computer tip of the day go to sleep

computer tip of the day

Before you clock out for the day, you have one final decision to make: should you turn off your computer? Will it really save that much money? This is the topic of our computer tip of the day.

Like this article notes, sleep mode is a power-saving state that is similar to pausing a DVD movie. All actions on the computer are stopped and any open documents and applications are put in memory. You can quickly resume normal, full-power operation within a few seconds. Sleep mode is basically the same thing as ā€œStandbyā€ mode.

Screen Savers

As you get up from your desk or work station, you might be tempted to walk away and let your screen saver do what it was meant to do, which is to save your screen from… something you might or might not even know. Well, here’s the truth:

  • CRT monitors need screen savers to keep from having an image “burned” onto the screen.
  • CRT monitors look like older TV sets and function in a similar manner.
  • Practically nobody uses CRT monitors anymore.
  • Screen savers do practically nothing for the modern monitor. (It takes an insanely long time for an image to burn onto an LCD monitor!)

Aside from looking pretty or entertaining us as we watch hypnotic patterns (or flying toasters, if you have a really old screen saver), all a screen saver does these days is chew up energy. A screen saver can burn up 140Ā to 200Ā watts of power as it performs the calculations to do its obsolete job.

Sleep Mode (Stand-by)

By comparison, a computer that is put into “sleep” mode uses 2 to 8 watts of power. Sleep mode still uses power, yes, but the wake up time is a matter of a few seconds. Your work is still where you left it and you can continue as though nothing snooze-worthy has happened.

Hibernate

Hibernation uses no power. The reboot time is anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and there is a chance for data corruption, but if you have a lot of computers in your office, the energy savings could be worth it.

Unplugged

The EPA recommends that unnecessary appliances be unplugged when not in use. This is because a small amount of power trickles in constantly to our favorite gadgets and their chargers. This may not be practical at your office, but it is the guaranteed way to ensure that your computers are not consuming any power while they’re not being used for extended periods.

Go To Sleep

For many, the sleep mode provides the right balance between energy savings and work efficiency. It significantly reduces power consumption while allowing you to pick right up where you left off with a minimal wait time. Additionally, the great thing about sleep mode is that you don’t have to do anything. Just set it and forget it. What could be more convenient?

For help with setting up your systems for the best performance and efficiency, contact us. Good night, sleep tight, and don’t forget to turn out the lights!

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