illuminate
[H]ard|Gawd
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OVER 9000 YEARS!
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What's the longest you've left your computer on for?
- Thread starter Jon55
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OVER 9000 YEARS!
stop!theradio
2[H]4U
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used to run 2 pcs 24x7
after a bad electric bill the 2nd pc is replaced by a laptop 24x7 so now 1 desktop and one laptop on 24x7. However I do use agressive power saving for hdds and display. Although I dont want my hdds to die from power cycling so the long term plan is to reduce the total # of hdds (save power) and then disable the power saving on them.
Generally my pc is on all year and sometimes I will turn it off on christmas day, sometimes it will be turned of if I am doing hardware changes as well but otherwise is always on.
after a bad electric bill the 2nd pc is replaced by a laptop 24x7 so now 1 desktop and one laptop on 24x7. However I do use agressive power saving for hdds and display. Although I dont want my hdds to die from power cycling so the long term plan is to reduce the total # of hdds (save power) and then disable the power saving on them.
Generally my pc is on all year and sometimes I will turn it off on christmas day, sometimes it will be turned of if I am doing hardware changes as well but otherwise is always on.
As bruce already pointed out, believeing that your carbon footprint doesnt affect anyone else is just plain ignorant.
Ahh yes, the "it's my house so i'll do whatever the fuck i want in it" argument.. So by your logic, if i lived nextdoor to you and decided to rev the fuck out of my car engine at 3am, because i was too lazy to set my alarm to wake up early and work on my car at a reasonable hour, you wouldn't have a right to complain because after all its my car on my property and if you dont like go fuck yourself and move out of the neighbourhood. Am i right?
Of course any person with a shred of consideration wouldnt do such things, just like any person who has consideration for the environment wouldnt needlessly waste electricity and be such a stubborn dick about it. Hey i can turn every tap, shower, and hose in my house on and let it run all day everyday during a drought and pay the bill when it comes too, but that serves no purpose other that being a wasteful asshole.
Im far from a tree hugger, but i do what i can to limit my impact on the environment, especially when its something as easy as turning off an appliance when your not using it. I dont even want children but i dont think that future generations should have to pay for our (your) selfishness. If everyone in the world were as ignorant and self-centered as some of the people on this forum:
1 - power and water rates would skyrocket
2 - power failures and blackouts would be a much more common occurance due to jerks overloading the grid for no apparant reason, inconviencing everyone, and once again raising power bills.
3 - pollution would be alot worse
Some of you guys need to be sent back to the dark ages, so maybe you'd learn that electricity and the convienience of fossil fuels is a privilidge not a right.
Vermillion
Supreme [H]ardness
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My computer isn't an appliance. It's a tool that helps me do my job. It's a tool that gives me entertainment. It's a tool that helps me better myself so that I can provide for my family. Providing for my family is far more important to me then then an insignificant increase in carbon footprint my computer puts out for the very few hours a day when it's idle. If you don't like it well tough shit.
Technically yes you could work on your car at 3am and rev the engine all you want. Nothing anybody can do about it either unless the engine is louder then the city/county noise ordinance. In that case you're disturbing the peace which is against the law. Last time I checked running a computer 24x7 doesn't disturb anything but the air in the computer room (and you I guess).
And running all your taps/faucets during a drought would be against the law as well. So again you have a failed analogy.
Yes, because your computer helps you provide for your family while your not using it
where can i get one of these magic computers that print money while your asleep sir?Thank you, you just agreed that my analogy is apt.
Even though your ignoring my point, ill bite. Just as you have the money to pay for as bigger power bill as you want, i have the money to keep paying the fines for wasting water during water restrictions. Both deterents have failed, and im yet to hear of someone going to jail for breaking water restrictions.
My point stands. Yes it is a free country and you can do pretty much whatever you want if you have the money, but how about not being so selfish and considering someone else besides yourself for once
Vermillion
Supreme [H]ardness
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Yes, because your computer helps you provide for your family while your not using it
You've never defragged large Exchange databases or performed recoveries on large AD databases have you? How about test WSUS installations during the night? Done batch creation of a couple hundred users in Powershell? Sorry but all those I run at night and while I'm at work.
You just need to accept that some of us put our computers to use and don't just use them for e-mail, pr0n, and games.
Karndog said:
I consider my future and the future of any children my wife I have in the future all the time. Thus why I do what I do with my computer. If that's not important enough to justify my "carbon footprint" then tough shit and welcome to ignore.
