How long to keep computer switched on?

Steve C · 17 Oct 2017

pparks1 said:

I tested this once with a kill-a-watt meter and for more of a gaming rig, I was estimating about $20-$25 a month to run it around the clock.

Phew $300 per year to keep the PC on! I an think of better uses for the money.

CountMike · 17 Oct 2017

NavyLCDR said:

Actually, yes. When you press the standard power key on TVs from about the last decade or two, they don't really power all the way off. It's more of a sleep function. You have to actually unplug them to power most of them all the way off. Think about it. In order for a TV to turn on when you press the infrared remote power key - it already has to have some circuits on and running in order to receive and act on the command from the remote.

And that's one reason I say "hooey" when it is stated that if you get more then two years life out of a capacitor you are lucky. There are a lot of circuits in standard household equipment that are powered on 24/7, such as anything with an infrared remote and most them last a lot longer than 2-3 years.

That was just small part of power consumption with CRT TV/monitors. In order to start faster cathodes in CRT screen were held energized so they satay hot all the time and that took even more power.