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General discussionWhat do you do with your computer when not using it?(138 posts)(138 posts)
(138 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: Given the cooling issues my desktop has, I would not want to run something like folding@home on it. If I did, the CPU would throttle, reducing performance (and hence the amount of work the computer gets done) to unacceptably low levels, and after a while it would just shut off abruptly.
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BlueMooner: I found the slowdown was too much while I was actually using the computer, so I'd disable it. However, I let it run while I was asleep, or at work, or whatever, without problems.

In any case, money is tighter now, so I never reinstalled the software on newer comps.
Slowdown? Granted, don't know how Folding@home works, but distributed computing should run with low priority, so only using idle processing power, not competing with anything you're actually running...
Posted January 13, 2021
Turn it off. I don't have a reason to be on the PC other than gaming, and using my sweet sound system for parties. And creating EBM.
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: Given the cooling issues my desktop has, I would not want to run something like folding@home on it. If I did, the CPU would throttle, reducing performance (and hence the amount of work the computer gets done) to unacceptably low levels, and after a while it would just shut off abruptly.
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BlueMooner: I found the slowdown was too much while I was actually using the computer, so I'd disable it. However, I let it run while I was asleep, or at work, or whatever, without problems.

In any case, money is tighter now, so I never reinstalled the software on newer comps.
You're assuming a computer with functional cooling, where running the software while idle won't cause problems.

My desktop's cooling is broken, so if I were to try running the software while away from the computer, I'd likely come back to a computer that has powered down, didn't get much work done, and will find that the filesystem isn't clean when I do start it back up again.
Posted January 13, 2021
My laptop is on unless we have a local electrical storm. In that case I will unplug all the external drives and the laptop itself. (If I am gaming I will play a low-drain game, like FTL until the storm passes or the batteries dies.)
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eric5h5:
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DoomSooth: […] If you're in that much of a hurry, you must have quite the exciting life. Also, leaving something running as opposed to not leaving it running will wear it out faster. […]
Win10 has a very annoying log-in process. Even though the boot time of Win10 is massively reduced from earlier versions (WinXP, Win3.1) there are all sorts of background processes taking the focus from the keyboard when I try to enter my password, to the point that the wireless keyboard will nearly always have a buffer-dump multiple of a single keypress when the log-in process returns.

And yes, when I need to use the computer it is generally to enter data that I have to remember, so the process is time-sensitive and does not lend itself to waiting.

My last laptop (which I replaced because I feared the battery would lose its last charge and prevent it booting at all, without replacing the battery) was still working when I replaced it last year. It was a 2007 model. I also live in a littoral zone (the last desktop in the office, the replacement for which I am typing on now) died because the circuitry rusted. It was not possible to replace the components because the motherboard was too old to swap in anything new.

So, built-in obsolescence makes it a moot point to worry about wearing out a computer (in my experience) and so your only argument is the cost. Modern computers (especially laptops) throttle the CPU down when it isn't being used.

I have the smart-television that I use as a monitor off when not directly being used (for either movies or games) which is most of the time.
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mrkgnao: Leave it running.

I never turn it off and I rarely reboot it (only when forced to).

I do, however, close all applications when I go to sleep.
I do shut down all the applications as soon as they are not being used. (This is more to protect against data corruption from a crashed open document.)
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dtgreene: That honestly sounds like the reverse of what I would expect.

With a laptop, you have to worry about the battery, while a desktop will always be plugged in without issues.
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djdarko: The battery in my laptop died several years ago, in the sense that it has about 30 seconds of power once the cord is pulled, so I just leave it plugged in all the time. It tends to run quiet unless something is left running.

As for the desktop, it doesn't run nearly as quiet and it's a hassle cleaning the fans, so I figure to turn it off to prevent additional dust from being sucked into the fans when not in use.

When I get around the putting together a new build the cooling system is going to be a major factor.
Yes. My personal use is (clearly) not customary.

The desktop is network-connected. Not only do I shut it down, but I also remove the CAT5 cable connecting it to the modem. Every time. (There are network protocols that wake up computers. Did you know your smart phone can be turned on remotely? It has been the case for decades.)
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: My desktop's cooling is broken
Sorry to hear that. Hope you get better cooling soon.
Posted January 13, 2021
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scientiae: Win10 has a very annoying log-in process. Even though the boot time of Win10 is massively reduced from earlier versions (WinXP, Win3.1) there are all sorts of background processes taking the focus from the keyboard when I try to enter my password, to the point that the wireless keyboard will nearly always have a buffer-dump multiple of a single keypress when the log-in process returns.