Turning it off when I go to bed, and turning it on when I get home from work have become such a habit for me, Ive caught myself turning it on when I get home from work and not even playing on it. When I go to power down at night its sitting on the login screen, and Im like "WTF did I even turn this on for?" lol
What about monitors, your not supposed to turn it off right? Just turn off the pc and leave the monitor on standby is the best way to go about it correcT?
What about monitors, your not supposed to turn it off right? Just turn off the pc and leave the monitor on standby is the best way to go about it correcT?
illuminate
[H]ard|Gawd
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Your first post was deleted for a reason...
and, while I'm here, revving your engine like that can get you arrested where I live(d) in VA. It's called disturbing the peace, iirc (i live in Korea now, so i could care less). There's a certain time where you have to be quiet, and if you don't someone would have the right to 1. tell you to stop. 2. call the cops.
It's a good thing computers don't make enough noise to wake the neighbors up at 3am...
yes, this ^^ *just saw this post*
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SatTech
2[H]4U
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Folding box stays on 24-7. I think the longest it's been up is 5-6 weeks between windows update reboots.
So I am guessing all this nonsense Ive heard about leaving the monitor on is just that: nonsense?
Yup
All standby mode does is waste power doing absolutely nothing, increase wear on some circuits, allow a power surge to fry it really well (can't use a big physical switch to turn it off) and ups your power bill by at least a few bucks each year. Not to mention appliances in standby mode are a relatively pretty big cause of house fires.
illuminate
[H]ard|Gawd
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Yup
All standby mode does is waste power doing absolutely nothing, increase wear on some circuits, allow a power surge to fry it really well (can't use a big physical switch to turn it off) and ups your power bill by at least a few bucks each year. Not to mention appliances in standby mode are a relatively pretty big cause of house fires.
this. I even turn my monitor off when i get up to eat dinner or run to the store for 10min.
GreenMonkey
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I turn off my desktop daily whenever I'm not using it. Especially now that it's on SSD: It takes so little time to boot and get up and running full speed again I shut down even more often. Saves power and wear and tear on components (especially fans).
My XP media server runs 24x7 - Shuttle K45 - 100w PSU. It is my home phone (magicjack) as well as streaming media. I need to reboot it every month or two, otherwise the magicjack gets very flaky (worse than usual, that is).
My XP media server runs 24x7 - Shuttle K45 - 100w PSU. It is my home phone (magicjack) as well as streaming media. I need to reboot it every month or two, otherwise the magicjack gets very flaky (worse than usual, that is).
stop!theradio
2[H]4U
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Honestly, what other people decide to do with their equipment and their lives is none of your damned business, so get the hell off it, man. Quit trolling the thread with what you think people should do with their energy usage - because no one gives even the tiniest shit about what you think.
Kthxbai.
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The next off topic post will get banned. Read the OP carefully before typing another reply.
LOCO LAPTOP
[H]F Junkie
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My game server when I was in atlanta used to be on for about 3 years and it was a P4 3.06Ghz overclocked to 3.6Ghz with 2GB of ram.
brucedeluxe169
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I realize I never actually answered the OP's question....
my personal computer is shut down when i'm not using it, and my file server (a beagleboard) stays on 24/7.... but draws less power than an iphone.... so my carbon footprint isn't too bad
my personal computer is shut down when i'm not using it, and my file server (a beagleboard
) stays on 24/7.... but draws less power than an iphone.... so my carbon footprint isn't too bad Computer been on since I built it, but lightning storms here in florida caused some outages. It is on 24/7 overclocked and folding while I'm at work.
Just curious, how much extra would you say this costs you a month in electricity? PLEASE don't confuse my question with the other guy who was bitching about the carbon footprint BS, mine is a legit question. I've often thought about leaving my machine on all the time to fold but wonder about the potential price surge in my monthly bill. Does leaving your machine on to fold all day drastically increase your electric bill, or is it just a small increase?
Actually just a very small increase, for a good cause (to fold for a cure). $75 a month with the AC on, but since the weather is cooling down no AC needed. I just got my electricity bill for this month, $52. For me its worth it, one of my relatives has passed away from cancer and my grandmother has Alzheimer's, its more of a reason to.
stop!theradio
2[H]4U
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I voted 1 week to 1 month. I'm not exactly sure how long I've kept my machine on, but it was probably for a couple weeks at the most. On average, though, I shut it down probably once or twice a week. I keep it off for around 5 minutes just to give everything a little rest. I know it's probably useless in doing so, but I like to clear out memory and start it up fresh every now and then.
