![]() ![]() Hibernation does come with a set-back, though, as its utilization requires significant free storage space. This is the most power efficient way to temporarily deactivate a machine without completely shutting it down. Putting a Windows-driven computer into hibernate mode will write all of its volatile memory to non-volatile storage space, upon which point the hardware is powered-down and the system is effectively 'off.' Re-activating the machine (normally awoken by pressing a key or the power switch), the last user session is restored from the non-volatile storage and all components spin back up. Hibernate, primarily intended for laptop and mobile device usage, is a sleep state with better overall power preservation and even longer states of disuse. The RAM maintains the active session - right down to the mouse pointer's current location - and awaits instruction from the CPU that the system is being awoken, at which point the session is restored and the user is where they left off. ![]() How does Sleep (S3) work in Windows?Īs above, setting a computer into the S3 sleep-state will disable nearly all components (with the exception of RAM or other components considered vital to the specific system). Normally even less than that, depending on hard-drive specifications and system health. Hibernate normally takes a bit longer to boot from, but is almost always less than 1 minute if on a fairly healthy system. Unlike sleep and standby modes, hibernate requires a large amount of non-volatile storage (often 75% of the total RAM in the system) to contain the session on a hard disk or solid-state drive this is because even the RAM is powered-down during hibernation, minimizing the power usage (to almost 0) while still maintaining the convenience of active session storage. Instead of powering the video card and all these other components (often including fans) when a system is not being used, sleep modes ensure that a very low amount of wattage is being constantly supplied to keep the memory 'alive.' RAM uses an insignificant amount of power (mainstream memory averages a few watts per stick) and, in comparison to the entire system constantly running, can be the difference of several hundred watts. Any hard drives, video cards, or expansion / optical drives will be disabled entirely (or almost entirely) during S3 power to the CPU will also often be diminished or non-existent. Putting a system into the S3 power state will disable all non-vital components of the system until prompted by the user to be kicked back into use the RAM will remain actively powered to contain the user's session when the system was placed into the S3 state and low power may be provided to other components, but the most notable differentiation between S3 and S4 is S3's desire to maintain power to the RAM and keep the session alive. S3 (above) is the prepackaged version of sleep/standby that is most accessible in standard Windows 7 installations. The system returns to the working state only after a full reboot. The system is completely off and consumes no power. The working context can be restored if it is stored on nonvolatile media. Some components remain powered so the computer can wake from input from the keyboard, LAN, or a USB device. The system saves the contents of memory to a hibernation file, preserving the state of the operating system, applications, and open documents. Power consumption is reduced to the lowest level. The lower the level of power consumption, the more time it takes the system to return to the working state. Power consumption is reduced to one of several levels, depending on how the system is to be used. Devices that are not in use can save power by entering a lower power state. We'll assume a system running Windows 7 or higher for this section power states in Windows machines are as follows (taken from Microsoft's official System Power States manual): Power State SleepĪCPI (Advanced Configuration Power Interface) specifications make for fairly standardized power management and utilization - Microsoft and Windows have already made efforts to supply sufficient power saving options to its userbase - the only following step is to ensure usage. Depending on the drive and hardware used, booting from sleep often takes a matter of seconds (less than 10 in all cases of gaming rigs we've tested) and booting from hibernate is only slightly longer. Aside from increasing the lifespan of your gaming PC, utilizing sleep states (most notably, S3 - Sleep, and S4 - Hibernate) is an easy and convenient way to cut-down on your electrical bill and carbon footprint. ![]()
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