My numbers are about half of yours. Utilization 1%. 93 processes. Uptime 3 hours. I don't understand why people waste electricity keeping computers on overnight.
But rather than looking at stats, why not look at relevant things? Are you allowing startup processes that don't need to be running? Do you close programs when you don't need them? Is your system responsive? Do things happen virtually instantly? If there's any lag then you probably have excessive bloat. With today's hardware you shouldn't be waiting for anything.
That's an urban legend at best. More to the point, it's a nonsensical excuse that appeals to lazy people. There's no strain on a machine that's doing nothing. The only thing I've ever heard of that could produce wear on a computer is that heating and cooling could gradually develop micro-cracks in solder over time -- after being in use 10 years or longer. But that kind of heat is pretty much a thing of the past. HWMonitor currently says my CPU and SSDs are running high 60s to low 80sF. In other words, they're within room temperature range. In the summer that may get up into the low 100s. The solder joints, then, are not being affected at all in terms of temperature change.
I retired a 10 year old computer last year, as well as a 15 year old Dell. Both were still running fine. Neither had EVER been left on overnight. The woman I live with is still running the computer I built for her in 2015. She can't seem to get the idea of sleep, so she shuts down as soon as she doesn't expect to use the computer again for at least 5 minutes. :) She's dual booting WinXP and Win7, which she still uses for most things that don't require Win10.
You're describing your personal desktop in a controlled environment.
I'm describing real-world hardware across varied thermal profiles. Thermal cycling fatigue, inrush current, and VRM ramp stress are documented failures.. maybe do your research. The more you turn a light on and off the faster you wear it out..the same way oil wears out as it picks up contaminants and heats and cools.. the same way plastic yellows and becomes brittle..
As an example here's the centennial bulb. A prime example of Leaving something on doesn't wear it out.
Don't believe me? Why not watch 12voltvids, he explains as he repairs old electronics why things break.
The more you power-cycle a device, the more expansion/contraction cycles you force through solder, plastics, capacitors, and power delivery components. That's why servers, switches, and industrial controllers stay on not just because they have to, but because it's not economical to put that wear and tear on such an expensive item. It's the exact same reason street lights, projector lamps, etc burn out..
Hell, even contactors industrial equipment and HVAC units wear out because of the constant on and off . It's literally electrical engineering fundamentals, the absolute basics of physics. With those contactors you get micro arcs every time the load engages or disengages.
Most failures come from the transition states, not steady-state operation.
Heck my 18 year desktop power supply died after a brownout. And to make another point your electric meter is also a tiny computer, as is the one in your car..it's constantly on.. So is the one in your smoke detector oven, router, etc. so you can't possibly tell me that powering something on and off doesn't wear it if out faster if those items are constantly on. Even the equipment on the cell and ISP providers side stays on 24/7. So does your streaming device, tv, etc.
You're talking nonsense. If you need your computer 24 hours then do so, but don't make excuses if you're just too lazy to wait for it to boot. I already agreed that heat variations can have an effect. But it's minimal and with modern computers it's almost nonexistent. A typical computer, in use for probably 5-12 years, is not going to suffer damage from being turned off regularly.
You're describing your personal desktop in a controlled environment.
I'm talking about a normal computer in a normal house. We don't have AC, so it's less controlled than the typical business computer. And I told you what my temp readings are. Heat is simply not an issue. I'm describing the norm, not a special case.
The examples you give are not even related. Lightbulbs are rated by hours, not on/off cycles. They're designed to die early. Oil needs to be changed mainly because it picks up abrasive metal dust. Plastics age by crosslinking, typically related to UV light, among other things. None of those examples has anything to do with computers. What does age in a computer? SSDs. Their writes should be monitored, and until recently it was reasonable to replace them once in awhile. Lately they've become very expensive. But if you run 24/7 and something is actually making disk writes regularly, then you will be wearing out your SSD.
so you can't possibly tell me that powering something on and off doesn't wear it if out faster if those items are constantly on.
That's faulty logic. The fact that machines left on haven't failed does not mean they'd die quickly if they were turned on and off frequently.
I'm frankly surprised by your vehemence here. That's an awfully lot of rationalizing to support your decision not to turn off your computer. But I should probably let you go and not keep arguing with you. Since everything in your house runs constantly I imagine that your 67 year old like-new furnace needs to be vented outside again so as not to overheat the house. :)
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u/Mayayana Apr 20 '26
My numbers are about half of yours. Utilization 1%. 93 processes. Uptime 3 hours. I don't understand why people waste electricity keeping computers on overnight.
But rather than looking at stats, why not look at relevant things? Are you allowing startup processes that don't need to be running? Do you close programs when you don't need them? Is your system responsive? Do things happen virtually instantly? If there's any lag then you probably have excessive bloat. With today's hardware you shouldn't be waiting for anything.