I'm building a PC and have limited outlets, so I may need to unplug it overnight. Will doing that every day cause any problems if I shut it down first?
Is it okay to unplug my PC every night?
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sleepless-in-the-workshop
Answers
That's fine. Shut the PC down normally and wait for it to turn off before unplugging it. A desktop doesn't need to stay connected to power when it isn't being used.
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A surge-protected power strip could solve the outlet problem, so you don't have to unplug the PC every night. Pick one suited to your outlets and don't exceed its power rating.
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The motherboard battery keeps the clock and firmware settings going when the PC has no power. Regularly disconnecting power may put a little more use on that battery, but it isn't something to worry about overnight.
If the battery eventually runs low, the clock may be wrong or BIOS settings may reset after unplugging. Replacing the battery is usually the fix.
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The practical tradeoff is that nothing can use the PC's standby power while it's unplugged. For example, you won't be able to wake it remotely until it's connected to power again.
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sleepless-in-the-workshop:
Good to know. I was planning to shut it down first anyway.