Monitor On/Off or Screen Saver?

Outback Bronze · Sep 24, 2021

Hi guys,

Hopefully I've got an interesting question here.

I run my computer 24/7 and when I'm home I will constantly turn the monitor on to do the usual things on the PC. When I'm done I will turn the monitor off. This can happen 10-20 times a day for instance worse case scenario.

Is it better for the monitors (LCD backlight etc) to turn your monitor on/off 10-20 times a day or use a screen saver?

I've already had one monitors light go so wondering if turning the monitor on/off several times a day is not doing them justice or is perfectly fine?

Cheers : )

joemama · Sep 24, 2021

Doesn't your screen turn it's backlight off automatically after a period of time without movement?

de.das.dude · Sep 24, 2021

if you are using old tech which had fluorescent backlight, then its better to use them for at least 10 15 mins before turning them off.

if you have a newer monitor, which has LED backlight. it makes no difference at all since their brightness level is usually set by PWM (rapidly turning on and off )

Outback Bronze · Sep 24, 2021

joemama said:
Doesn't your screen turn it's backlight off automatically after a period of time without movement?

Depends on your power settings I suppose which is why I'm wondering if I do this instead of manually turning it off/on at the switch many times a day.

ThrashZone · Sep 24, 2021

Hi,
I personally just use the power button.

Sybaris_Caesar · Sep 24, 2021

de.das.dude said:
if you are using old tech which had fluorescent backlight, then its better to use them for at least 10 15 mins before turning them off.

if you have a newer monitor, which has LED backlight. it makes no difference at all since their brightness level is usually set by PWM (rapidly turning on and off )

Modern LCDs ditched PWM since it's kinda eye strain.

Outback Bronze said:
Depends on your power settings I suppose which is my I'm wondering if I do this instead of manually turning it off/on at the switch many times a day.

Set display sleep/turn off in Windows Power Setting at your desired duration. I personally have it at 5 minutes. If I'm not even moving the mouse for 5 minutes, it means I'm not interacting with the PC.

As someone who broke my old monitor by incessantly turning on and off (don't ask me why please), I'm scared of monitor power buttons now.

Bill_Bright · Sep 24, 2021

Just let them go to sleep unless you will be away from home for extended period of time (days while on vacation) - or if you are an extreme (super-duper extreme) tree-hugger.

Look at the specs for your monitor here. It uses a mere .5w in standby mode.

So if you do the math, yadda yadda carry the 1, your monitor would have to be in sleep mode for 2000 hours (24 hours per day for 83.33 days) to consume 1KWh of power.

According to this chart, the average cost of 1KWh in the US is less than 14¢. So about $0.60 if you let your monitor sleep an entire year. That's a lot less than the cost of replacing a worn-out power button!

Deleted member 24505 · Sep 24, 2021

I power button mine if i go out

Does/can the power board get stressed/worn powering on/off all the time on sleep? If so which is worse, power button/sleep

thesmokingman · Sep 24, 2021

I've been powering off/on my monitors forever now.

WhitetailAni · Sep 24, 2021

I turn mine off whenever I go to bed/leave to go somewhere, otherwise they stay on.

Bill_Bright · Sep 24, 2021

Gruffalo.Soldier said:
Does/can the power board get stressed/worn powering on/off all the time on sleep? If so which is worse, power button/sleep

There is always a surge when powering up electronics. But a well designed product is made to handle it - assuming everything is working properly and not damaged.

At the same time, these products are designed to safely go to sleep.

So I say do whatever gives you the more enjoyable warm fuzzy.

sowhat · Sep 26, 2021

I wonder if the computer turn on 24/7, is it safe? Not over heat? No a boom?

AusWolf · Sep 26, 2021

Screensavers were designed with CRT screens in mind, where a stationary image could burn into the display over time. I've heard IPS panels are prone to this too, though I've never seen it happen in real life. If you have any modern LED-backlit display, you don't need a screensaver. Turning it off is just fine. Besides, why use power when you don't need to? As for me, I never touch my monitor. I have it set to turn off after 15 minutes in Windows. I know it uses some power in stand-by (maybe like 0.1 W), but that really doesn't matter.

Outback Bronze · Sep 26, 2021

AusWolf said:
any modern LED-backlit display, you don't need a screensaver

That's what I thought then this happened..

Time for a New Monitor? | TechPowerUp Forums

BDM4065UC Was the monitor. This monitor was consistently turned off/on hence thread.

ThrashZone · Sep 26, 2021

Hi,
Best thing about using the power button
Never have to wonder what is waking your monitor lol

AusWolf · Sep 26, 2021

Outback Bronze said:
That's what I thought then this happened..

Time for a New Monitor? | TechPowerUp Forums

BDM4065UC Was the monitor. This monitor was consistently turned off/on hence thread.

