Shutdown vs. Logoff

[smd0665]

I'm sure this debate is as old as time...
We use ******* at work. There was a discussion about the merits of leaving the computer on all the time. Some say that shutting down the computer can be bad for it, that it causes wear and tear on the motherboard. At home, I run Ubuntu. I usually shut it down when I leave for work, 'cause I feel like it's a machine and it needs some down time. Is there a definitive answer as to whether it's better to leave it on all time or to shut it down?

[smartboyathome]

Shut it down, definately. I haven't heard of shutting down causing wear and tear on the motherboard before.

[CharmyBee]

Same here. I've shut down computers often for over 15 years, and this 'wear and tear' seems nothing more than an enthusiast's myth to me.

[rucadulu]

Years ago shutting down a computer all the time was considered very bad for the hardware. However with the better heat control now available and the better chip products available today this is no longer the case. So in closing it is perfectly fine to shutdown your computer when it is not in use.

[gnomeuser]

I shut my machine off when it is not in use. I also set the machine to suspend after 30 mins of inactivity in case I have to run out and forget to shut it down.

[northwestuntu]

yeah i just shut it down also.

[mwalimu54]

I find that Ubuntu actually runs faster if I leave my computer running for a while. It loads more progs into memory and program startup time is less. My one machine has been up for 47 days but the other I just shut down to take to a friend's house. If you're running windows, shut down at least once a week.

[ChadMMc]

I say either way is about the same (hence the common debating...lol).

About half the nights I leave it going (the cron is able to do it's processing better) and the other nights I turn it off (saves electric costs and anacron can kick in still when turned back on).

Note: not too sure anymore, but the most likely time in the past for hard drive failure, etc. was during the initial power up (surges, tracking, etc.) ... these days that is most likely accounted for.

So, as far as I can tell, no real matter either way (except in terms of saving electricity... even standby or hibernate uses a trickle, then again totally off will too to keep the battery charged on the cpu)