mbp Is it OK to keep MacBook Pro Running 24x7 ?

[neo1911]

I have Mid 2010 MBP with 2.4 Ghz Core i5 and Nvidia Geforce 330M graphics chip with 4 GB ram and 500 GB 7200 RPM drive.

I have been running it 24x7 since my purchase in August 2010 till now. It is running like a dream since then. My 1 year warranty is over and I did not bother to get 2 year extension for Apple Care. Suddenly, I feel that this laptop may fail anytime and it would be as good as paper weight as out of warranty repair is ridiculously costly.

So keeping it on 24x7 shortens it's life or since it's running all the time, there is less dust build up due to moving air and it might live longer? This question always bugged me.

Can anyone share their experiences?

[Neonix1]

There's more wear and tear when shutting off and on a computer daily than just letting it idle powered on all the time when it's not in use.

[chrispinto]

Provided that you regularly run it on battery and don't leave it plugged in at the mains 24x7 then yes that should be fine.

Like anything with electrics though, the more you use it the more it'll degrade over a period of time. Expect to get 2-3 years out of your MBP with regular battery usage or technically 'forever' if you don't care your battery will die very quickly

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

So long as it is properly ventilated and cooled I do not see any reason with keeping it on all the time.

[Miuku.]

You'll get more than 2-3 out of the machine, even my 2007 MBP that I used to use and lug around works like the day I bought it (albeit now even better after switching an SSD into it) but as Chris said, if you keep it running 24/7 don't keep it in mains all the time - cycle the battery at times or it'll die (the battery that is).

[neo1911]

I always run it off the mains. Coconut battery shows 55 power cycles with 97% battery's holding capacity.

[chrispinto]

I always run it off the mains. Coconut battery shows 55 power cycles with 97% battery's holding capacity.

Discharge the battery completely (run on battery, let it run until it powers down just before it goes flat, then leave off for 5 hours) then charge it back up and see if Coco still reports 97%

[Nick H. Supervisor]

The only thing about my Macbook Pro is the battery which has degraded pretty badly. I'm still able to get 3 hours out of it though, and it's almost always plugged in to the mains.

[Miuku.]

and it's almost always plugged in to the mains.

And that's the reason. In order to keep the battery at maximum capacity and health you need to every now and then discharge it to keep "the juices flowing" - I had the same issue at my old job where people kept their PC laptops plugged in all the time, destroyed the battery in 12-24 months.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Others have responded well on how to maintain the machine so it will last far longer than your 2-3 years so I won't repeat anything from them...

Did you purchase your MBP with a credit card? If so, check the card benefits or call your lender as most offer a 1 year warranty extension as well. So you might still be under warranty without having to have shelled out anything for AppleCare or similar.

[neo1911]

Discharge the battery completely (run on battery, let it run until it powers down just before it goes flat, then leave off for 5 hours) then charge it back up and see if Coco still reports 97%

Yup done that. Previously it reported 94% capacity but after 2 battery cycles, it's reporting 97%.

Did you purchase your MBP with a credit card? If so, check the card benefits or call your lender as most offer a 1 year warranty extension as well. So you might still be under warranty without having to have shelled out anything for AppleCare or similar.

Yes and no. Made partial payments using cash and card. So not sure if I would be covered. Didn't even think about this.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

And that's the reason. In order to keep the battery at maximum capacity and health you need to every now and then discharge it to keep "the juices flowing" - I had the same issue at my old job where people kept their PC laptops plugged in all the time, destroyed the battery in 12-24 months.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of why it has degraded. I was just pointing out that it's the only reason I can think of for not having the Macbook turned on 24/7 to the mains.

[chrispinto]

My Mid 2009 MBP still holds 91% after 360 cycles

[Royalty]

Any computer nowadays is okay but if I were to do so, I would let the battery drain and then recharge it when it runs out. I wouldn't let it be plugged in charging 24/7.

[neoraptor]

i got a small ups and plugged my laptop in it then removed the battery. Once a month I put it back and do a full cycle

[123456789A]

I'm a bit worried about mine even though it's only a year old. It starts running really hot with the fans blasting a lot, so I don't expect it to live long.

[Miuku.]

I'm a bit worried about mine even though it's only a year old. It starts running really hot with the fans blasting a lot, so I don't expect it to live long.

The computer is designed to run at full CPU usage all the time, if it fails under those circumstances at least over here the manufacturer/seller is required to extend the warranty and no EULA/crying will help them.

[jesseinsf]

depends on the year it was made...... they had overheating issues a year or so ago.

[leesmithg]

Put your machine in 'sleep' when not in use.

If you shut it down, you will cause more power use, so this will mean more electricity usage, so higher bills, plus more wear-n-tear on components.

Everyone should put machines into 'sleep' for peace of mind when not in use.

[+virtorio MVC]

Been running mine fairly non-stop since I got it in mid-2009. It's always run fairly hot (although runs fairly cool if you compare it to my HP laptop).

I open it up every now and again and blow all the dust out of it, and it runs just like the day I got it.

[Dick Montage]

When I run my laptop from the mains 24/7 I simply remove the battery.

[Neonix1]

When I run my laptop from the mains 24/7 I simply remove the battery.

Sucks if you have a power outage for a second (or more) and have some unsaved work on your laptop then.

I have experienced this a few times myself the last 5-6 years, and my work was saved by the battery being attached to the laptop :-)

And my work was worth much more to save than the cost of a new battery.

[neufuse Veteran]

Put your machine in 'sleep' when not in use.

If you shut it down, you will cause more power use, so this will mean more electricity usage, so higher bills, plus more wear-n-tear on components.

Everyone should put machines into 'sleep' for peace of mind when not in use.

please explain how shutting a system down will cause more power use? when the CPU is in the deepest power state if can be in... zero power, in sleep mode you are using power.. S3 is going to use more power then S4 where everything is powered down

[threetonesun]

A quick search found:

Reported by Apple = 0.27 watts (off) and 1.12 watts (sleep)

7.8 to 12.4 watts at idle

So the difference between sleep and off is not great, and the difference in start up time from those states certainly is. For what it's worth, I have a 2009 that's never been shut off (unless the battery ran out, or I rebooted into Windows), and it's still running fine. Same with my older Macbook that lasted ~4 years before I sold it.

[neo1911]

I never had battery degrading issues in any of my laptops running them off mains all the time. Battery or power consumption is not the issue. It is whether the life of the whole mbp is affected or not.