On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:08:51 -0400, Strobe
wrote:

On 09 Apr 2010 03:26:08 GMT, Nicholas Dreyer wrote:

I keep my PC on for at most a few hours a day. After it has powered
down, is it safer to shut off all power to the motherboard using the
toggle switch on the power supply, or is it better to leave it on, or
does it not matter at all?

Thanks for any advice, or pointers to some useful studies on the matter.

For ultimate power economy, use the switch - modern PSUs continue to provide 5v
when the PC is 'off'..

But the question remains, what is the criteria for an
oversimplified question of "best"?

It always annoys me when someone asks what is best when they
don't list their subjective needs, because there is no such
thing as best without that.



To *really* economise, switch off with a cheap external power strip - it's
cheaper to replace that than a PSU when the switch eventually wears out!


If you aren't buying really bad low end junk, the power
switch will not wear out in any number of years worth
mentioning.



If you live in an area prone to lightning storms, it's safer to actually unplug
the PC when not in use - a nearby lightning strike on the power line can easily
jump over a power switch and *might* fry your PC.

Yes, but how many cords does one unplug? Power is not
enough, a surge can come in through periperals, or
especially ( what I see often when it occurs, with otherwise
disconnected equipment) through the lan cable.


Of course, at most you'll save a few dollars a year...
And many other devices (TVs, microwaves, cable boxes) also suck power when
they're nominally 'off'.

Agreed, there is too much focus on sleep power these days,
if someone is really concerned they would simply turn their
PC off instead of asking. Personally I never disconnect any
box from AC, including when there is a power storm, but on
modern PCs that can hibernate, AND don't need to stay on
24/7, I have them (if windows OS based) hibernate after a
short period of inactivity. So far, I can't recall any
damage of a system while it was off as-in hibernating.

Certainly it is possible damage could still occur, but as
with all things there is no guarantee, only the risk versus
convenience and value of time and hassle to unplug or switch
things versus not having to.