Turn if OFF or Leave it RUNNING

I often get asked if it is better to turn your computer off when it isn't being used or to leave it runner. If your computer is a laptop ALWAYS turn it off when you aren't using it. Laptops don't have the best cooling systems in the world and often just a little dust in the fan can cause a laptop to overheat and it will fry the processor or mother board or both. Most laptop failure is do to overheating.

If your asking about your desktop I recommend that if your computer won't be used for a few hours or more shut it down. Most computers also have a sleep mode and you can save a considerable amount of power and heat in the computer by putting it to sleep. I used to run my computers 24/7 but that is OLD SCHOOL today. With the size of hard disk and the heat from super fast processors and video cards it doesn't make sense to leave the computer running when it won't be used for a long period of time. I know it a pain to shut down and wait for it to reboot, but it really is better for the long run in keeping your computer from overheating and crashing.