I'm setting up a Windows 11 gaming PC in my living room and want to play on the TV. The system uses a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and I'd like to start it remotely in a way that feels similar to turning on a console with a controller or Bluetooth keyboard. I don't want to run a wired switch across the room, use a smart plug controlled by my phone, or rely on a phone app if possible. Is there a practical way to power on or wake the PC wirelessly?
4 Answers
Another option is to use a smart plug with a voice assistant and configure the BIOS to boot automatically when AC power is restored. It works, but it is more like cutting and restoring power than pressing the normal power button, so I’d only use it if the system is configured for safe shutdown or automatic startup.
For actually turning the PC on without a phone, look for a wireless PC power-button kit. These connect to the motherboard’s front-panel power-switch pins and include a small remote, so you can press a button from the couch without running a cable through the room. Make sure the kit is compatible with a standard two-pin power-switch header.
If you only need to wake the computer, leave it in sleep or hibernate and enable USB or Bluetooth wake support in the BIOS and Windows. A compatible wireless keyboard or mouse can then wake it from the couch. This is usually simpler than fully powering the machine off, although Bluetooth wake support varies by motherboard and device.
Wake-on-LAN can wake the PC from sleep, and sometimes from a powered-off state if the motherboard and network adapter support it. You would normally trigger it from another device, though, so it may not meet your no-phone requirement. Check both the BIOS and Windows network adapter settings before relying on it.
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