Wow, that's strange! I've never seen anything like that. Are you sure the constant on/off caused this, and the monitor wasn't just faulty?

Bill_Bright · Sep 26, 2021

sowhat said:
I wonder if the computer turn on 24/7, is it safe? Not over heat? No a boom?

There's no reason for any electronic device to overheat when turned off - unless there is a faulty component. That does happen, but very rarely, And most often, even in those cases, a safety device kicks in - that is, a fusible link blows, a breaker trips, or some other "open" occurs stopping any current flow and source of heat. Remove the source of excessive heat and any danger that might have been present goes away.

Boom? No. Maybe "pop" but again, the pop indicates a component was just destroyed. That would create an open in that circuit, again, stopping any current flow.

And lets not forget, a monitor's front panel power button does NOT totally remove all power. It just puts the monitor into a deep "stand-by" mode. To remove power completely, one must flip the master power switch on the back of the monitor (if it has one) or unplug the monitor from the wall.

AusWolf said:
If you have any modern LED-backlit display, you don't need a screensaver.

Ummm, sorry but not true at all. You have been totally misinformed. The type of backlighting has absolutely nothing to do with a screen's susceptibility to burn-in.

Remember, whether using LED or CCFL backlighting, they are still LCD displays. And it is the picture elements (pixels) in the "LCD" (liquid crystal display) screens that are susceptible to burn in. It does not matter if the backlight is created by a CCFL (cold-cathode florescent light) and inverter (as used in older LCD monitors and TVs), or LEDs (as used in newer LCD monitors and TVs.

It is true CRT monitors were more susceptible because the phosphor coating on the inside of the picture tube would "cook" (burn) and discolor if a static image was displayed for too long. But make no mistake, any "LCD" monitor or TV can develop burn-in type symptoms. And the effect is equally bad, regardless if LED or CCFL backlighting.

thesmokingman · Sep 26, 2021

Outback Bronze said:
That's what I thought then this happened..

Time for a New Monitor? | TechPowerUp Forums

BDM4065UC Was the monitor. This monitor was consistently turned off/on hence thread.

I'd just chalk that up to it being a Philips product.

Outback Bronze · Sep 26, 2021

AusWolf said:
Wow, that's strange! I've never seen anything like that. Are you sure the constant on/off caused this, and the monitor wasn't just faulty?

That's what I would like to know : )

I have exactly the same monitor in another room on a different PC and that one is fine. It only gets turned on a couple times a week.

Bill_Bright · Sep 26, 2021

The actual power switches in this devices certainly are not high-tech or state-of-the-art "military grade" technologies, designed for abuse or millions of presses. No doubts, this is one area where monitor makers looks to reduce costs by buying the cheapest switches they can find.

INSTG8R · Sep 27, 2021

PC on 24/7. Monitor set to turn off after 15min.

Outback Bronze · Sep 27, 2021

INSTG8R said:
PC on 24/7. Monitor set to turn off after 15min.

Any experience with this statement matey?

Thanks.

Mussels · Sep 27, 2021

I have my LCD's set to power off after 3 minutes of inactivity, it doesn't wear them out or cause issues.
Why 3 minutes? cause i wander off a lot, and it never accidentally goes off (games/media players keep it on)

Screensaver adds wear and tear to all the LCD.

powering it off only matters if it's going to power on when you dont want it to, like a glitchy mouse waking the system up

Sybaris_Caesar · Sep 27, 2021

Mussels said:
I have my LCD's set to power off after 3 minutes of inactivity, it doesn't wear them out or cause issues.
Why 3 minutes? cause i wander off a lot, and it never accidentally goes off (games/media players keep it on)

Screensaver adds wear and tear to all the LCD.

powering it off only matters if it's going to power on when you dont want it to, like a glitchy mouse waking the system up

Mine's set at 5 minutes cause I think 3 minutes is the attention span of a toddler. Us adults have 5.

Jetster · Sep 27, 2021

I never shut mine off. Two go black after 2 hours. One stays on 24/7 never sleeps. Its the one I use the most. I don't think it matters as far as the life of the monitor unless its an old one and not efficient. My TV I shut off when I leave the house

System Name	Raptor Baked
Processor	14900k w.c.
Motherboard	Z790 Hero
Cooling	w.c.
Memory	32GB Hynix
Video Card(s)	Zotac 4080 w.c.
Storage	2TB Kingston kc3k
Display(s)	Gigabyte 34" Curved
Case	Corsair 460X
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	PCIe5 850w
Mouse	Asus
Keyboard	Corsair
Software	Win 11
Benchmark Scores	Cool n Quiet.

