Is it alright to have my system running 24/7?

[Ayman_]

So I built my pc not too long ago like just about a week ago and it's been on ever since, I don't know if it's good or bad thing.
What are the pros and cons of having it on 24/7?
Specs:
Ryzen 5 5500
32gb 3200mhz DDR4 2x16gb
GTX 1070
B450 Asus Prime A-II

[Middcore]

Yes. 

[whispous]

Absolutely fine assuming it doesn't cake up with too much dust.

You will likely find that you will be forced to restart (not shut down and turn on again) your computer to complete vital updates and just to keep it running efficiently.

[Ayman_]

3 hours ago, whispous said:

Absolutely fine assuming it doesn't cake up with too much dust.

You will likely find that you will be forced to restart (not shut down and turn on again) your computer to complete vital updates and just to keep it running efficiently.

oohh ok that makes sense, alright thank you. I saw a few videos of people saying it's not recommended but essentially it's alright.

 

[SavageNeo]

well, space heaters and room lights can be ran 27/4, so why not computers

[BuckGup]

1 hour ago, whispous said:

Absolutely fine assuming it doesn't cake up with too much dust.

You will likely find that you will be forced to restart (not shut down and turn on again) your computer to complete vital updates and just to keep it running efficiently.

Not if you run linux 

[whispous]

1 hour ago, BuckGup said:

Not if you run linux 

WTB dustless distro

[PeachGr]

I render 3D animations for weeks at a time, so my PC is running for many months at a high load. I have it since April 2020, and it has been off for less than 2 months on it's life time, I was folding at home on the off times

[Alan G]

I have been running both my workstation and HTPC computers 24/7 for over five years.  Haven't had any issues.  Monitors are turned off when they are not in use.  Power consumption is just a blip on the monthly bill.  Depending on how dusty your home environment is you may need to clean it more frequently 

[hackkitten]

Pros of leaving a system on 24/7 is the lack of thermal cycling. Every time a system boots the components heat up, with different (internal) parts heating up at different rates (due to dissimilar materials). This puts a fair bit of stress on components and is one of the factors in component failure (along with electron migration).

 

Whether this is a concern mostly depends on how long you wish to keep using the components for. If you'll build a new PC and trash this one in a few years, it won't matter, and you can save energy & money by turning it off when not in use. If the goal is to keep using the parts (especially CPU, mainboard, etc.)  for many years (passing/selling on), then leaving the system on 24/7 can help with that.

[Jacobhwrd]

Back when I use to run WoW bots I let mine run for 2-3 weeks straight without a break. I dont see an issue. I still run a server I built with old parts and its runs nonstop for game servers. Only time it gets a break is for a quick windows update. 

[ForestOfSouls]

On 5/2/2022 at 12:31 PM, SavageNeo said:

well, space heaters and room lights can be ran 27/4, so why not computers

not to mention most cryptomining rigs are on 24/7, so this wouldn't be much different 

[svenwlive]

If you want to keep your pc running 24/7 then go for it. When im not using my pc i usually put it into sleep mode.

[GeorgeMKane]

I don't always turn mine on when I get home from work, but I always turn it off at night.

 

Sleep mode is a thing, but idk about running it 24/7. Most will say, and some have already said, that it's not harmful. There's truth in that, but you have to think about how the psu, the cpu cooler, and your case fans are running 24/7. You will most likely have to replace some of those much sooner than others, if you keep your build running all the time.

[spannvis]

There should be no problem to let your system run 24/7, with that said it's not an absolute but rather a relative fact.

 

If you use a mechanical harddrive in your system it is often better to let it run (spin) then turn it on and off too often as they are more likely to fail when starting, however, a hard drive will wear and tear more while running in comparison to be turned off and therefor not spinning. If you have a mechanical harddrive and are to not use your computer for more than 24 hours I would advise to turn your computer off. The same applies to all moving parts of a computer i.e. your fans and/ or pump.   

 

It is also possible that, if your not attentive, a growing number of background tasks and programs will be running which will slow down your system however this does not happen if you are meticulous to turn off the program when you are finished using it. These are also possible to turn off from the task manager. 

 

You will need to turn off/ restart your system at times in order to update your OS aswell, not only for new features but more importantly in order to receive security updates.

 

There is also the energy usage to be discussed. A turned off computer consumes less energy than a running one, even if it's in power-save mode. Which is good for both your energy bill and the climate. 

 

Hope this helped, 

 

Spannvis 

[reaper1444]

Well its fine i think but your Power Bill shoots up..

[s_k]

I'm not sure HOW 24/7 you mean, but what I know from small servers that run day in day out is that after years and years of working, the power supply often doesn't like being turned off and on again. So it could be that after a move or so, when you unplug anything and plug it back in, PSU's may give up the ghost

[Max746]

apart from the power bill going to the moon, I reckon it'll be fine. Might need cleaned more often though