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Is it better to leave mac mini in sleep mode or shut it down
- Thread starter Abdulhaq
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Hmm. Sleep mode should shut down any mechanical devices attached to the machine (both internal spinning drives and external devices), so there's no mechanical wear to worry about. Extremely little power is used, so I doubt you'd notice any difference in your utility bills. The Mini is an extremely reliable device in general, whether you leave it running or not; I don't think you'd really extend its lifespan by shutting it off.
I don't personally see any real downside to using sleep mode. The only possible thing I can think of is if your Mini is in danger of having its power disconnected when not in use (kids pulling the cords, pets knocking over the device, etc.); a switched-off Mini might fare a little better in that case, though I don't think it'd be a big difference.
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Advice from the 2009 Mac Mini manual:
If you’ll be away from your Mac mini for less than a few days, put it to sleep. When your Mac mini is in sleep, the display’s screen is dark. You can quickly wake your Mac mini and bypass the startup process.
In sleep mode the Mini uses very little electricity; even when switched off it still consumes a trickle, unless you unplug it from the mains. There is no really significant benefit in turning it off. Indeed it can be argued that it is beneficial for electrical components to be left powered up as it minimises thermal expansion and contraction. Overall though, probably not a lot in it one way or the other for consumer level devices.
My early 2009 Mini has been powered up almost 24/7 (unless I've been away for more than a few days) since I got it, timed to go into sleep mode after 20 minutes of non use (preferences > energy saver). It still has the original HDD.
I did shut down my 2005 original every evening. Anecdotal, I know, but the HDD and the power supply failed after a little over 4 years.
In the end, there's probably not much in it; up to you.
If you’ll be away from your Mac mini for less than a few days, put it to sleep. When your Mac mini is in sleep, the display’s screen is dark. You can quickly wake your Mac mini and bypass the startup process.
In sleep mode the Mini uses very little electricity; even when switched off it still consumes a trickle, unless you unplug it from the mains. There is no really significant benefit in turning it off. Indeed it can be argued that it is beneficial for electrical components to be left powered up as it minimises thermal expansion and contraction. Overall though, probably not a lot in it one way or the other for consumer level devices.
My early 2009 Mini has been powered up almost 24/7 (unless I've been away for more than a few days) since I got it, timed to go into sleep mode after 20 minutes of non use (preferences > energy saver). It still has the original HDD.
I did shut down my 2005 original every evening. Anecdotal, I know, but the HDD and the power supply failed after a little over 4 years.
In the end, there's probably not much in it; up to you.
From the environmental impact report for the 2014 Mac Mini:
Power Consumption for Mac mini
Mode 100V 115V 230V
Off 0.29W 0.29W 0.31W
Sleep 0.75W 0.71W 0.73W
Idle 5.9W 5.8W 5.5W
Me too.
From what I've read, the Mac mini at idle uses about the same power draw as a clock radio. (5.9W)
Keeping the mini awake make the Apple TV much more responsive.