Sleep, Hibernate, Shutdown

Shutting down your PC or putting it to sleep? This has been a long-debated topic; some people argue that when you turn on and off your PC too many times, you can damage the components and reduce its overall lifespan. Other people say it is a waste of energy if you put your computer to sleep, especially if it is not used for a longer period.

So which is the best for your PC? But before we show you which the best is, it makes sense to know when to use each feature.

When should you shut down, hibernate or put your computer to sleep?

• If you want to take a quick break, putting your PC to sleep makes sense.
• If you don’t feel like saving your work yet but you want to go out or do something for a while, it makes sense to hibernate.
• To keep your PC fresh, it makes sense to shut it down once in a while.

Hibernate

What happens when you hibernate your computer?

When you hibernate your PC, it turns it off completely but gives you a chance to resume all your work when you restart your computer. What happens is that it freezes everything you are doing and saves it on your system’s hard disk and then shut off the computer. Once you press the power button, it unfreezes the system and you can continue working.

When should you hibernate your PC?

When you hibernate your PC, it will not consume any power. So, if you are working on something and you want to continue where you left when you put on your computer, hibernating your computer is good.

The cons of PC hibernation

It takes a bit time than putting it to sleep because it is not instant like sleep mode.

Sleep Mode

What happens when you put your PC to sleep?

Sleep mode uses power but allows your PC to rest without shutting down completely. Once you select sleep mode or close your lid, your laptop will go into sleep mode, saving all the work you are doing in the RAM. When you open the lid or click the start button, you will be able to resume all your works.

When should you put your computer to sleep?

If you are just taking a quick break, sleep mode is the best option. Once you press the start button or open the lid of your laptop, all the applications that are running will resume and you can continue working.

Cons of putting your computer to sleep

Sleep mode consumes a bit of your battery and if you leave it for some days in sleep mode, it can drain the battery completely. Your macOS or Windows also tends to slow down and become a bit unreliable if the PC is not shut down after a few days. So it makes sense to reboot your computer every so often.

Shutdown

What happens when you shut down your computer?

When you shut down your computer, every application you opened will shut down completely. Your computer will not consume any power when you shut it down. But when you shut it down, it will clear all the memory that is why you should only use it every 2 or 3 days to keep your system responsive and fast.

When should you shut down your laptop?

Whenever you are done with your works and save them, you can shut down your computer. Also, if you haven’t shut down for a while, you can reboot your computer to make sure it works more efficiently.

The cons of shutting down your PC

You have to save your work and wait for the system to shut down.

Are any of the options damaging your computer?

Technically, your computer will continue to run when in sleep mode, which in the long run cause wear and tear to your PC. But the slowing of your computer is what you should worry about because sleep mode slows your computer. Of course, hibernating and shutting down are options with no wear.

If you need to keep your computer working beautifully, give us a call.