The case for turning your computer off
It used to be that turning off a computer frequently would stress out the components and cause it to fail earlier. With the advances in energy saving technology as well as the quality of certain components over the last decade, that is no longer the case. In fact, the longer a computer is kept powered on, especially with mobile computers like laptops and netbooks, the faster the computer will age and eventually fail.
Mean time between failures is a general specification each component is given during the manufacturing process. That means that there is only a certain number of hours that each component can run under optimal conditions before it will fail. For most consumer grade components, the hours boil down to about 3-5 years of nominal usage.
Another important factor to consider that often shortens the lifespan of components is heat. Heat accounts for about 2/3rds of all hardware failures, meaning it can seriously shorten the lifespan of your computer. Temperatures over 60C are of utmost concern, as above that temperature components begin to age much faster.
Turning off your computer can help to minimize overheating, reduce the number of hours the system is used which in turn can lead to your computer lasting longer with less repairs, saving energy on your power bill and even improving the security of the system by minimizing the window of opportunity for malware and hackers.
Most computers should be shutdown, not put in to sleep mode, if they are going to be inactive for 60 minutes or more. The only exception to this use applies to servers and some network appliances, which are generally built to be on 24/7.
