InDarkestNight Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 (edited) For a while before my computer broke, I was thinking that this thing's eating up a lot of power just so I can browse the web. Even after getting it back online and running, I just don't feel inclined to play any games. Like I've said in the past, I hate just about all the games I downloaded, either because they weren't what they were advertised to be, or because they were turned into something unrecognizable after updates. Now, here I am again doing nothing but browsing the web with this thing. Thinking that maybe I should switch back to the laptop for the sake of web-browsing, and just use this thing as a gaming platform. It would help make it last longer, and save a bit on the power bill. Also, for some reason I am missing windows after installing Ubuntu on this thing. I like it, don't get me wrong, but the sudden change for some reason has filled me with existential dread. I rarely use the laptop; I bought it originally as a work laptop when I was getting that degree in programming. I never got a job in IT and never will, so its mostly just sat in the corner and languished. The only time I ever use it is when this computer is broken, or that time I was avoiding running it to keep it from heating up my room (our AC was broke at the time, and this thing REALLY heats up this room I assure you). Been thinking maybe I should use it more. I mean, why bother burning this thing's components when I'm not even using them for anything the laptop couldn't do? I'm wearing this thing out using it for nothing. Maybe I should go back to the laptop for a bit, at least to save on power until I decide I do want to play a game. Edited December 13, 2023 by InDarkestNight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zixi Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 I don't know what the advice is now regarding switching things on an off. I switch my PC on in the morning then off at night - it's the last bit of once being a computer scientist that I can't give up. When I worked, I was followed round by a team of technicians who understood hardware way better than I ever did and they'd know the answer to this kind of thing. The 'wisdom' many years ago was that it was best to not keep switching on and off but I think it's now swings and roundabouts. It's an interesting hardware question though and I hope some hardware savvy people can shed some light. I'd like to know what current thinking is too. I don't have the team of technicians any more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 If you computer is on, yep, it's using power, if it's just idle though, likely not very much. Laptop definitely uses less..... It is not nearly as efficient of a space heater as a gaming computer. If you aren't gaming, then using the laptop, and leaving the gaming rig off, makes good sense. Probably won't be a major difference in your electric bill though.... I shut my machine down if I am not going to be around using it for a few hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zixi Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 @HeyYou - Thanks for that. I found it interesting. I'll ponder the: I should switch it off... Many years ago I had a machine at work which would sometimes not boot. The technicians did all sorts to it but eventually they use to take the lid off, look inside and for some reason it would boot. They replaced all kinds of things to no avail. Eventually they told me not to switch it off. They hoped that would eventually bring about its demise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 1 hour ago, zixi said: @HeyYou - Thanks for that. I found it interesting. I'll ponder the: I should switch it off... Many years ago I had a machine at work which would sometimes not boot. The technicians did all sorts to it but eventually they use to take the lid off, look inside and for some reason it would boot. They replaced all kinds of things to no avail. Eventually they told me not to switch it off. They hoped that would eventually bring about its demise... That's generally how it works. I had a machine at work, that if it was deprived of power, (either unplugging it, or even just switching off the power supply) it would NOT boot. Diag LEDs would whine about CPU and Ram... but, hold the power button down till it shut off, the power it back up again, and it would boot just fine. If you just shut it down, and didn't kill power to it, it would restart just fine...... Nothing I tried would change that behavior.... No clue what that's all about. Had a chat with the customer, explained the situation to her, told her the only "real" fix would be replace the CPU, and mother board.... or, live with the quirk till it died completely. She elected to live with it. Nice machine too...... Overkill for what she wanted to do with it, but, I was always a big fan of overkill. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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