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Myths about computers and energy

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With the massive appearance of computers, some of our certainties disappeared, such as the fact that leaving them on was better than turning them off and on every day. When these beliefs became popular, the general public did not know what to believe, so in this article we will explain which ones are myths and which ones are real.

  • Myth #1: The energy used to turn on the PC is much more than that used by leaving it on all night. 

According to the consulting firm Forrester, the average PC uses 89 watts/hour, which means that if we leave it on for 16 hours (including overnight), it will consume 1.42kW. It is therefore impossible for a PC to need that much energy to turn on or even come close to that number. If the myth were true, energy providers would have to provide PC users with 10 times more than they are capable of supplying.

  • Myth #2: Screen saver saves power. 

Scrolling through photos or images when you're not using the computer can be entertaining, but it definitely doesn't save energy. In fact, there are screen savers that double the amount of energy consumed. If they are photos, the energy consumption is the same as if the computer were in use. Black backgrounds consume a little less energy, but it's always better to turn off the monitor.

  • Myth #3: Turning my PC on and off will reduce its performance and lifespan. 

This was true for a few years, but today it is just a myth. Today PCs are designed to be turned on and off about 40 thousand times, or every 5 minutes during their useful life…which is not true. In fact, according to Forrester, turning it off is good for keeping the ventilation system free of dust and avoiding overheating. 

  • Myth #4: To perform updates and maintenance processes, the PC cannot be in low power mode. 

It is very common in homes and businesses to leave PCs on at night for cleaning and updating programs. However, these actions can be done with the PC in low power mode through a network. 

  • Myth #5: Employees do not have the patience to carry out energy-saving actions. 

Although it is possible that turning off the PC at night will "lose" a few minutes of the next day, the user's bad temper can be avoided if he is trained to realize that he is wasting a little time, but with a gain in efficient energy management that brings environmental and economic benefits. Surely, he will soon be enthusiastic about the initiative.

By Valentina Ruderman

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