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Laptop on allthe time?

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:09 pm
by thewolfe
On or off when your not using it on A/C.

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:29 pm
by Krom
What?

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:13 pm
by AceCombat
i think he wants to know if leaving a laptop on while its plugged in is harmful. :?



id say it takes more of the lifetime out of the computer and makes those parts that are designed to fail after soo many hours come quicker. id turn mine off after im done using it, or at least put it in standby or hibernate (yes i use Hibernate and i have not had a single issue with it) mode.

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:17 pm
by thewolfe
Sorry for the confusion and you got it AceCombat. Thanks.

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:07 pm
by CDN_Merlin
off on batteries or a/c.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:54 am
by Foil
x2 on \"Hibernate\" mode.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:55 pm
by Krom
Desktop computer = leave it on.

Laptop computer = turn it off.

Why the distinction? First parts in a desktop computer that do wear out are usually easier and cheaper to replace.
Second but most important: almost all desktop computers have vastly superior cooling compared to laptop computers.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:09 pm
by Tunnelcat
One caveat is if you leave your computer on, the fans are constantly running and drawing in any dust, dirt, hair, etc. Even if you have a clean house, you'll still get stuff in the innards much faster, requiring more frequent cleaning.

Frankly, I don't like to take my computers apart any more often than necessary to clean out the dust, it's just too easy to damage components, so it's better to turn them off when not in use.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:31 pm
by Krom
Taking the side panel off and hitting it with an office duster is one of the easiest and safest ways to clean a computer out. Dismantling a computer any more than just taking the cover off so you can dust it off is something that should only have to be done in particularly dirty/dusty environments after years of buildup.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:39 pm
by thewolfe
What about laptops. I understand the heat-sink can get a lot of dust build up.

If it should be cleaned out, is it difficult.

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:45 pm
by Krom
That would depend on the laptop... But most should be adequately clean if you spray an office duster into the CPU cooling vent (while the laptop is turned off.).

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:06 am
by thewolfe
Thanks.

Re:

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:20 am
by Floyd
Krom wrote:Desktop computer = leave it on.
turn it off = save energy

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:16 pm
by Theftbot
You can extend the life of a desktop by leavin it on though.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:04 am
by JMEaT
All laptops should be turned off or set to \"Hibernate\" when not in use.

*Heat build-up is a big concern. Many manufacturers use crappy TIM on CPUs/GPUs (cough Dell cough) Also, a lot of high performance/high heat parts are packed into a tight space.

*LCD backlights in a laptop are big bucks to replace when they burn out.

*Hard drives are smaller and more sensitive to heat/wear and tear.

*Over the long term, cooling fans can and will burn out.

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:29 pm
by Aggressor Prime
I have a 17\" Inspiron 1720 and I just leave it on at night. It has some nice power saving features so it doesn't do too much harm. I sometimes put it to sleep though.