Energy saving: standby computer

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Any modern personal computer, and the more its mobile version, allows the operating system to use a special way off, sometimes called "sleep mode."The need for it is determined by the specifics of the computer and the user's preferences.In general, this mechanism is quite easy to use and it makes sense to at least broadly familiar with it, for good reason veteran software developer Microsoft has actively supported him in his every new system.

What is standby mode?If we talk very briefly, it is an analog computer standby of most electronic devices.Of course, with some specific reservations.There was a waiting mode for a long time, there is evidence of use of its line in Win 9x, although there is a possibility of confusion in two terms - "standby" and "hibernate" modes.

So, when a user turns on standby mode, the operating system disables all of the major power line: stops the hard disk, the CPU to change to energy "starvation rations" (voltage sufficient only to survey ports), video card and other components are de-energized.The only exception - memory modules, they are on duty supplied with the voltage necessary to maintain the cells in the state, which was at the time of transfer to the Standby.Total consumption turns out paltry (by the way, according to the latest standards of less than 1 W).In this state, the computer will be up until the user presses the power button.As a result, all units turn on, as well as a memory is stored, then the work can be continued from the same place.In a very real sense to continue to play music with the following seconds, the mouse cursor will be in the same location on the screen where it was at the time of shutdown.Since the load on the system is not required out of hibernation takes place in seconds.Alas, there are two features, because of which was developed hibernate.

first - the operating system Vindovs only instructs to disconnect the system board components and performs all the BIOS interface ACPI.Accordingly, it must be present in the BIOS settings to point mode (S1 - S3), and the right to be included.

second - even with short-term power failure, all data contained in the memory are lost.Including the ambassador, the computer, the user will see a message about the incorrect shutdown, and all data will be lost.Conclusion: Windows 7 Standby mode can be used, but only if there are no problems with the power supply or the presence of productive uninterruptible power supply.

What about hibernate?He is deprived of these disadvantages, as it works slightly different principle.With his involvement of Dump (an exact copy) of memory and stored in a special file on your hard drive.After restarting Vindovs not loaded in the usual sense of the word, and restores its status from the dump.In this state, the computer can be indefinitely.Disadvantage - poor performance, after all read / write file of several gigabytes is not instantaneous (load "from scratch" is faster).Perhaps with the advent of SSD situation has changed, but the classic drives behave that way.However, programmers from Microsoft is not sitting idly by, so new versions of Windows, there was an interesting hibernation.Its meaning in reconciling expectations and hibernation: If the power failure was not, work resumed on the standby circuit, and with the loss of cell contents of RAM comes into force mechanism from sleep.Pretty convenient.