In part one of this 5 part series, we explored the first reason why it’s best to turn off your computer at night (or when it’s not in use, such as when you go out of town).
Today, we will cover part 2.
The second reason why you should power down your computer at night, is to give your hard-working internal components a rest.
There are several parts of a computer system that are working constantly:
- System Processor Fan
- Video Processor Fan
- Power Supply Fan
- Hard Drive
All of these items spin at a rapid rate, some faster than others. Although all of these items to designed to spin a long time, each one of these items represents a “point of failure” in your computer system.
Since physics has taught us that anything which moves will be subject to friction, and anything subject to friction will suffer some eventual wear, it goes without saying that these parts will not last forever. To put in more in layman’s terms: Just because you drive your car slowly and never “burn rubber”, doesn’t mean that you wont eventually wear out a set of new tires.
As for the list of components that I listed above, here is why it’s important for those items to stay functional:
1. The system fan cools down your processor, which is one of the hardest working computer chip in the computer. The system processor becomes extremely hot, and without a fan to keep it cool, your system will shut down to avoid overheating and starting a fire.
2. The video processor fan is probably the second hardest working computer chips in the system, although not all computers have a dedicated video card or video processor fan. However, if you do have a video processor with a fan, it must stay in working condition or your computer will become very unstable and unreliable.
3. Not many people give much though to the power supply fan, but it is also essential in keeping the computer is working condition. Since the computer’s power supply is actually a miniature electrical transformer, converting AC power to DC power, which produces a lot of heat. If this fan stops working, the entire power supply typically needs to be replaced.
4. Last but certainly not least, when your computer is turned on, the metallic platters that hold all of your important information (photos, documents, e-mail, geneology projects, etc) are spinning away inside your computer. Not giving your hard drive a periodic rest can be extremely detrimental to any computer user who stores valuable information on their computer, but does not take the time to backup their data… just ask anyone who has lost irreplaceable photos, or important projects such as an autobiography or valuable e-mails.
Turning off your computer when not in use gives all of these components a rest and will prolong the computer’s useful life.
If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment for computer repair and/or IT services in the Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado areas, please call us today!
Welcome Back! Since you have visited a few times now, why not leave a comment?
