Question windows and hardware

[nandobadam88]

Any tips to save maximum PC power without stressing the hardware during times when I'm not at the PC and it's on?

 

[ChatGPT]

Here are some practical and non-stressful tips to reduce your PC's power consumption during inactivity, while also maintaining hardware longevity:

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1. Enable Power Saving Modes (Windows Settings)​

Windows provides built-in power-saving features that can automatically reduce power usage when you're away:

• Set a Power Plan:
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options or Settings > System > Power & Sleep.
  • Select the Power Saver plan, which lowers the CPU performance, dims the display, and reduces energy output during idle periods.
• Configure Sleep Settings:
  • Set your PC to go to Sleep Mode after a specific period of inactivity. Sleep mode keeps RAM alive at minimal power while shutting down most other components.
  • In Settings > System > Power & Sleep, choose reasonable timeouts for sleep (e.g., 5–10 minutes for the display and 15–20 minutes for the system).
• Disable Unused Features:
  • In the BIOS/UEFI, ensure settings like Wake-on-LAN or other wake triggers are disabled unless you need them.

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2. Turn Off/Idle the Monitor (Biggest Energy Hog in Most Cases)​

• Modern monitors consume a fair amount of power. To reduce unnecessary power draw:
  • Set the display to turn off within 5–10 minutes (Power Options > Turn Off Display).
  • Ensure Windows does not prevent the monitor from turning off when media is playing (you might need to adjust settings in apps like VLC).
  • Consider lowering the brightness before the screen goes idle to save even more energy.

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3. Disable USB Devices and Peripherals​

Unused peripherals like webcams, external drives, and USB gadgets consume energy even when you're not using them. Here’s how to address this:

• Use USB selective suspend (go to your Advanced Power Options settings).
• Physically unplug external devices like USB hubs, printers, and external drives if they aren't in use.
• Consider buying smart power strips that automatically cut power to inactive devices.

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4. Enable Hard Drive Spin-Down (For PCs with HDDs)​

If your system has mechanical hard drives, you can configure them to spin down after several minutes of inactivity:

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings.
• Under Hard Disk, set the "Turn Off Hard Disk After" option to 5–10 minutes of inactivity.
• SSDs don’t have moving parts, so you don’t need to spin them down—they already consume very minimal power.

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5. Lower Fan Speeds or Default to Quiet Mode​

If your PC fans are configured to run at full speed all the time (particularly in desktops), they’re wasting power unnecessarily:

• Use your motherboard's utility software (or BIOS/UEFI settings) to enable a Quiet Mode or temperature-based fan control.
• Ensure your fans slow down or stop entirely during low system loads.

Note on Stress: Lowering fan speed won't harm your PC, as long as thermal thresholds (particularly for the CPU and GPU) are not exceeded.

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6. Disable Background Apps and Services​

Some applications and services continue running while you're away, keeping CPU cores active and using more power.

• Disable apps that you don’t need running in the background:
  • Go to Settings > Apps > Startup Apps and disable non-essential items.
• Use Task Manager to identify active programs consuming high CPU or disk activity and stop them.

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7. Hibernate Instead of Sleep (Optional)​

• Sleep Mode: Keeps the RAM powered, resuming quickly but still consuming some electricity.
• Hibernate: Saves the system state to the hard disk and powers off completely, using zero power while you’re away. The downside is it can take slightly longer to resume.
  To enable Hibernate:
• In Control Panel > Power Options, enable Hibernate under Power Buttons or use the powercfg command to allow it.

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8. Switch to Ethernet if Applicable​

• Wi-Fi can draw more power than Ethernet connections. If the PC is stationary, disable Wi-Fi and switch to Ethernet when you're not actively using the network.

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9. Power-Managed GPU (If You Have a Dedicated GPU)​

Discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD consume significant power, even during idle processing. You can configure them to consume minimal power when unused:

• Power Saver Mode:
  • NVIDIA: Use the NVIDIA Control Panel (Manage 3D Settings > Power Management Mode) and select Optimal Power.
  • AMD: Enable Radeon Chill for dynamic reduction of GPU power usage.
• Disable hardware acceleration in apps like browsers when not needed.

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10. Physically Turn Off External/Unnecessary Components​

• If you're leaving your PC on for extended periods but don’t need it actively connected to other devices (like speakers, secondary monitors, or external drives), just power off those peripherals.

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11. For Advanced Users: Undervolt or Underclock Components​

• Reduce the CPU's voltage or clock speed using tools like ThrottleStop (Intel) or Ryzen Master (AMD) to lower power consumption without compromising functionality.
• Some CPUs, particularly Intel's mobile variants, support Intel SpeedStep, which dynamically adjusts performance based on usage.
• At the BIOS/UEFI level, you can limit the CPU’s maximum TDP or frequency.

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12. Use Wake Timers/Automation (Optional):​

• If you need the PC to perform specific tasks while you're away (like file downloads or updates), configure Wake Timers so that the PC wakes temporarily, performs the task, and goes back to sleep.

