it is
also a good arguement for a extra cooling fan or 2 or even some of the more
advanced cooling options but then again these are not a bad idea no matter if
you leave power onn all the time or cycle it on and off. Heat is ALWAYS the
enemy of electronic parts.
Last is the really debatable issue and that is the Hard drive. I can see
where there could be a LOT of shock load on startup going from 0-7200 rpm in
a few seconds espically when parts are cold and contracted possibly causeing
things to fit a bit tight on startup and I would guess that some designs deal
with this issue better than others. But on the other hand what is worse a few
seconds of shock load or thousands of hours of wear while the hdd is idleing
along at 7200 rpm unused, To me it is a tough call to say witch does more
harm.
Here is a bit of a decideing factor for me anyway. I live in a area with
FREQUENT power surges lightining strikes and even darn big spikes coming up
the phone wires. If we should have a big storm at night while I am sleeping
or other times when I am away I am not shure I want my machine running. Some
of you folks in urban areas may not have a clue what a big issue this can be
for some of us in rural areas.
It is not uncommon to get a big enough spike after a lightining to blow the
capactors and sometimes even arc accross motor windings in a well pump and
this stuff is a hell of a lot more durable than the somewhat delicate
electronics of a PC. And to tell you the truth I am not 100% shure a UPS is a
cureall for these big spikes.
And the last issue is so what in at the rate computers are changeing 5 to
10 years from now all the machines we are useing today will be so obsolete
that they will have almost no value anyway so why worry about getting every
last miniute of life from them anyway. If the parts are of decent design they
should last at least 10 years with anything but hard abuse. Any other
electronic device should afterall.
Just my $10 worth, inflation after all
--
Marc
KM5KW
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