Computer Sleep Mode: For many of us, our laptop is a device we can’t live without, so keeping it running at its optimum level is essential. This also includes how we turn it off when not in use. So, should we let it stay in sleep mode, or is it better to turn it off completely?
Let’s explore these two low power states and find out what is best to use and when.
Computer Sleep Mode: What is Sleep Mode or Standby Mode?
You are probably familiar with sleep mode. It’s when our laptop screen goes black and white after a period of inactivity. But what happens in sleep mode?
This is a state where our machine uses very little power. Everything that is running on our computer at that time, such as websites, applications, and open documents, is saved in our computer’s short-term memory, RAM (Random Access Memory) .
In particular, we can select after how long our laptop should enter sleep mode from the power and sleep settings of our computer .
In sleep mode, only the RAM of our laptop uses the battery while the CPU, hard drive and other components are turned off to save battery power. In addition, we do not have to worry about losing our work due to our battery draining, since Windows or macOS automatically saves all our work and shuts down the computer if the battery is too low .
How to activate sleep mode?
To access sleep mode, we simply have to press the power button on our laptop or alternatively simply close our laptop .
To get out of sleep mode, we usually just have to press the power button again or open it again. We can also reactivate it by pressing any key on the keyboard, clicking the left or right mouse buttons on the touchpad.
What happens when we turn off our laptop?
Shutting down our laptop shuts it down completely. All programs, applications, and the operating system are closed and all memory is cleared .
We are more likely to turn off our laptop when our work is done or at the end of the day. Or, unless we have to do it when we encounter a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error , in which case it is better to press the power button for a few seconds to turn off our computer.
How is the watch different from the shutdown?
Sleep Mode
The first is boot time. When we want our machine to come out of sleep mode, it starts faster.
It only takes a few seconds before we’re back on our desktop. Since all the work is saved in RAM, we can pick up where we left off.
Stop Mode
To start a laptop that is turned off, it will take about a minute to start up or even more if we have some applications configured to open when our PC starts.
Also, we need to save all our work before shutdown, otherwise we will lose it ( unless we use online tools like Google Workspace apps.
The second difference is power consumption. You may have heard that you save more money and energy if you turn off your computer every night. However, according to Energy Star, the reality is that we only save a watt or two by turning off a computer rather than putting it into sleep mode (obviously that’s still a big deal!).
Sleep or Shut Down: Which is Best for Your Laptop?
– When to put your laptop on standby?
If you occasionally work on your laptop during the day, or go out for lunch, it’s best to leave it in sleep mode. Putting your laptop into sleep mode overnight is also acceptable if you plan to start working first thing in the morning.
It is also better to put our laptop to sleep because some components such as LCD panel, battery and hard drive have a limited life cycle. So allowing them to sleep when not in use will prolong their lifespan.
Heat is also generated when our laptop is turned on, and heat is the enemy of all components.
It’s better to turn off our laptop when we finish our work and don’t need it for a longer period like weekends.
– Why should you turn off your laptop regularly?
Turning off our computer is useful, especially if we haven’t turned it off for a few days. The longer our computer is on, the more programs, applications and background processes there will be running.
With a shutdown, these elements are reset, which is essential, since running programs tend to slow down the functioning of our machine over time.
Most laptop owners know how a simple restart sometimes fixes an unresponsive application or a problem. Shutting down once or twice a week will drain your PC’s RAM and free up memory and processing power.
Computer Sleep Mode: To conclude…
You now know the difference between putting your computer in sleep mode or shutting it down. You also know what happens to your laptop in either state.
In short, we must use one of these two modes depending on the situation that arises. This in order to be able to take advantage of machine number as long as possible.
- Exploring the India Bhashini AI App: Everything You Need to Know - January 23, 2024
- Unveiling the New eCommerce Industry Trends and Overcoming eCommerce Challenges - January 19, 2024
- Blockchain Vs Cryptocurrency: Real Life Applications of Blockchain Technology - December 6, 2023