Processor	i5-9600K
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
Cooling	Scythe Mugen 5S
Memory	Micron Ballistix Sports LT 3000 8G*4
Video Card(s)	EVGA 3070 XC3 Ultra Gaming
Storage	Adata SX6000 Pro 512G, Kingston A2000 1T
Display(s)	Gigabyte M32Q
Case	Antec DF700 Flux
Audio Device(s)	Edifier C3X
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex Gold 650W
Mouse	Razer Basilisk V2
Keyboard	Ducky ONE 2 Horizon

System Name	Monke \| Work Thinkpad\| Old Monke
Processor	Ryzen 5600X \| Ryzen 5500U \| FX8320
Motherboard	ASRock B550 Extreme4 \| ? \| Asrock 990FX Extreme 4
Cooling	240mm Rad \| Not needed \| hyper 212 EVO
Memory	2x16GB DDR4 3600 Corsair RGB \| 16 GB DDR4 3600 \| 16GB DDR3 1600
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse RX6700XT 12GB \| Vega 8 \| Sapphire Pulse RX580 8GB
Storage	Samsung 980 nvme (Primary) \| some samsung SSD
Display(s)	Dell 2723DS \| Some 14" 1080p 98%sRGB IPS \| Dell 2240L
Case	Ant Esports Tempered case \| Thinkpad \| Antec
Audio Device(s)	Logitech Z333 \| Jabra corpo stuff
Power Supply	Corsair RM750e \| not needed \| Corsair GS 600
Mouse	Logitech G400 \| nipple
Keyboard	Logitech G213 \| stock kb is awesome \| Logitech K230
VR HMD	;_;
Software	Windows 10 Professional x3
Benchmark Scores	There are no marks on my bench

System Name	Raptor Baked
Processor	14900k w.c.
Motherboard	Z790 Hero
Cooling	w.c.
Memory	32GB Hynix
Video Card(s)	Zotac 4080 w.c.
Storage	2TB Kingston kc3k
Display(s)	Gigabyte 34" Curved
Case	Corsair 460X
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	PCIe5 850w
Mouse	Asus
Keyboard	Corsair
Software	Win 11
Benchmark Scores	Cool n Quiet.

System Name	Ghetto Rigs z490\|x99\|Acer 17 Nitro 7840hs/ 5600c40-2x16/ 4060/ 1tb acer stock m.2/ 4tb sn850x
Processor	10900k w/Optimus Foundation \| 5930k w/Black Noctua D15
Motherboard	z490 Maximus XII Apex \| x99 Sabertooth
Cooling	oCool D5 res-combo/280 GTX/ Optimus Foundation/ gpu water block \| Blk D15
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Storage	970evo+500gb & sn850x 4tb \| 860 pro 256gb \| Acer m.2 1tb/ sn850x 4tb\| Many2.5" sata's ssd 3.5hdd's
Display(s)	1-AOC G2460PG 24"G-Sync 144Hz/ 2nd 1-ASUS VG248QE 24"/ 3rd LG 43" series
Case	D450 \| Cherry Entertainment center on Test bench
Audio Device(s)	Built in Realtek x2 with 2-Insignia 2.0 sound bars & 1-LG sound bar
Power Supply	EVGA 1000P2 with APC AX1500 \| 850P2 with CyberPower-GX1325U
Mouse	Redragon 901 Perdition x3
Keyboard	G710+x3
Software	Win-7 pro x3 and win-10 & 11pro x3
Benchmark Scores	Are in the benchmark section

Monitor On/Off or Screen Saver?

Outback Bronze

Moderator

joemama

de.das.dude

Pro Indian Modder

Outback Bronze

Moderator

ThrashZone

Sybaris_Caesar

Bill_Bright

Deleted member 24505

Guest

thesmokingman

WhitetailAni

Bill_Bright

sowhat

AusWolf

Outback Bronze

Moderator

ThrashZone

AusWolf

Bill_Bright

thesmokingman

Outback Bronze

Moderator

Bill_Bright

INSTG8R

Vanguard Beta Tester

Outback Bronze

Moderator

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

Sybaris_Caesar

Jetster

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Power Supply	Corsair CX650-F
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Keyboard	Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050
Software	W10 Pro 64-bit

Processor	AMD 5900x
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Power Supply	EVGA 1000 P2
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Keyboard	Corsair K95

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Power Supply	Seasonic FOCUS GM-750
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Benchmark Scores	are good

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Video Card(s)	Powercolor Hellhound 7900XTX
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Power Supply	Seasonic TX~’850 Platinum
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Keyboard	G19s
VR HMD	Oculus Quest 2
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System Name	Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor	Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard	Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling	Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
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Video Card(s)	Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage	2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
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Case	Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s)	Logitech G560 \| Corsair Void pro RGB \|Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply	Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse	Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard	Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD	Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software	Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores	Nyooom.

System Name	Juliette // HTPC
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Video Card(s)	ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
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Software	Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro