Hello,
I'm wondering what percentage of power a PM 9600/300 consumes in "sleep" mode versus "full-blown" on. I'm debating whether or not it's better to leave the box on all the time (as I assume the machine was designed for, but correct me if I'm wrong) or to switch it on/off two or three times daily. I'm trying to strike a balance between power consumption (I am in California, where electricity is at a premium) and wear-and-tear on the CPU/power supply. I've been led to believe that switching on/off constantly puts wear and tear on the machine (again, correct me if I'm wrong) which I can ill afford. I need to weigh any such wear-and-tear against an idle machine still gobbling up power.
James Fraser
I'm sure valid arguements can be made either way on this concern. What gets worn or stressed in turning the machine on ? The switch contacts
may wear or slightly burn each time. Which switch ? The one on the keyboard or on the machine itself. This wear is rather negligible IMHO.
Since the keyboard power key is the usual way for most of us and keyboards are rather cheap this should not be a problem.
The cpu is solid state and with normal ventilation should be fine. Unless you are doing, say, heavy number crunching nonstop or 3D raytracing
in a case with sots of drives and other heat sources either turning it on and off or leaving it on should not shorten it's life. Add fans and dust the interior if you think heat is a problem in your usage of the machine. Turning the machine off lessens the fan motor wear and power supply heat generation . But turning the warm or hot machine off in a room that is substantially cooler will mean the thermal cycle has a larger differential.
A room with a relatively stable temperature is best for home computers. In turning them both off and on. In cold Ohio weather I always let a machine warm up to room temperature if it's been in the car or unheated storage before booting. It's easier on drive and fan bearings.
I have a 7600,9600,8500 machines and turn them off unless I want easy access over the course of the day. IMHO I think the difference in most cases is purely a matter of the greater need. Energy conservation or machine conservation. The factor of boot time delay usually is my main consideration.
But when I'm done for the day they go off.
Macs can take it all in stride. They're built pretty tough in my opinion.
-- Adrian
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