gt0652b@prism.gatech.EDU (I don't know man, he was just here) (03/29/91)
In article <91087.073236MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu> MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) writes: >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) Sure! Leave the thing on. "Dave, will I dream?" As long as you clean the dust out of it about once a year there shouldn't be anything wrong with keeping the power on. But what about just turning the thing off every time I am finished with it? There's the problem! Turning you computer off and on is about the most dangerous thing you can do to it besides giving it to a University of Georgia student. Here's what happens Your motherboard cools and changes from its normal concave shape to flat pulling all off you chips out of their sockets ever so slightly. Your power supply cools and goes through the same fatigue mentioned above. (Plus you have decreased the life of that power swith by one) Your hard drives grind to a stop (Not quite so bad as them trying to start-up again) Your coprocessor cools God forbid your hard disk doesn't crash There are some very good things that happen when you do turn your computer off however. Maniny, you computer does a P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test) that will elieviate most of the problems caused by static electrisity. The good thing about a POST is that you don't actually have to turn the computer off to do one. Just cold boot it! If you have a hardware reset switch (Not CTRL-ALT-DEL) that should do the trick. If you don't, then try this command at the dos prmpt Debug | g=ffff:0. I am not quite sure if that command is right, but it is something like that. Computers age very mature people so you should let them stay up as long as they want as long as they are not cranky the next day. Do like your mom did when you were a kid Just make them take a nap (coldboot). Josh Guttman P.S. I know this is one of those cardinal issues that always warrants a flame! Remember, keep them clean, I take no prisoners. -- ***************************************************************************** * Joshua I. Guttman (404)355-3908 Home ** Norm Is Lord! * * gt0652b@prism.gatech.edu (404)355-0001 Business ************************** * josh@triad.com (404)242-1922 Triad Technologies *
jlt@cbnewsc.att.com (jeffrey.r.light) (03/29/91)
From article <25156@hydra.gatech.EDU>, by gt0652b@prism.gatech.EDU (I don't know man, he was just here): > In article <91087.073236MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu> MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) writes: >> >>Is it better to leave my system on all of the time, or shut it off after each >>use? >> > with it? There's the problem! Turning you computer off and on is about the > most dangerous thing you can do to it besides giving it to a University I TOTALLY DISAGREE will all of this fear of turning computers (electronics) off when NOT IN USE for extended periods, including OVER NIGHT. It appears a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, the kind of stress that occurs to electronic devices during turn on/off cycles and warm up/cool down periods is insignificant for the typical user. We do stress testing on our products that goes way beyond normal to OVER-stress the design and look for the weaknesses and eliminate them. Have NO fear, if you are not using your computer for several hours, why not, turn it off. Certainly, turn it off for overnight periods, UNLESS it is part of an active system (NETWORK servers, etc.) and for those systems, you could turn off the Monitors (if desired) especially if you do not have a screen saver program (The phosphor on CRT light out directly proportional to the active on time). Do you keep your auto engine ON when you are not using it (it also heats UP and cools down). DO you leave lights ON (if you pay the bills). etc. Apply common sense. Hard drives have mechanical parts that DO wear out with use. In additional, a power line spike may damage your unprotected computer. Certainly more ON time will increase your risk and reduce the life of mechanical parts. Do not forget that many electrical parts also have wear-out (e.g. electrolytic capacitors). Therefore, I always advise turning off computers, TVs, VCRS, etc when not in use.
quimby@madoka.its.rpi.edu (Tom Stewart) (03/30/91)
>I TOTALLY DISAGREE will all of this fear of turning computers (electronics) >off when NOT IN USE for extended periods, including OVER NIGHT. I don't think it's a fear, more than an understanding that leaving the machine on may very well prolong it's life. (Exception: If you have a Seagate drive, fear of turn-off is probably appropriate.) >It appears a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, the kind of stress that >occurs to electronic devices during turn on/off cycles and warm up/cool down >periods is insignificant for the typical user. We do stress testing on our >products that goes way beyond normal to OVER-stress the design and look for >the weaknesses and eliminate them. That power and thermal cycling are standard reliability tests doesn't speak well of using power and thermal cycling as standard operating procedure. >Do you keep your auto engine ON when you are not using it (it also heats UP >and cools down). DO you leave lights ON (if you pay the bills). etc. Do you turn off your watch at night, or alarm clock during the day? Both devices have a lot more in common with a computer than a computer does with either a light bulb, gasoline engine, or power saw. >Apply common sense. Hard drives have mechanical parts that DO wear out >with use. In additional, a power line spike may damage your unprotected >computer. Certainly more ON time will increase your risk and reduce the >life of mechanical parts. Do not forget that many electrical parts also >have wear-out (e.g. electrolytic capacitors). Power surges usually aren't kind enough to wait until you turn the machine off. Small surges tend to occur during daylight, when people are playing with the airconditioners and arc welders. Cerainly one of the most likely to fail devices in a typical computer is the hard drive, which is mechanical. As to whether this device will last longer if run continously or cycled every few hours -- it depends on the drive. Some drives don't like to spin up, or down, others don't mind, but crash once in a while. Every mechanical or electrical system that I know of experiences more stress on startup than during normal operation -- high inrush currents, thermal stress, starting friction, etc. Often systems have to be built into products to reduce these stresses -- inrush limiters, protecting diodes and surge supressors, dry sump oil systems, etc. If you'd like to stretch the life span of your computer, keep it cool, and clean. It's probably safe to ignore arguments on both sides as to turning it off for breaks or overnight, but it's also probably a good idea to turn the monitor off, if for no other reason than the reduction of the fire hazard. Me, I'll continue to keep my machine up, and advise our customers to do the same. It's been our experience that constinously operating machines don't fail as frequently as the 9 to 5ers. Quimby (mailer disfunctional, replies to: quimby@mts.rpi.edu, quimby@rpitsmts.bitnet)
c60b-1eq@e260-3e.berkeley.edu (Noam Mendelson) (04/10/91)
In article <27ffe351-24a7.2comp.ibmpc-1@point.UUCP> akcs.vladimer@point.UUCP (kevin kadow) writes: >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) Why? Every time you flip the switch you are stressing every component in your system, including memory, the HD, etc. And leaving you system on is even more convenient--you don't have to wait for the memory tests, load TSRs, etc. >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. The power supply is the last thing to worry about. The memory chips are the ones that are likely to be damaged by surges and stray static electricity. >Question- Is it better to turn the monitor OFF, or to simply blank the >screen and leave the power on? The display monitor, lacking any cooling aparatus, tends to overheat very quickly. I would recommend turning it off when not in use. >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? A few years ago a company marketed Turbo Cool power supplies. I forget the name of the manufacturer. I bought one of their 150 watt power supplies which is 50% quieter and boasts a 100% or so increase in air flow. Appropriately, it has two fans and a larger vent. Email me if you want more info on this. +==========================================================================+ | Noam Mendelson ..!agate!ucbvax!web!c60b-1eq | "I haven't lost my mind, | | c60b-1eq@web.Berkeley.EDU | it's backed up on tape | | University of California at Berkeley | somewhere." |