Easykill1978
Limp Gawd
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i have not turned my main rigg off since i built it..
my htpc has been powered on since i dont know,, never turned it off.. never had to patch it either.. have no need too..it never goes on the net and its blocked completely from doing so. only ftp is allowed for file transfer from main rig to media pc..umm i think about 3 years or so....carbon footrpint, please go make someone else rich ok.. do course on geology, geography (human and planet) and come talk to me again. otherwise, those with little knowledge go else where about carbon my f@# footprint bs .. thank you..
my htpc has been powered on since i dont know,, never turned it off.. never had to patch it either.. have no need too..it never goes on the net and its blocked completely from doing so. only ftp is allowed for file transfer from main rig to media pc..umm i think about 3 years or so....carbon footrpint, please go make someone else rich ok.. do course on geology, geography (human and planet) and come talk to me again. otherwise, those with little knowledge go else where about carbon my f@# footprint bs .. thank you..
Majeztik12
Limp Gawd
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Best to leave it on now that we have RoHS.
Youn
Supreme [H]ardness
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I'm just curious, not arguing either way..
Is there a reason, other then convenience and perhaps for updates in a business/corperate setting, to keep a computer on when you aren't using it? Is there stronge evidence somewhere that it would make NO difference at all if everyone were to shutdown when not in use? Does it take more power to bootup then it does to just let it stay on or something?
As for the poll, I would put 5+ years but only for servers I've worked on. Otherwise 2 days for work (I reboot after every work day) and never more then 24 for my puter at home (don't spend much time on it)
Is there a reason, other then convenience and perhaps for updates in a business/corperate setting, to keep a computer on when you aren't using it? Is there stronge evidence somewhere that it would make NO difference at all if everyone were to shutdown when not in use? Does it take more power to bootup then it does to just let it stay on or something?
As for the poll, I would put 5+ years but only for servers I've worked on. Otherwise 2 days for work (I reboot after every work day) and never more then 24 for my puter at home (don't spend much time on it)
Folding@Home and similar undertakings would be a common argument for leaving one's system(s) on.
Youn
Supreme [H]ardness
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I agree but I assumed that meant you are actually using your computer for something.
I sleep my desktop and hibernate my laptop whenever I'm not using them; I don't know why you would leave them fully powered if you're not using them? (I guess Folding@Home is a reason, though I prefer to keep my power bills down.)
However, I have left a Windows 2000 machine used as a server on for months without rebooting in the past.
However, I have left a Windows 2000 machine used as a server on for months without rebooting in the past.
I run torrents, I am assuming a great number of people here do too.
Youn
Supreme [H]ardness
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yeah, all that makes perfect sense (especially folding, which I think is great btw) I just have heard some people leave it on for no reason and can't explain why other then that's what they've been told to do. My girlfriend for example, never shuts her laptop off, just keeps it on because that's what her family always did and she can't explain why and got annoyed when I started asking quesitons about it (she's a non-techy). She probably uses it less then 10 hours a week, only for internet browsing/emails.
Shalafi
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My laptop is often shut down when not in use unless I'm downloading something off Steam while I sleep at night.
My desktop on the other hand was usually left on, I think the longest i've had it up was about 2-3 weeks. It wasn't uncommon to leave it running for a week or 2 before shutting it down, I often did that because in the old days, it might take a few mins to boot up and be useable, like 5 mins or so? I never did time it, but it felt that way. Of course I guess the truth is it does feel like an eternity when YOU want to use your computer right away but can't because of the boot up process.
My desktop on the other hand was usually left on, I think the longest i've had it up was about 2-3 weeks. It wasn't uncommon to leave it running for a week or 2 before shutting it down, I often did that because in the old days, it might take a few mins to boot up and be useable, like 5 mins or so? I never did time it, but it felt that way. Of course I guess the truth is it does feel like an eternity when YOU want to use your computer right away but can't because of the boot up process.
jeremyshaw
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Email server, to be exact. A BAMF 1U Coppermine.
My folding rig is offline, eagerly awaiting THE new part
Rahburt-33
Gawd
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This computer has probably been running for ~1-2 years, but that was before it was mine.
YeOldeStonecat
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Folding is one reason.
And since getting into computers, I've become a firm believer in "Turn 'em on..leave 'em on..for long healthy life". I know it's an endless debate, leave on versus power down. Leaving on gets them hot..and they stay that way. Turn on, turn off, turn on, turn off, turn on, turn off...hot, cold, expansion, contraction..shortens the life of tiny electrical components.
While my electrical bill goes up and little and puts a dent in my carbon footprint, discarding far fewer parts because I'm not burning out computer components every year makes my garbage haul to the land fill less.