Coming from a 2010 MacPro at 10p an hour to this M2 Pro at less than 1p an hour I never turn it off (but I do turn off the display) - Do you ?
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Do you turn off your Mac Mini?
- Thread starter deckard666
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My 2018 I7 Mini stays on 24/7/365. It's set to sleep and sleep the display, but I never shut it down.
I still have a 2010 Mac Pro in a spare bedroom that I haven't used in about three years. The other day I ran the numbers on energy consumption through ChatGPT and I was astonished to see the difference between that and the M2 mini pro. The energy savings compared to the Mac Pro will pay for your new computer in a couple of years.
As a general rule I leave the mini running 24/7, but I do find there are times when a quick restart will miraculously clear some random strangeness.
My Mini -- along with display, ethernet switch, and other peripherals -- is plugged into a surge suppressor.
Each night, I power down the Mini, then reach down and turn off the surge suppressor, killing power to everything on the desktop.
Been doing it this way since the late 1980's.
I'm old now.
Will keep doing it 'til I can't do it any more...
(If I'm going out for a few hours during the day, I'll shut it all down as well. I don't like anything more than necessary "left on" for extended periods when I'm "not there"...)
Each night, I power down the Mini, then reach down and turn off the surge suppressor, killing power to everything on the desktop.
Been doing it this way since the late 1980's.
I'm old now.
Will keep doing it 'til I can't do it any more...
(If I'm going out for a few hours during the day, I'll shut it all down as well. I don't like anything more than necessary "left on" for extended periods when I'm "not there"...)
Got a 2010 Mac mini, running headless as a cashing server and a Time Machine host. It's been running as such for 14 years now....
It's reached the end of its life sadly.... random reboots and random freezes
It's reached the end of its life sadly.... random reboots and random freezes
2012 i7 mini, this little beast only goes off when i'm on vacations, fan showing it's age so i will soon retire her so it can rest haha
M2 pro here. Never off, I just make the displays sleep... It's (also) set up as a Plex server.
Just like @ashleykaryl sometimes a reboot to recover from the magical random strangenesses
Just like @ashleykaryl sometimes a reboot to recover from the magical random strangenesses
Same but regular M2. Used as a Plex server so never off. Only gets restarted when there's a software update too.
I have an M2Pro. Typically I leave in on and let it sleep but I’ll power down the mini if I know I won’t be using it for a couple of days.
I turn all my stuff off and sleep with a shotgun under the pillow in case it becomes self-aware.
Set it to sleep mode as the system is woken when networking activity is realized. That's what Wake-On-Lan(tm) is all about.
Is it physically possible to get a shotgun under a pillow? Surely it would need to be a sawn-off shotgun which is generally illegal in most jurisdictions.
On my 2018 i7 hex Mini, if I'm in the middle of a big project (which seems to be most of the time ) with big files open in a Windows VM, I just put the display to sleep so I can quickly pick back up where I left off. Otherwise, I shut down at bedtime.
I have a 2012 i7 quad Mini that is only used as a fileserver and Time Machine destination. It runs 24/7 "headless". Then I have a 2014 Mini that I use as a media server with over 1500 videos that I access on two AppleTV's and other devices, it's also used with my stereo system with speakers in different rooms. It runs 24/7, but I turn off the screen and audio system at bedtime.
) with big files open in a Windows VM, I just put the display to sleep so I can quickly pick back up where I left off. Otherwise, I shut down at bedtime.I have a 2012 i7 quad Mini that is only used as a fileserver and Time Machine destination. It runs 24/7 "headless". Then I have a 2014 Mini that I use as a media server with over 1500 videos that I access on two AppleTV's and other devices, it's also used with my stereo system with speakers in different rooms. It runs 24/7, but I turn off the screen and audio system at bedtime.
I turn my mini's off every night because it is both attached to eGPU's and HP Dreamcolor displays that uses a lot of electricity. I do however have it hooked up to my TrippLite Surge Suppressor APC that does keep it from overnight surges, especially during bad weather.
Never turn my M2 mini off and never turned my 2012 mini off in the 10+ years I used it. Put it to sleep anytime I'm going to be away for more than 30 min. or so my 2009 24" Cinema Display doesn't get unnecessary hours on it. The 2012 mini would actually sleep but it seem like the M2 doesn't ever go fully to sleep.
My 2018 i5 is the same except there’s no sleep mode. With the display issues that absolutely PLAGUED this unit, even after having the motherboard replaced under warranty, I will still never put it in sleep mode lest HDMI stops working forever
So it sits, on and running, day and night, for almost six years now and no issues yet.
Turn it off for 15 minutes, when you turn it back on, (after 30 minutes to reboot) you’ll have your device back, (hint)
it ain’t dead yet!!