Mark Solsman <MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu> (03/28/91)
I have a 386 system in a tower case that is plugged into a voltage regulator. Is it better to leave my system on all of the time, or shut it off after each use? (of course turning off the monitor) ---- Mark Solsman The Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Campus, Scranton, Pa. Bitnet : MHS108 at PSUVM Internet : MHS108 at PSUVM.PSU.EDU
akcs.vladimer@point.UUCP (kevin kadow) (04/08/91)
Well, I don't know about all the hazards you list (the motherboard CHANGES SHAPE?) but I do know that a computer should (at least) be treated like a light bulb. if you're going to be gone for less than an hour, leave it on. If you're going to be gone for a week or more, even if you have a hard drive, turn it off (or turn it into a small BBS) From what I've heard, power on/off changes cause stress on the chips, which can lead to premature failure. I don't think turning the computer off will damage the power supply, and it's safer to have the computer off and the hard disk head parked than it is to have it on. As long as you've got a good cooling fan, and don't experience frequent surges, lightning storms, or have a really good suppressor, then it shouldn't HURT to leave it on all the time. Question- Is it better to turn the monitor OFF, or to simply blank the screen and leave the power on? Does anybody have a dead FULL LENGTH card? I want to slice & Dice it, then install a (low-EMF) fan on it to help keep the internals cool (I suppose I could run a low-wattage (pulseless dc?) fan off of one of my spare disk-drive power cables?