eli5: Does it matter to a computer how long it’s powered off for? Is one micro-second as good as 5 minutes? If not, why and how long is optimal for it to be powered off for?

Question

That is the question. I almost never turn off the computer, but sometimes flick it off for just a second or two. Is this bad for it? Does it need rest? Thanks!

In: 1752

Answer 1

Yes it does. There are components inside a computer that need to “forget” their previous memories before being turned on again to prevent confusion so there is certainly a minimum time, usually around half a second or so.