Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Personal Computers- When to Leave on, When to Turn Off

Do you leave your computer running all day because you don't know whether the surge it takes to repower it wastes more energy than just leaving it on? Up til now I have been a person that leaves my computer up and running all day, putting it into hibernation only at the end of the day. But according to http://www.energysavers.gov/, though there is a small surge of energy used to power the computer up, it is less than the energy used to power your computer for long periods of time. This site suggests that you turn off your monitor if you aren't going to use your PC for more than 20 minutes. Turn off both the CPU and monitor if you're not going to use your PC for more than 2 hours. And lastly, make sure you plug your PC and other equipment into a power strip/surge protector that can be turned off altogether if you are away for extended periods. Your equipment, even if in the "off" mode can still draw power. Turning off the the power button on the power strip will shut down this energy phantom.