Which is the best choice for the power options on a new home use Dell PC: should I set it to sleep during periods of inactivity, or power off each time? There is no Hibernate option. I have had laptops and a Dell All-In-One previously, none of which seemed to last very long.

I have my Dell PC running on a UPS that monitors power and estimates costs. I never shut it off, and the estimated cost of power is about $2-3 per month. I do have monitor set to snooze after an hour.

Sure the PC may wear out a little sooner, but the convenience of it always being ready right now, not after booting and installing some random update, is worth it to me.

It's 3 years old and just a basic Inspiron that I paid $330 for. IOW, at $100/year pretty disposable.

I turn mine off after I'm done using it.

It takes seconds to power back on, the computer is safer from power spikes, wear and tear, and malicious attacks. I also start with a clean computer each time I use it, with all of the memory empty of all the software that was running the last time.

But, I have a fast computer.

I'll shut it down a couple times a week is all. I also set it to sleep after a half hour of non-use. No issues with this procedure.

Jim

I shut it down completely.
I have an SSD so boot up is nearly instantaneous. I also only use it a handful of times a week.

What would be your primary reasoning to do either?
Power consumption?
Longevity?
Performance?

Longevity and performance.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Longevity and performance.

Then turn it off.

Longevity effect would be minor as computers are built to go 24/7.

Performance effect would be marginally better as it would combat any memory leak issues (if any).

Additionally, you could configure the power settings in the control panel (Windows) for a hybrid of settings and the advanced setting for this can manipulate many items.

A plug for leaving it on would be the speed to logon and that updates can be configured to download/install in down or after hours.

My desktop runs 24/7, but I do a complete shutdown about once a week, as recommended by my best friend, who is computer savvy. The monitor display goes to screensaver mode after 10 minutes inactivity (probably not necessary with LED monitors, but I do it anyway). The computer runs off a UPS.

flashguy

I usually only use my Dell PC one time a day. I turn it on....use it....and turn it off!! That has worked great for me.

Presently, I'm putting the monitor and desktop to sleep after 10 minutes. I do a restart twice a week. I guess I'll stay with that.

If you want it to last forever, leave it on 24x7.

Like all electronics, it's the power on/off cycles that actually causes physical stress to the components. Going from cold to hot to cold again, the initial burst of electricity, all that is what's not good for the equipment.