Effect of suspend on computer life?

Bardwise · 2011-11-13 13:34:36

It seems to me that more and more people these days never turn off their computer, they just sleep/suspend it. However, I still turn my computer on and off, about 3 times a day. Which option is better for the long-term life of the computer, or does it 'all depend'?

Awebb · 2011-11-13 13:46:06

Generally: Lightbulbs die when you turn them on, rarely while they are running. If my memories don't play games with me, the moment you turn on a device gives the conduits supraconduit characteristics, even if it's just for the fraction of a second. Either that or the total opposite, physics classes at school are in a foggy past…

Back in the '90s, we used to say that cold booting a computer puts the same stress on the hardware as several hundred hours of activity. I'm not sure if that is still valid these days, as mobile computing forces us to turn devices off more often, I'm not even sure if it was still valid in the '90s.

cybertorture · 2011-11-13 15:16:53

Generally most affected part is harddrive, CPU and GPU are almoust unaffected. I am not sure about PSU but, well who wants to live forever ?

Leonid.I · 2011-11-13 17:02:56

Bardwise wrote:

It seems to me that more and more people these days never turn off their computer, they just sleep/suspend it. However, I still turn my computer on and off, about 3 times a day. Which option is better for the long-term life of the computer, or does it 'all depend'?

I really don't see much difference between hibernation and turning off. However, on-off cycles force device initialization and checks, which of couse puts some stress. If you use your machine sporadically through the day, just suspend it instead of turning off.

But remember that there are cron jobs, ntp and other things which run in the background and don't like downtime. Given the powersaving features of modern hardrives and CPU/GPU I think that keeping your machine up all day is not such a terrible idea either.

ewaller · 2011-11-13 18:20:00

In my mind, the killer is thermal cycles. Strong argument to not sleep/suspend.

OTOH, energy is a resource to be used wisely. Does it take more energy to build a replacement computer sooner because one tried to save energy by inducing thermal cycles? I don't know the answer to that.

Regardless, do configure your system to aggressively turn off the display back light. That does save a lot of energy, CCFL lamps have a 50% life of about 10,000 hours (LED backlights are better, but "White" LEDs also use phosphors which fade and drift in color temperature)

I use laptops that are always on. Back lights shut off after 2 minutes.

Last edited by ewaller (2011-11-13 18:20:23)

HeSaid · 2011-11-13 19:50:01

Being from the old school, my college training focused on vacuum tubes and early transistor theory. "In-rush" current was something about which to be concerned back then. I do not claim to have any additional, more modern knowledge. We do not power-down our 3 laptops, but, instead, just close the lids until next time they are needed.
--
Neal

.:B:. · 2011-11-13 19:57:28

I only suspend during the day, or when I'll be needing my laptop shortly.

As for drawbacks of suspending, I think it's pretty comparable to shutting down - all your computer parts are left without power besides the RAM. So I don't think it makes a lot of difference.

graysky · 2011-11-13 20:00:02

Bah, you'll likely upgrade before your gear wears out due to excessive start/stop wear. I still have PCs from circa 2002 that are still running (HDD failures but that is to be expected).

/dev/zero · 2011-11-13 20:06:29

Bardwise wrote:

It seems to me that more and more people these days never turn off their computer, they just sleep/suspend it. However, I still turn my computer on and off, about 3 times a day. Which option is better for the long-term life of the computer, or does it 'all depend'?

Windows puts people in the (bad) habit of thinking it's a good idea to restart the computer all the time. There's really hardly ever any need to turn off a *nix machine, and as others have said, it can even be detrimental.

HeSaid wrote:

We do not power-down our 3 laptops, but, instead, just close the lids until next time they are needed.

Doesn't this still use some power? How long can a laptop last in this state? I've maintained the habit of turning off my laptop when I'm not using it and it's not plugged in, but maybe I should reconsider ...

graysky · 2011-11-13 20:14:33

I suspect my work laptop on Friday and if I leave it untouched over the weekend, the battery is down to 15 % or so...

HeSaid · 2011-11-14 00:21:07

/dev/zero said:
Doesn't this still use some power? How long can a laptop last in this state?

Yes, it does. Most of the laptop has no power but for the memory and memory controller to keep the refresh strobes going. I do not know how long it will last because ours never get beyond 12 hours before someone needs to check facebook or email or the weather radar. (or read the archlinux forums). The lowest I have seen the batteries has been in the low 80% range. I will have to check further just for curiosity.

graysky said:
over the weekend, the battery is down to 15 % or so...

