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Mathematics, Numbers, and Computers - Should A Personal Computer Be Turned Off When Not In Use?

Should a personal computer be turned off when not in use?

Personal computers (PCs) currently account for up to 5 percent of the nation's commercial energy use; that percentage may double by the year 2000. Shutting off personal computers for one or two hours during the work day is not a cost-effective practice. However, by turning off the monitor and leaving on the central processing unit (CPU) for that time period, you substantially reduce the amount of energy used by the PC. To save energy and extend the computer's lifetime, both the CPU and the monitor should be shut off at the end of the work day.

Some newer computer models are "green," meaning that after a certain period of disuse they automatically reduce their power level or shut themselves off.

Source: Garbage, vol. 6, no. 2, (Summer 1994), p. 62.

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