Have you ever noticed that your PC or laptop works better and faster after you’ve given it a fresh start after shutting it down?
It’s not just your imagination, there actually are real benefits to shutting down your computer and powering it back up again on a regular basis.
Save Energy
An office full of PCs and laptops, not to mention printers and other computer equipment, can eat up quite a bit of energy every month. Just one PC machine uses about 350 watts or .35kW. If, for example, your local electrical company charges a modest 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, simply operating that one PC will cost your organization over $25 per month. Multiply that figure by the number of PCs in your building and you will probably arrive at a notable sum of money that is wasted every month in unwarranted energy costs.
Internal PC Parts
Every PC and laptop is equipped with cooling fans that constantly monitor your machine to make sure your CPU and power supply unit do not overheat. By giving your machine a break and shutting it off when not in use, it also gives the fans a break and extends their life expectancy. For those still using a traditional hard drive rather than a solid state drive, shutting down your machine also gives your hard drive a much-needed rest.
Start With a Clean Slate
If you’ve ever encountered a computer glitch and your tech support person told you to simply shut down your machine and start it up again, there is actually a good reason for doing just that. Shutting down your machine completely allows it to flush out its memory and stops all of its behind-the-scenes processes. By shutting your machine down every night and starting it up again in the morning, your machine will most likely run faster throughout the day, with less downtime and freezes.
Want to know more about best practices for your computer equipment? Contact us.