Does shutting off computers and monitors through power management harm computers?
“Modern computers are designed to handle 40,000 on-off cycles before failure, and you’re not likely to approach that number during the average computer’s five- to seven-year life span. In fact, IBM and Hewlett Packard encourage their own employees to turn off idle computers, and some studies indicate it would require on-off cycling every five minutes to harm a hard drive …” (Source: Rocky Mountain Institute Home Energy Brief #7 Computers and Peripherals.) Some users still are under the impression that shutting off your computer does more harm than good. Modern computers are designed to withstand frequent shut offs. Please see boxes below. “The belief that frequent shutdowns are harmful persists from the days when hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off; frequent on-off cycling could damage such hard disks. Conventional wisdom, however, has not kept pace with the rapid technological change in the computer industry.
Related Questions
- Do computers and monitors use more energy with power management features activated due to power surges when cycling on and off?
- Do computers and monitors use more energy with power management activated due to power surges when cycling on and off?
- Are computers and monitors with power management more expensive?
