Hibernate, Sleep or Shutdown: Which One Should You Choose?
There’s been a lot of debate about the different power off options in Windows 10. Some say that Sleep is good, other say Hibernate is better while others claim that Shutdown is the best. But what is the truth behind all these controversy?
Is there really a best option that you need to choose all the time in terms of turning your PC off? If you ask us then our answer would be simple. The best power off option actually depends on what you want to do when you get back to your computer. Sleep, Hibernate and Shutdown all serve good purpose depending on your situation.
What’s the Difference Between These Three?
To make things clearer for you, here’s a video that explains what each of these power off options do to your computer. You’ll also learn when an option is best and when it isn’t good at all. Hit the “Play” button now to discover what the different power options are actually made for.
As our friend Linus explained, putting your machine to any of the power off options available depends on the situation. It really doesn’t make much difference if you put it to Sleep or Hibernate but things are different when you shutdown.
Generally, shutting down would mean that you’ll spend more time firing up those programs and apps that were active before you shut down your PC.
It would also mean that you’ll need to open the stuff you were working on one-by-one so it isn’t the option to choose if you want to get instant access to where you left off before you powered off your machine.
What Each Option is Good For
Each of the options available when you press the Power icon on the Start Menu serve different purpose. Each has a unique set of advantages and if you’re wondering what makes one better than the other, here’s our take on it:
Sleep
Sleep mode generally consumes power. If you are using a laptop and you’re running out of battery juice with no outlet available nearby then you shouldn’t choose it.
The good thing about Sleep is it makes your machine wake up faster compared to Hibernate. It is the best option to choose for quick pauses on what you’re doing or you’re going to leave your PC for a short while.
Hibernate
Hibernate mode is almost the same with shutdown in terms of power usage. Yes! your computer still consumes little amounts of power even when it is Shutdown but it isn’t that significant to cause panic when you’re running out of battery juice. Hibernate takes quite longer to boot up than sleep but it does the same thing as sleep.
It preserves all the programs and apps as well as the stuff you’ve been working on so you can be ready to work on them again at the moment you get your machine fired up!
Shutdown
Finally, if you want to wake up in the morning with a fresh computer then Shutdown is your best option. It clears the RAM and helps your machine to rest just like you do during the night. The hassle about shutting your machine down is that it would not be able to preserve all the active programs and apps before you did turn your computer off.
It even requires you to close and save everything before shutting down your machine so it isn’t the wise option to choose if you want to start where you left off the next time you open your computer again.
It All Depends On You!
Finally, deciding which power off option to choose all depends on you. There’s no rule that will be violated if you choose to put your computer to Sleep, Hibernate or simply shut it down at any given time. Just remember what each of the option does and how they can be useful in different situations as explained in the video.
What’s the longest time you’ve left your computer turned on? Did you notice a significant increase in its performance after you shut it down? How did Sleep and Hibernate save you from sure disaster? Let us know in the comments section below. Subscribe to our newsletter if you like more of our latest content delivered to your inbox.