As you know that both the desktop & laptop have the possibility of entering sleep mode. For the most part, you activate these modes to leave the PC “asleep” when you are not using it. But do you know what happens when a computer sleep?
The purpose of sleep mode is to save energy when the PC isn’t utilizing, but at the same time allow you to continue what you were doing, and right where you were, very quickly.
They are, obviously, a very comfortable way, at least more than turning on the computer and opening the programs or documents in which we are working. However, it essentially affects the hardware of the computer when the computer goes into sleep mode. So,
What happens when a computer sleeps?
Sleep mode has three states of power (S1, S2, and S3) that depend entirely on what the system hardware and firmware allow; however, the system can enter one of these states.
The power consumption of PC, of course, the S3 mode consumes less energy than the S2, and this in turn less than the S1.
In any of these states, three possible – the processor enters a sleep state and only admits the order to wake up again by keeping the memory in RAM and storage units (both the hard drives or SSDs).
All running applications remain in the computer’s RAM in a waiting state. After continuing the work from sleep mode, the PC starts almost instantly, and you will get a ready-to-use computer in a matter of seconds.
In addition, this sleep mode is the fastest of all (than shutdown & hibernate).
Advantages of sleep mode over shut down:
Let’s know the some benefits of using sleep mode over shut downing computer:
- No need to wait: A complete shutdown and restart of the computer take more time than going into and out of sleep mode. While restoring your computer from sleep mode, it only takes 5 to 15 seconds! to back to your paused work.
- No need to close work programs: When using sleep mode, there is no compelling reason to close work programs. All your applications will work and will be in the same state wherein you left them when switched to sleep mode. With a simple shutdown, you need to end all programs, and you need again to reopen them.
- Automation of processes: When using the sleep mode, you can postpone some of the automatic processes at night. For instance, you can use the task scheduler to set the time for creating backups, defragmenting disks, and several other significant activities that take a lot of time.
- In this manner, you won’t spend a second of your time waiting to complete such operations because they will be performed when you are resting. This automation is possible if the “Allow wake-up timers” option is enabled in the power settings. It can also be useful for automated processes to set a sleep timer. This can be done in the same settings window by specifying the desired value next to the “Sleep after” item.
Note: The random shutdown, restart, and crashing of the computer are some of the signs of the power supply failure.
You have known the advantages of this mode and importantly what happens when a computer sleeps, now let’s look at the given FAQs.
Which is best, Sleep mode or hibernate?
However, suppose you like being able to pick up where you left off every time you turn on the PC. In that case, the best is a sleep mode (versus hibernate) since, in this mode, you are not only avoiding wear and tear on the drive. Storage, yet it is moreover much faster.
What happens when we turn off the computer while it is in sleep mode?
Since all the memory stored is in RAM, if the power goes out or you manually turn off the computer, you could have errors as the data from RAM has been lost. You can’t restart the system as it was. Don’t worry it doesn’t affect RAM’s life.
Is sleep mode the best option, when we are not going to use the PC for a long time?
The best option is that if you are not going to use the PC for a while, turn it off. This way, you decrease energy consumption to a base. Also, you will be avoiding the deterioration of the internal parts.
Which is best to use for laptop users, hibernate or sleep mode?
In any case, the most suitable function will depend on your needs. If in your case, you have a laptop that doesn’t have a long battery life, then it will be better for you to hibernate because the consumption is lower, however, assuming you have an SSD or you have little storage space. You may prefer to sleep mode instead.
Conclusion
Using sleep mode when working with a computer saves a significant amount of time. It starts working almost immediately after opening the laptop lid or pressing the power button of the computer.
At the same time, there is no need to launch work programs every time. After restoring, all work applications are automatically restored.
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