What If I Never Shut Down My Computer? Are Hibernate And Sleep Options Enough?

Do you shut down your computer completely multiple times in a day? Or do you prefer to use hibernate and sleep options? Modern computers are designed to benefit users with Sleep Mode and Hibernation. So, you shouldn’t hesitate to use them regularly. However, leaving your PC running for weeks also doesn’t make any sense.

Our computers come with different power management options that you can enable when you aren’t using your PC. The options, such as shutdown, sleep, and hibernation, have been a part of operating systems for a long time. Some modern operating systems, such as Windows 10, also provide advanced options like Hybrid Sleep.

But which option should you prefer? What’s the need for a shutdown button when the PC manufacturer has given the facility to hibernate the system?

Well, before telling you the answer to these questions, I’ll recommend you to read our dedicated article written by Aditya, which explains the basic functional difference between shutdown, sleep, hibernation, and other options. It’ll help you understand the need and usage of these options in a better way.

Having said that, let’s deal with the biggest question — What’s the use of the shutdown button in our computers?

What if I never Shutdown my PC?

Modern operating systems and computers are designed to be used for a long time without performing the complete shutdown process. However, there are some points that you should keep in mind.

Software Issues

On the software front, the programs being used by you keep collecting all sorts of junk. So, shutting down your computer will close the running apps to free up the RAM and delete the temporary data from the hard drive.

Hopefully, freeing up RAM would allow the machine to run more efficiently. However, if your computer has enough RAM, it can be used for a longer period of time without shutdown.

In other words, keeping your PC running for days would bloat the RAM with lots of apps and services, eventually slowing it down up to some extent. Hence, if some process is running into an error, shutting down your PC would reset its state.

The systems being used as servers have more liberty as only a few programs keep running for a longer duration. Compared to a desktop computer, where one keeps interacting with the programs and running different applications, a server system will run longer. Also, the server operating systems are pre-optimized for longer use.

Hardware Issues

The computer hardware consists of some moving parts like the hard drive that age with time and continuous heat. Your operating system might run without any hiccup, but your hardware will suffer. When it comes to leaving a computer running, there’s another big factor in the form of a hefty electricity bill.

So, what should I choose? Shutdown, hibernate, or sleep?

In a nutshell, a modern computer can run for multiple days without a complete shutdown. It goes without saying that you need to reboot it to complete some installation or update process. But, if your computer can’t run smoothly without frequent reboots, it’s because of outdated hardware or some other problem.

Modern Computers Are Designed To Benefit Users With Hibernate And Sleep

In the end, your choices matter. But, there’s no point turning your computer on and off multiple times a day. You can use the sleep option and get back to work instantly. Just in case you wish to save some more electricity and avoid sleep, you can hibernate your computer. If you aren’t going to use your PC for some days, or it’s showing some laggy behavior, you can surely book a ride to the shutdown town.

Did you find this article helpful? Don’ forget to drop your feedback in the comments below.

Also Read: What Is The Difference Between RAM and ROM? What Is Their Use?

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