One factor which has been implicated in this is the use of lead-free solder. It’s generally accepted that electronics which warm up in use, as computers do, tends to run with fewer problems when they are left running at normal working temperatures for long periods. One way around this is to use networked storage for backups you can leave that storage running constantly, but still shut your computer system(s) down when you wish. That should be a key consideration if any part of your system relies on conventional hard disks. Leaving a disk running at constant speed at all times generally results in longer life before mechanical failure. Evidence shows that repeatedly spinning up and spinning down rotating hard disks reduces their working life, on average.
The biggest argument in favour of leaving computers running constantly in the past has been to minimise the risk of mechanical failure of hard disks.
#LEAVE COMPUTER ON ALL NIGHT SCREEN BURN MAC#
If you do have access out of ‘working hours’ but shut your Mac down then, you are unlikely to want to start it up just to check something out quickly over an evening or weekend. If your Mac is going to be unattended for long periods, you need confidence in its physical (local) and Internet security. Automatic shutdown is essential, and needs to be tested too.
Desktop Macs should always be protected by a UPS, but when they’re unattended for long periods you may want one with a higher specification to cope with mains outages when you’re not there. Reliability of services (power, heat, cooling) and provision of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).Even when sleeping, a desktop system uses electricity of course. I aim to replace my desktop when its AppleCare runs out, but many users will want a longer life. If your Mac provides services to other Macs or devices, it needs to be running when those services may be required. Similar considerations apply when the Mac is in an office which is only occupied during working hours. If your Mac is unused from Friday evening to Monday morning, it’s likely to make sense to at least shut it down for that period each week. Although my iMac doesn’t contain them, it backs up to an external RAID which contains four conventional hard drives. Whether any part of your system still uses rotating disks.
#LEAVE COMPUTER ON ALL NIGHT SCREEN BURN PRO#
Even if you’re using a MacBook Pro as your desktop system much of the time, you’re very unlikely to be interested in running it continuously. Laptops are engineered for intermittent use, with periods of sleep or shutdown in between. This iMac Pro no longer has internal storage which spins platters, so it’s time to reassess what I do. I’ve been leaving my desktop Mac running constantly for many years now, and started doing so largely to reduce the risk of hard drive failure. Traditional arguments about this have been based on the last generation of computers, with internal hard drives. Which is better, then: a daily boot, or leaving your Mac on as long as possible? When did your Mac last start up? Mine’s only been running continuously now for nearly ten days, but unless something forces me to, I don’t intend restarting it for another couple of weeks, and only shut it down completely a couple of times a year.