Leaving your computer on 24/7/356!!!

[x86]

Why do people leave their computers on 24/7? What is the purpose other than intricate calculations that will take 5 days to complete? With computers running so fast that it takes under 1 minute to boot, what is the point?

Help me out guys in understanding this human nature of wasting power.

-x86

 

[Ausm]

I leave all mine on 24/7 because I run a web/FTP server


Ausm

 

[XBoxLPU]

I have my on 24/7 running UD cancer.

I rarely turn off my pc.

 

[flood]

web server
also, i dont like waiting for my computer to boot up...
the only time its really off is when i install new hardware

 

[Mavrick007]

ummm it's 365 days in a year btw

For one thing, people can justify the price cause it doesn't cost a whole lot to keep your machine going. It's harder on the machine (ie. hard drives, cpu, etc.) to keep starting and stopping the machine cause they will wear out and get stressed out faster than by leaving it on(Hot and cold and running from a dead stop is not good, it's like keeping a car running, how much gas is saved if you will be back in it in like 2 mins). Alot of people use their machine at various times of the day, not all at once and then turn it off, in which case it's better to leave it on. Alot of people run a server and have to leave them on.

If I know that I am not going to use my machine for the rest of the day, then I turn it off, if not I leave it on. That's just me though cause I am not running my server right now.

 

[mechlayn]

I hate to wait for the bootup....now with win2k i hibernate the system..tthen it comes up from start rioght to windows..takes a huge chucnk out of hte startup times...

 

[dullard]

There are multiple reasons. Here are some:
1) Laziness.
2) People are afraid that turning it on/off will wear down the electronics. Unfortunately they forget that running them 24/7 also wears down the electronics. From actual computer tests: if you leave your computer unused for more than 1 hour, then your computer will last longer if you shut it down during that time. If you will leave for less than 1 hour, it your computer will last longer if you don't shut it down.
3) People run things like SETI or other distributed calculations. Unfortunately the calculations don't add up. If you add up the money spent on electricity running these programs it costs roughly 1000 times more than the electricity of super computers. Thus if all these people would shut off their computers and mail the electricty savings to cancer research, SETI research, etc.: we would be much better off as a whole.
4) Servers: this is a legitimate reason to leave them on.
5) Program difficulties. My dad worked at a bank. It took 2 hours of human labor to turn one computer on and set it up running again - they never shut it off. If the program was written better, it wouldn't need this human labor.
6) Some people actually do intricate calculations (like me).

 

[x86]

I was eating Doritos and typing with one hand when I typed: "356".

What about the RAM problem? How do you handle RAM drains and get the "just booted" feeling?

-x86

 

[flood]

<< I was eating Doritos and typing with one hand when I typed: "356".

What about the RAM problem? How do you handle RAM drains and get the "just booted" feeling?

-x86 >>



use win2k :-]

i had to reboot all the time back in the 95/98 days

 

[Nate420]

I do the same as Maverick, if I'm no going to be home for a while or just don't plan to use it (rare) then I'll shut it down. I usually just let it drop into hibernation, which is almost as power saving as shuting it off. I'm usually on the pc the majority of the evenings, and downloading stuff while I'm at work.

 

[Priit]

My work machines are always running, crunching RC-5. I shut off my home box cause it's too noisy to sleep in the same room with it. What RAM problems? I don't see the difference between freshly booted and over a month running box, must be the M$-thingy

 

[dullard]

<< What about the RAM problem? How do you handle RAM drains and get the "just booted" feeling? >>


With Win 95 you get dramatic slowdowns the longer you keep it on. With Win 98 the slowdown is much more gradual. I guess these people who keep them running don't mind running the computer slower than it could.

With Win NT, 2k, XP there really isn't a noticible slowdown effect. Although I do slove roughly 50% of all computer repair requests at my university by just rebooting these machines.

 

[Mavrick007]

Hehe Dullard, you do have a point with the fact that the research could be put to better use if everyone saved up their pennies and sent them in instead of running the programs.. but again, people are lazy and stingy too. It's easier for them to just pay the power company instead of sending in $10 a month to help seti or cancer research, which is tax deductible people! If any money is saved, it's probably going to a new toy for the computer or else the pocket..



<< I was eating Doritos and typing with one hand when I typed: "356". >>

Hehe Sure sure you were j/k

 

[dullard]

<< Hehe Dullard, you do have a point with the fact that the research could be put to better use if everyone saved up their pennies and sent them in instead of running the programs >>


I'm waiting to be flamed from the people in the Distributed Computing forum.

Don't misunderstand me though. Distributed computing can be quite benefitial to society if used properly - such as when writing email, code, report, letter, etc. Then most of your CPU time is being wasted, plus you already are paying for power. It is the computing while you AREN'T on the computer which is a waste of our resources.

 

[guzik]

Two of four run 24/7. One is a server.
The other is my information and media center.
If I watch a movie and want to check some info on actor's bio, or get some facts checked while following History channel documentary, or how to get to some address in town, or just watch same music videos (ones I want to see - not the ones on MTV at the time), or simply set some music background for whatever I do at the moment, I just don't like to wait for boot-up, even if it takes 90 seconds.
I run Win 2k server and win 2k and never have problems with bleeding memory.
Sometimes I just check list of running processess for ones that didn't close when they should.
I don't overclock, my SCSI drives are packed in Ultimate Coolers, and I don't care if these systems die after 4 or 14 years as long as they work dependably 3-4 years (maybe 5-6 years for SCSI drives).
Soon I'll install additional system in the kitchen, also planned to run 24/7 for the same reasons as above

 

[XBoxLPU]

With 256 DDR i would have to restart every week at least once.

But now i am running 512.. there is no slowdown and have been running about a week.

 

[Mavrick007]

<< It is the computing while you AREN'T on the computer which is a waste of our resources. >>

Yep, that's what I meant too cause it doesn't take many more cycles while you are doing something like checking out Anandtech forums, reading email, or other light tasks (for me anyway cause I need every cycle in my other programs I can get since it's such a slow system). I know distributed computing is good for certain things such as intense calculations in physics or what not, but I don't leave it on just for that.

 

[Grommet5]

I never leave my pc running 24/7 a day. i can't stand the noise of the fans or psu at night, so i usually turn it off at that time.

 

[XBoxLPU]

The noise of my pc makes me sleep!

 

[Mavrick007]

White noise is droning after awhile and it will put me to sleeeeeeeeppppp tooooooo..zzzzzzzzzzz hehe

 

[Paulson]

I've got an email server running on mine so I can't shut her down...

 

[ST4RCUTTER]

Both my boxes run 24/7 crunching on UD Cancer agent...which has now become UD Anthrax agent because I'm too lazy to opt out and even though cancer affects more people, it would be cool to find a few compounds that could be used to treat Anthrax toxins...

 

[AluminumStudios]

Nothing is more comforting than coming home at the end of a long days work and seeing my LEDs glowing and hearing the hum of my 2 machines.

 

[wxjunkie]

Well personally I'm usually downloading crap all the time. I get messages overnite from one of my million messengers. I've always got something going on, so what's the point of shutting down?

 

[randomlinh]

FOLDING@HOME!!!