How much power do hardware devices take:

Below is a chart listing the general power usage of the more commonly used hardware devices. It is important to take into consideration that different types of devices such as a SCSI as apposed to an IDE will take different power consumption.

If your computer uses a manual setting and you are located in North America , your Volts should be set to 110-115. If you are located in Europe or other countries, more than likely, depending upon the country, it should be set to 220-230.

Several new desktops and laptops have the ability to auto switch allowing the power supply to automatically adjust to the correct power settings. It is also important to remember that different countries generally have different plugs and your computer or laptop manufacturer may require a special plug or adapter.

Is it better to leave the computer on or turn it off?

In the past ( 1993 and earlier) it may have been beneficial to leave the computer on because of potential power switch related issues with some computer manufacturers. However, this issue was not always applicable and today is no longer an issue with any computer. Although it is still possible for components to become bad in a computer, it is almost always not attributed to turning the computer on and off each day.

The answer to this question really depends upon how you use your computer. Our recommendation for most users is when the computer is first turned on that it remains on until it is last or at night. However, if you are actively running anything on the computer or you wish for tasks to run during the night such as scandisk , defrag , or a virus scan , it is recommend that the computer remain on all night.

In short, it is neither good nor bad to turn off the computer each day or for you to leave the computer on all day every day.

Note: If you decide to leave your computer on all day we would still recommend that the computer monitor be turned off.

For companies or homes to save on power it may be beneficial to turn the computer off each night or at the end of the work day. Although many computers and electronic devices have power saving features, they will still consume power, and hundreds of computers consuming power can be costly each month.

Does turning off the computer each night cause power surges through the computer potentially damaging components.

No. 

Does turning off the computer cause hot electrical components or soldiering to cool down causing damage or cracks to electrical components?

No. Although it is true that the electrical components within the computer are going to cool down, it is no more likely to cause a failure turning off the computer frequently than leaving the computer on all the time. For example, many individuals will turn on and off their TV each day, sometimes several times a day. Much like a computer, components within the TV get hot and cool down when a television is turned off and have no issues.

Does turning off the computer each night or often cause moving parts such as fans to wear down.

No.

Will turning off the computer often wear down the power button?

It was known to occur on old OEM computers, however today this issue has not been known to occur and there has been no documented of a related issue of this occurring with any major computer manufacturers.

Will turning my computer off help prevent a power surge?

A power surge will destroy an electrical device regardless if it is on or off. Therefore, turning the computer off will not prevent this from occurring.

POWER SUPPLY CONNECTIONS

POWER SUPPLY CONNECTOR

The following illustration is the typical female connector which would be used to connect to a device such as a CD-ROM or Hard Drive . This connector is refereed to as a large Molex connector. Additionally to these type of connectors you may also find a small Molex which is generally used for the floppy disk drive .

Supplies power throughout the computer. Power supplies converts potentially lethal 110-115 or 220-230 volt alternating current (AC) into a steady low-voltage direct current (DC) usable by the computer. A power supply is rated by the number of watts it generates.

WARNING : Do not open the power supply it contains a capacitors which can hold Electricity (WHICH CAN KILL) even if the computer is power off for a week, if not longer. If you do open it WHICH IS NOT RECOMMENDED, take all precautions and ensure you work with one arm behind your back to direct the electricity away from the heart. Also ensure that you have no jewelry on (such as a watch or rings). However again THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED and still cannot protect you 100% and is still potentially dangerous. Because of these precautions no extensive information will be found on this page about opening power supplies.

POWER SUPPLY FORM FACTORS

Currently in the industry there are eight power supply form factors. Each of these form factors can have various amounts of configurations and power output levels.

Noise from computer.

Causes:

Any other types of noises being heard from the computer could be caused by any of the below devices.

1. CD-ROM
2. Fan
3. Floppy
4. Hard drive
5. Modem
6. Power supply
7. Speakers
8. Monitor

Additional Information:

• If you are receiving beeps from the computer when it is first booting up, please see document CH000232 .
• If you're looking for information about making your computer quieter please see document CH000696 .

Solutions:

Below is a listing of components within the computer that may cause unusual noises to be generated. To determine which of these components are causing your issue, first verify that lights on your hardware devices, such as the floppy drive, are not on. If you are only encountering excessive noise when a device is accessed, it is likely that device is causing your issue.

If the noise you are experiencing is occurring the entire time the computer is on, it is possible that any of the below devices may be causing your issue. Attempt to distinguish what device is causing the noise by reading through each of the below sections.

CD-ROM

CD-ROM drives may generate various types of noises when the drive is accessed. This noise should be a soft whirling noise when the CD-ROM drive is accessed. This noise should only be generated when the CD-ROM is accessed.

It is abnormal for a CD-ROM to experience any of the following symptoms:

•  No noise

•  Clicking during accessing the CD-ROM.

•  Noises when the CD-ROM is not being accessed.

If you are exhibiting any of the above issues it is likely that the CD-ROM drive is defective and it is recommended that it be replaced.

•  Additional help with CD-ROM drives can be found on our CD-ROM help page .

•  Additional buying tips on CD-ROM drives can be found here .

FAN

There are several fans in computers that help provide ventilation to the computer's components. Below is a listing of the fans that may be causing noises in your computer.

•  Case Fans – Case fans are fans commonly attached to the front or back of a computer. It is normal for most additional case fans to generate additional noise (usually a low hum). However, you should not expect to hear any type of clicking noise or high pitched noise from any of the case fans.

•  CPU fan – Although not installed on all computers, some computer heat sinks may also contain a fan to help with keeping the processor cool.

You should only expect to hear a slight hum from the CPU fan; below are some issues that may cause additional noise from your CPU fan.

- Cable is hitting the fan causing a vibration.
- CPU fan is loose causing vibration
- CPU fan is bad causing additional noise.

•  Power supply fan – See below, power supply section .

FLOPPY

Troubleshooting noises that may be coming from the floppy drive can be found on document CH000427 .

HARD DRIVE

The computer hard disk drive is a common issue for additional noise. It is normal for a hard drive to produce noise. Normal types of noises you should expect to hear include a low humming or quiet whistling sound.

Noises you should not expect to hear are any type of repetitive clicking, very noticeable humming or any type of hard thump. If any of these noises are experienced it is recommend that the hard disk drive be looked at or replaced as it may be going bad.

Note: You will notice an increased volume in sound from a SCSI hard disk drive when it is compared to a standard IDE / EIDE hard disk drive.

MODEM

When connecting to the Internet or another computer you may hear a loud screechy or high pitched noise. This noise is the onboard modem speaker and is the two computers connecting to each other. This noise should only be heard when the computer is establishing a connection with the other computer.

If you wish to disable this speaker please see document CH000439 .

POWER SUPPLY

The power supply is a common hardware component to cause an excessive amount of noise. This component provides your computer power as well as ventilation to the computer. It is possible for the fan within the power supply to become bad or dirty causing the fan to make an excessive amount of noise.

If an excessive amount of noise is coming from the fan next to where you plug your computer power cable into, it is likely that the power supply fan is failing or bad. We recommend that you first attempt to clean the fan by using compressed air to blow out any dust, dirt, or hair. If this does not resolve your issue you will need to have the power supply replaced.

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