Apr 08, 2010 Best Answer: The bad thing about leaving your case open is that you no longer have air flowing in, through and out of the case. Rather now the fans just circulate the same air around the heatsinks. Get a new case. Or leave the panel off and have a desk fan blow air into it at low setting.
Is our weekly question and advice column. Have a burning question about the smoke coming out of your PC? Send your problems to.I've had the side panel off my PC for a while, and it runs pretty cool. It feels like too obvious a solution though. Everyone would just do that if it worked. So I'm wondering if removing a panel is really a good way to keep your PC cool or is there some reason I shouldn't? — MarkIt's a 'do as we say, not as we do' sort of situation.
That photo above of shows the side panel off, but that was just to show off its guts. In practice, you probably aren't going to solve your cooling issues by removing the side panel of your PC.The principle of air cooling, as described well in, is to create either positive or negative air pressure within the case. Both have pros and cons, and there's tons of disagreement over optimal fan placement, but the point is: bring cool air in, heat it up, and get it out. When you remove the side panel, you disrupt the intended airflow of the case—whatever it may be—and also invite more dust to settle on your components.
So it's not recommended.If your system runs significantly cooler with the side panel off—except in some very specific situations I might not have anticipated—your case and its fans are either designed poorly or working poorly. I tested my PC at home with the case on and off, and the difference was negligible (everything was well within safe ranges with either configuration). I'm also a terrible example, because I'm horribly lazy and often leave the panel off when I'm swapping lots of parts.
Remember, not as we do.So, while removing the case panel won't be catastrophic, it counteracts the intended cooling solution of your case, and even if it works without the panel, there's the dust problem. If you really want that open air look, then yes, you can safely run a caseless computer— a couple years ago that natural convection can keep a test bench PC within safe temperatures, assuming the room is kept reasonably cool. There's still the dust, though, and I'm very anti-dust.If you have a case, you're best off leaving the panel on and letting it work as intended. And if you're having serious overheating problems, then look for the real issue. It could be a problem with your CPU cooler, your PC may need a cleaning, the fans may not be operating properly or are obstructed (cable management is important!), or your case may just have terrible airflow (sorry). Any of would be a good choice for your next build, and until we have an air cooling guide of your own, I'll refer you for more specific tips.
NoteIf you decide to leave your computer on all day, we recommend turning off the if you're leaving for more than half of an hour. Time to resumeIn our opinion, the time for your computer to resume working is a bigger factor the cost of electricity. For instance, if you open and close your laptop frequently, you don't want to have to reboot it completely each time. Knowing a bit about the different power states of a computer should help you in your decision. All open applications and files are stored in, and the rest of the computer components are put into a low-power state.
This option is best when you're only going to be stepping away from your computer for a short time because it boots back to the desktop the fastest. With hibernate mode, all open applications and files are copied onto your computer's boot drive, and the rest of the computer is essentially shut down. This option is good if you'll be away from your computer for a medium period of time.
When you shut a computer down, all files and applications are closed, and power to the computer's internal components is cut off. Shutting down is a good option if you'll be away from your computer for an extended period of time (e.g., more than eight hours).
NoteThe time to resume from different power states is much more significant on than it is on. Since boot times on modern SSDs are so fast, shutting down your computer is not nearly as much of a factor. Leaving your computer on over nightOur recommendation for most users is turn off your computer when you go to bed as it will save you a bit of money on your electricity bill. However, if you want tasks to run during the night, such as a, or a, you'll need to leave your computer on while you sleep. Will turning off a computer wear down moving parts (e.g., fans)?No.
Leave Computer Case Open Box
The only moving parts that caused an issue internally were within a component, not the computer itself. In older hard drives, the would come into contact with the upon shutdown, which caused it to wear. However, any hard drive manufactured today doesn't have this issue.
Does turning off a computer wear down the power button?Before 1994, it may have been beneficial to leave the computer on due to potential power switch related issues associated with certain manufacturers that caused the power buttons to break early. However, this issue was only applicable to a very small portion of old computers, and today, is no longer a problem. Power buttons can still wear out, but they have a life cycle that will far outlast the other components of your computer. Does turning off a computer cause soldering cracks?No. Solder is meant to withstand changes in temperature; turning a computer off frequently will not harm it. For example, many individuals turn their TV on and off each day, sometimes several times.
Much like a computer, components inside the TV get hot and cool down, and these devices have no issues. Will turning my computer off help prevent a power surge?No. A destroys electrical devices, regardless of whether they are on or off. Having the power cord connected to a can safeguard a computer from an electrical surge. NoteIf a storm causes a or, it can cause problems with a desktop computer.
To prevent these power-related problems from affecting a computer, use a. Computer power misconceptions 'As the computer boots, it takes more power.' This statement is not true.
'Turing off my computer causes power surges.' This statement is also untrue. See our page for information about power surges. 'Leaving a computer on causes it to overheat.'
Unless a fan within a computer fails while it is on, the computer will not overheat. 'A laptop is different than a desktop it should be turned off.' Although physically different, a can also remain on 24/7, and all information mentioned above still applies. The exception here, of course, is if you are running a laptop off of the battery (not plugged in).
Leave Computer Running
Leaving Computer Case Open
In this case, the laptop is not going to be able to run all day, and you should.