1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from house Stuff Works dot com 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: where smart Happens. Hi Marshall Brain with today's question. Is 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: it better to turn your computer off when you're not 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: using it or to leave it on all the time. 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: This is one of those questions where there is no 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: single right answer. In other words, it depends on how 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: you use your computer. But there are at least three 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: situations that force you to leave your computer on twenty 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: four hours a day. First, if you have some kind 10 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: of backup solution that runs late at night, you'll need 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: to leave your machine on for the backup to occur. Second, 12 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: if you're using your machine is some sort of server, 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: you'll need to leave it on. For example, if your 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: machine acts as a file server, a print server, a 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: web server, or whatever on a land or on the Internet, 16 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: then you need to leave it on all the time. Third, 17 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: if you're running something like sitting at home and you 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: want to produce as many results sets as possible, you 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: need to leave your machine on all the time. If 20 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: you do not fall into any of those categories, then 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: you have a choice about whether or not to leave 22 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: your machine on. One reason you might want to turn 23 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 1: it off is economic. A typical desktop PC consumes something 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: like three hundred watts. Let's assume that you use your 25 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: PC for four hours every day, so the other twenty 26 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: hours it is on would be wasted energy. If electricity 27 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: costs ten cents per kilowatt hour in your area, then 28 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: that twenty hours represents sixty cents a day, and sixty 29 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: cents a day adds up to two d nineteen dollars 30 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: per year, which is a lot of money. It's possible 31 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: to use the energy saving features built into modern machines 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: and cut that figure in half. For example, you can 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: have the monitor and hard disk power down automatically when 34 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: not in use. You'll still be wasting a hundred dollars 35 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: per year. The argument for leaving your computer on all 36 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: the time is that turning it on and off some 37 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: how stresses the computer's components. For example, when the CPU 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: chip is running, you can get quite hot, and when 39 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: you turn the machine off, it cools back down. The 40 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: expansion and contraction from the heat probably has some effect 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: on the solder joints holding the chip in place and 42 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: on the microfining details on the chip itself. But here 43 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: are three ways to look at that. First, if it 44 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: were a significant problem, the machines would be failing all 45 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: the time. In fact, hardware is very reliable. Second, I 46 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: don't know a single person who leaves the TV on 47 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: twenty four hours a day. TVs now contain many of 48 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 1: the same components that computers do. TVs certainly have no 49 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: problems being cycled on and off for years at a time. Third, 50 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: most vendors will sell you a three year full replacement 51 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: warranty for about a hundred and fifty dollars. If you're 52 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: worried about it. Spends some of the money you save 53 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: by turning off the machine and buy a service contract. 54 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: Over three years, you'll come out way ahead. Be sure 55 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 56 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: Join how stafforks staff as we explore the most promising 57 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The hau Steffork's iPhone app 58 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: has arrived. Download it today on iTunes.