And yes, when I need to use the computer it is generally to enter data that I have to remember, so the process is time-sensitive and does not lend itself to waiting.
You could, of course, have another device, or even just old-fashioned paper and pencil, for those times when you have to write everything down *just* now. Even a Raspberry Pi could work for this; you can just leave it running, and then just switch to the correct monitor input when you need to use it. (The 400 might be particularly nice for this use case, because it's a keyboard, and can therefore be used to type notes without needing to get an external keyboard.)

Then, if you have to enter the data on your Windows device, you can then just copy what you wrote down elsewhere without having to worry about forgetting it.
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: Some motherboards might be able to power USB ports while off, but none of my current devices can. (My small laptop can definitely provide such power while asleep, however.)
My SN30 pro+ has a LED on it, which does not turn off when I shut the computer down (I use it wired via USB), plus it always remembers which mode it was in, which doesn't happen if its power is interrupted.
Posted January 13, 2021
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timppu: Shut it down completely. On my Windows 10 PCs, I routinely go to change the power option to disable "fast boot" which prevents the computer from shutting down completely. I also disable "hibernate" if there is such an option, as I don't want to keep any hibernate file around.
Fun side-note I learned of recently (the hard way): as a safety precaution Linux will typically only mount windows OS partitions as read-only if "fast boot" or "hibernate" are enabled, since the file system is considered to be in an inconsistent state while any sort of memory state is saved to disk.
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: Some motherboards might be able to power USB ports while off, but none of my current devices can. (My small laptop can definitely provide such power while asleep, however.)
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eric5h5: My SN30 pro+ has a LED on it, which does not turn off when I shut the computer down (I use it wired via USB), plus it always remembers which mode it was in, which doesn't happen if its power is interrupted.
My SF30 pro (no + here; I like having the smaller controller, and I got it before the + came out, anyway) will turn off its LEDs when my newer laptop is shut down or hibernating, but not when it's suspended.

Similarly, my phone will not charge when connected to my older, smaller, laptop when it's powered off, but will if it's suspended (but I assume not when it's hibernating).
Posted January 13, 2021
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Vythonaut: Power surges due to a lightning strike. The lightning may hit a nearly pole, or it may hit your house if you're unlucky and create a massive power surge that can & possibly will fry your equipment, no matter how good are the electrics in your house (even if you already have a surge protector installed). Generally, it's better to be safe than sorry.
I know about lightning - I was just wondering if the rain had anything to do with it. ;-)

My parents (small town) used to unplug things - but I've been living in a city for decades and because of the many taller buildings around, lightning strike is very improbable. I never have to worry about weather conditions.
Posted January 13, 2021
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eric5h5: And then a nearby lightning strike fried the modem, but fortunately nothing else, which was lucky considering it was an internal modem.
So, did the electricity pass through the thin phone line? That's certainly quite interesting to hear, since i've never thought it's possible; you've been quite lucky to have only the modem fry!

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eric5h5: These days I have a surge protector with a phone line pass-through for my DSL, but I still unplug the line during storms just in case.
The surge protector will work under normal surges, but you thought it well to not count on it should a lightning strikes nearby.
Posted January 13, 2021
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Vythonaut: So, did the electricity pass through the thin phone line? That's certainly quite interesting to hear, since i've never thought it's possible; you've been quite lucky to have only the modem fry!
Yep, quite lucky! The only thing physically connected at the time was the phone line, and the only damage was the modem, so that's all I know. (Afterward I bought an external modem and used that for a year or so until I was able to get DSL internet.)
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: * Raspberry Pi 4: Leave on. The Pi has no power button (except the Pi 400), and I believe it doesn't support sleep mode, but it uses up much less electricity than other computing devices.
What do you use the Raspberry for? Emulators? As a Chromecast equivalent? I have been wondering about these devices. I guess it would be even possible to play remotely with Steam link or Geforce?
Posted January 13, 2021
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Judicat0r: It is.
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samuraigaiden: Maybe if you are running a 386 processor.
Are you trolling?
Posted January 13, 2021
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dtgreene: * Raspberry Pi 4: Leave on. The Pi has no power button (except the Pi 400), and I believe it doesn't support sleep mode, but it uses up much less electricity than other computing devices.
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Carradice: What do you use the Raspberry for? Emulators? As a Chromecast equivalent? I have been wondering about these devices. I guess it would be even possible to play remotely with Steam link or Geforce?
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionWhat do you do with your computer when not using it?(138 posts)(138 posts)
(138 posts)