Powering Everything Off Via Power Bar Every Night

[Zero82z]

Originally Posted by Digikid

Switching off the power bar is a bad thing to do. It can "spike" your computer and damage it. Also you are shortening the life of your CMOS battery as it needs a constant stream of juice to keep it at peak.

Switching off a power bar does not create a spike. And the CMOS battery is not rechargeable. There is no power supplied to it.

[Arinoth]

I guess its time for me to contribute to this thread.

Switching off a power bar does not create a spike at all because you are going from a voltage/current level to nothing.
Switching on a power bar DOES create a spike as you are going from nothing to a steady voltage/current. The spike though is the equivalent of plugging your unplugged device into a wall, it is designed to handle this surge. Also, a good surge protector will not allow this small spike to reach the outlets/plugs and will keep it contained.

Running a device all the time is typically better then constantly turning it on and off since that is where a lot of electrical spikes happen, whenever you turn on a device there is a spike, nothing goes from 0 to 5V (even in DC), you go from 0 to 6 to 4.5 to 5V (as an example). In electronics its called going from unsteady state to steady state, this typically can last a few milliseconds to several seconds.

Though as i stated before, most if not all electronic devices if they are well designed/made are designed to handle these little spikes when being plugged in/turned on. Its why cheaply made stuff goes quickly if you turn it on/off a lot rather then keeping it constantly on.

[scout]

check those apc surge protector
APC Power-Saving Essential SurgeArrest 7 outlet, with phone line protection, Canada, 120V

[LarkStarr]

Did you really need to revive this old thread? :\