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13. Invest in a Smart UPS or Power Usage Monitor​

• Devices like a Kill A Watt meter can provide real-time feedback about how much power your PC is consuming.
• A smart UPS can further optimize power usage and ensure safe shutdown during unexpected events (eliminating idle power waste from your power supply).

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Recap of Stress-Free Methods:​

• Enable Sleep or Hibernate after short periods of inactivity.
• Turn off the monitor (manually or using Windows power plan) for immediate energy savings.
• Spin down HDDs after inactivity if your system uses them.
• Use smarter power configurations for the GPU and CPU to lower their power draw.

Would you like specific instructions for configuring these tips, or do you need more advanced power-saving methods? Let me know!

 

[nandobadam88]

put the computer in maximum energy saving mode by turning off only the monitor

 

[ChatGPT]

If you want to place your computer in maximum energy-saving mode while keeping only the monitor off, you need to configure power settings that preserve PC functionality while minimizing power usage. Here's how you can specifically achieve this:

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1. Turn Off the Monitor Automatically While Keeping System On:​

Windows provides an option to turn off the monitor after a period of inactivity. Here’s how you can set this up:

• Windows Settings Approach:
  1. Go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep.
  2. Under Screen, set a short time (e.g., 1–3 minutes) for "Turn off screen after inactivity."
  3. Under Sleep, set "Put the PC to sleep" to Never.
• Power Plan Method:
  1. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
  2. Click "Change plan settings" for the active power plan.
  3. Set "Turn off the display" to the desired duration (e.g., 1 minute).
  4. Set "Put the computer to sleep" to Never.
  5. Save your changes.
  Result: The monitor will power off after the specified time, but the computer will remain fully operational.

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2. Manually Turn Off the Monitor Immediately:​

If you want to manually turn off the monitor without waiting for the timer, you can do this without additional software:

• Physical Power Button (Monitor):
  • Press the power button on your monitor to turn it off. The PC will continue to function as usual.
• Hotkey or Power Script:
  • You can create a simple shortcut to turn off the monitor through a batch file or script. For example:
    • Press Win + L to lock the screen (turns off the display depending on settings) without interrupting operation.
    • Use third-party software like Display Power Off Utility or a keyboard macro to instantly turn the display off.

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3. Use Power Saving Features for Idle Components:​

While the monitor is turned off, enable additional power-saving settings to optimize system power usage:

• Enable USB Selective Suspend:
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings.
  • Expand USB Settings > USB selective suspend setting, and set it to Enabled. This minimizes power draw from idle USB devices.
• Reduce Fan Speeds (If Supported):
  • Use software to reduce fan speeds in idle mode (e.g., set fans to quiet mode via your BIOS or motherboard software like MSI Afterburner).
• Disable HDD Spinning (For HDDs Only):
  • Under the same advanced power settings menu, set Hard Disk > Turn off hard disk after to a short time, like 5 minutes.

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4. Ensure GPU Is Idle While Monitor Is Off:​

If your PC uses a discrete GPU, configure the GPU to enter a low-power state when the display is off:

• For NVIDIA GPUs:
  • Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
  • Go to Manage 3D Settings > Global Settings, and set Power Management Mode to Adaptive or Low Power.
• For AMD GPUs:
  • Open AMD Radeon Settings.
  • Enable features like Radeon Chill for dynamic power management.
  Most modern GPUs automatically reduce power consumption during idle states if no demanding tasks are running.

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5. Quick Energy-Saving Tips:​

• Disable Background Apps or Processes:
  • Open Task Manager > Startup, and prevent unnecessary apps from running during system startup.
• Pause Downloads or Resource-Intensive Apps:
  • Avoid keeping services like torrents, transcoding, or rendering processes running if they aren't critical.
• Prevent Scheduled Tasks or Updates During Monitor Off:
  • Prevent Windows from running resource-heavy background tasks (like updates) while you're away by setting Active Hours in Settings > Update & Security.

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TL;DR (Summary Steps):​

1. Go to Power Options in Control Panel.
2. In your power plan:
   • Set Turn off display to 1–3 minutes.
   • Set Sleep to Never.
3. Ensure "USB selective suspend" and HDD sleep options are enabled in advanced settings.
4. If immediate screen-off is needed, physically power off the monitor or use a hotkey like Win + L.

Would you like assistance setting up a quick script or automation to handle turning the monitor off instantly? Let me know!

 

[datawizard0103]

To save power on your PC, switch to power saver mode and enable sleep or hibernate when you're not using it. Set the screen to turn off after a few minutes of inactivity and disable unused devices such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Close unnecessary programs, dim the screen, and adjust your Wi-Fi settings to save power. Additionally, ensure that your PC has good ventilation to enhance power efficiency.

 

[ChatGPT]

You're welcome, José! It's great that you discovered the solution—oversights like these are easy to make during installs or updates.

If you run into any other Outlook quirks or have additional questions about Windows 11 or even email configurations, feel free to reach out! I'm here to help. Happy emailing!