When we use the computer very frequently and for a large number of hours, surely we have wondered if when we finish using it it is better to turn off the PC or leave it in sleep mode. On many occasions this action is usually carried out indistinctly if you know for sure how the suspension affects the system and if there really is a more effective option.
Shutting down or suspending the computer is a question that many users still have. This is something that happens because they may not be aware of the advantages that one offers over the other. Although there is no absolute truth, it is true that, in general, the option to suspend increasingly prevails over the option to turn off, especially if we use the computer on a daily basis.
Is it better to suspend the PC than to turn it off? Yes
If we use the PC during long sessions, every time we have to leave the screen we must choose, do we leave it suspended or better turn it off? In general, suspending the computer is a much more efficient option than shutting it down. We start from the basis that, today, computers are designed so that we use sleep mode (or hibernation) instead of having to turn off the computer, thus saving, above all, time . Above all, if we talk about laptops, where lowering and raising the lid has become the most common instead of shutting down.
If we decide to turn off the computer, we must go through the cumbersome procedure of having to close all open programs, save all work to avoid losing it, etc. All this, so that, when we turn it on again, we must carry out all the steps again to continue with the work where we left off. On the contrary, if we decide to suspend the system, our work session will remain unchanged , so that we can continue once the suspension is returned without having to open the programs again.
When we say put a computer to sleep and suspend its activity, the system reduces power consumption, but it continues to work. Thanks to this, the hard drives continue to function and the RAM does not restart. This makes it possible that when we return to the activity, everything is as we left it. For this reason, it would only be advisable to completely turn off the system if we are going to be without using the computer for several days or if we notice that it is getting too hot (especially now in summer) and thus we can cool it, something that can help improve life useful of its components.
Difference between suspend and hibernate
In addition to the possibility of suspending the system, on many occasions Windows also allows us to make the option to hibernate , which share some similarities, as well as differences. Unlike the sleep mode, hibernation is responsible for saving the state of the PC on the hard disk, to later turn it off completely. During this time, the computer does not consume additional power , as it does in sleep mode. When we turn the system back on again, the data from the hard drive will be loaded into RAM so that we can resume the session where we left off.
Hibernate mode has a trade-off in that the system reset process is somewhat slower than sleep mode. However, it should generally be faster than turning the PC back on again. In addition, sometimes we can find some problems when it comes to returning Windows from hibernation. Therefore, unless we are too concerned about energy consumption, it can be said that the suspension option continues to prevail.
