There is always the matter of what to do with your computer after you leave the office for the day. Shutting it down entirely or putting it into sleep mode are the two most common options.
Both options have their own set of benefits and drawbacks, and neither is particularly good or wrong in any given circumstance. There are, however, guidelines for when to use each option.
Some people leave their PCs on all the time, while others turn them off as soon as they leave the room. When using a laptop, you must be mindful of your power usage, especially when you are using a battery for power. On top of that, be mindful of the effects of your practices on the performance of your CPU.
Here, we will look at whether or not using the sleep mode is bad for your PC.
What Happens When You Shutdown Your PC?
Switching off your PC entirely shuts it down, which means you will have to spend more time rebooting and relaunching files and applications when you turn it back on.
However, Windows 10 performs a hybrid shutdown by default, which means the PC does not entirely shut down. When compared to traditional shutdowns, it can power up faster.
A complete shutdown turns off software and hardware components in your PC. Before a forced shutdown, the OS sends a timed notification to all open programs to stop reading and writing files or data.
The remaining devices and drivers are then delivered shutdown signals, gradually reducing power. You risk file corruption and even hard drive damage if you force a computer to shut down by holding the power button.
What Happens When Your PC Goes to Sleep Mode?
Consider sleep mode to be a means for your PC to rest.
Sleep is a power-saving feature that allows you to swiftly resume computer operations without having to wait the many minutes it takes to restart from a shutdown stage.
All open documents and apps are also saved in sleep mode, so you won’t have to reopen them. These open files are kept in the RAM, and the rest of your PC is powered off.
Additionally, when your PC is in sleep mode, any updates and notifications can still be pushed through.
Sleep mode is similar to pushing the pause button on your PC: it stops but resumes in a matter of seconds.
Is Sleep Mode Bad for PC?
The machine state is stored in RAM. When the PC is put into sleep mode, it turns off unnecessary subsystems and puts the RAM into a low-power state, just enough to keep its data.
When the computer runs on batteries, and the lid is closed, most laptops automatically adopt this mode due to the significant power savings. If the functionality isn’t what you want, you can change it in the operating system settings in Window 10.
To determine if the sleep mode is bad for your computer, we have listed several advantages of using sleep mode for your PC.
Restores Your Progress Instantly
If your PC is in sleep mode, a short tap of the mouse or keyboard can wake it up.
When you turn on a computer after being turned off, you have to wait for it to boot up and load all of the essential files, although this can be expedited with an SSD.
It can be inconvenient for people who use computers frequently throughout the day to shut them down since they waste a lot of time waiting for them to turn on.
Helps in Power Saving
RAM saves your work with very little battery usage.
While both sleep and shutdown save power, the debate remains as to which is best for your PC. If you’re not going to be using your PC for more than 20 minutes, the US Department of Energy recommends that you put it into sleep mode.
It’s also a good idea to turn off your PC if you won’t be using it for longer than two hours. So, it’s best to turn off your PC when you go to sleep (no pun intended).
Better Maintenance of Your PC
Overnight, your PC executes vital maintenance programs in the background, such as virus scans, disk cleanup, updates, and system backups while it is in sleep mode.
Shutting down your computer, unless you plan these tasks to be completed during the day, may interfere with these essential apps, making your machine more vulnerable to malware and slowdowns.
What Are the Drawbacks of Using Sleep Mode?
There are a few drawbacks of using sleep mode on your PC. They include:
- In Sleep Mode, the battery might still slowly drain over hours or days.
- The RAM of a computer never rests and can get overloaded.
When Should You Use Sleep Mode?
Sleep Mode is helpful for taking quick breaks from work, or when you know you will be returning to your computer soon.
You might want to put your PC to sleep mode in these situations:
- During a change of location in the office or elsewhere.
- When you are taking a break from your computer and will be coming back soon.
- When you remove yourself from your workstation long enough for your PC to go to sleep.
When you need to start up just where you left off in a matter of hours, Sleep Mode is the ideal option.
To rapidly restore your screen to the state it was when you left, simply press the Power button on your computer.
When you don’t have access to a power source, the sleep mode isn’t a good option. For example, suppose you’re traveling and won’t be able to charge your computer for several hours or even days. In that case, Sleep Mode will slowly drain the battery.
The good news is that after a few hours in Sleep mode, most laptops enter some sort of Hibernation to conserve battery life and back up your work.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to Sleep or Shut down your PC, today’s PCs are reasonably effective at keeping your work ready for you and helping you pick up where you left off.
When you select to shut down, most programs will prompt you to save your files before they are lost. However, no matter what you’re working on, it’s a good idea to take regular breaks and save your progress if something goes wrong. In essence, sleep mode is not bad for your PC. Whether or not you use it should depend on the situation you are in.