I would expect the same findings here.
--
Neal

/dev/zero · 2011-11-14 00:25:08

I guess another issue with leaving laptops in standby is that this would kind of render it pointless to encrypt them, wouldn't it? So maybe I will not reconsider too hard ... ;-)

HeSaid · 2011-11-14 00:42:49

@/dev/zero
Good point! Other than locking the screen on suspend, there is no security.
--
Neal

bwat47 · 2011-11-14 23:20:00

Life-wise there isn't much difference between suspending it or shutting it down. Main factor is the hard drive that has to spin up and down, and it has to do that when you suspend and when you shut down. Not a big issue for me, if my hard drive dies I get a new one

Vamp898 · 2011-11-15 18:07:52

bwat47 wrote:

Life-wise there isn't much difference between suspending it or shutting it down. Main factor is the hard drive that has to spin up and down, and it has to do that when you suspend and when you shut down. Not a big issue for me, if my hard drive dies I get a new one

Just look at the current prices some people think about not shutting down there computer until the prices are back to normal because they are afraid the can´t buy a new one xD

CheesyBeef · 2011-11-21 20:29:59

My computer is going strong for 2 years with suspending it 2-3 times daily.

I think your computer will become outdated by the time suspending causes noticeable damage or anything.

graysky · 2011-11-21 20:59:33

CheesyBeef wrote:

My computer is going strong for 2 years with suspending it 2-3 times daily.
I think your computer will become outdated by the time suspending causes noticeable damage or anything.

There's an echo in here

graysky wrote:

Bah, you'll likely upgrade before your gear wears out due to excessive start/stop wear.

defears · 2011-11-21 21:07:05

I don't see a problem except I know some computer illiterate people who suspend and then throw their laptop in a book bag. You could fry an egg on it when they take it out. Heat is the biggest silent killer of all electronics.

graysky · 2011-11-21 21:14:53

...shouldn't it draw <2W in suspend? What would create heat in S1 state?

defears · 2011-11-21 21:19:18

Two watts is still a lot of heat if it can't dissipate.

Vamp898 · 2011-11-21 21:21:06

My Notebook doesnt create any heat in suspend. And the power consumption is that low that i can put my Notebook for 4 days in suspend or even more.

But in fact i dont use suspend that often. My system needs 3 Seconds to shutdown and maximum 18 seconds to boot. That is something i can take.

defears · 2011-11-21 21:50:41

Maybe they are getting better. My girlfriend's laptop (2 years old) in suspend mode, in a book bag, gets hot. The battery is getting warm from the current draw while being in suspend. It gets very hot when it's all enclosed for a while. If it sits on her desk in suspend, it doesn't get hot at all.

Diaz · 2011-11-21 22:27:23

About the heat is true. If i leave the computer suspended it is always a little hot. Another "problem" is that the battery is always discharging, so we waste power cycles because of that. Another problem is that like 20% of the time waking from suspended system fails, so it needs an hard reset and i think that's worse than simply shutdown the system.

I shutdown my laptop eveyday and use suspend when i know i will be back to it very shortly.

defears · 2011-11-21 22:59:07

I work in construction, and the only time I suspend my netbook is when it's below freezing outside, and I leave it in the car all day. It keeps it warm and better than freezing cold start, to full bore so no condensation forms inside. (OK, I don't know what's worse. Heat or water.) But normally I don't use it. 15 Second boot.

CheesyBeef · 2011-11-22 06:46:19

defears wrote:

I don't see a problem except I know some computer illiterate people who suspend and then throw their laptop in a book bag. You could fry an egg on it when they take it out. Heat is the biggest silent killer of all electronics.

I think what you are referring to is that sometimes if you suspend a laptop and put it in a bag, it can accidentally resume from suspend. That could cause severe overheating if the laptop has inability to breathe inside the bag.

Laptops should produce very little, if any, heat while in suspend mode.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-11-13 13:34:36

Effect of suspend on computer life?

#2 2011-11-13 13:46:06

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#3 2011-11-13 15:16:53

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#4 2011-11-13 17:02:56

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#5 2011-11-13 18:20:00

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#6 2011-11-13 19:50:01

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#7 2011-11-13 19:57:28

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#8 2011-11-13 20:00:02

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#9 2011-11-13 20:06:29

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#10 2011-11-13 20:14:33

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

#11 2011-11-14 00:21:07

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#12 2011-11-14 00:25:08

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#13 2011-11-14 00:42:49

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#14 2011-11-14 23:20:00

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#15 2011-11-15 18:07:52

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#16 2011-11-21 20:29:59

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#17 2011-11-21 20:59:33

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#18 2011-11-21 21:07:05

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#19 2011-11-21 21:14:53

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#20 2011-11-21 21:19:18

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#21 2011-11-21 21:21:06

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#22 2011-11-21 21:50:41

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#23 2011-11-21 22:27:23

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#24 2011-11-21 22:59:07

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#25 2011-11-22 06:46:19

Re: Effect of suspend on computer life?

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