Saving Power: Hibernate vs. Standby

What is the difference between hibernate and standby mode?  Standby mode is a low power mode where your PC is still running but there is just enough power to your memory (RAM) to keep your desktop session active.  It takes less then 30 seconds resume from Standby Mode.  Standby Mode uses about 3 Watts of power.  A standard light bulb uses about 60 Watts.

Hibernate Mode is an zero power mode where your desktop session is saved to the hard drive first then your computer is powered off.  Resuming from Hibernate Mode takes a few minutes, longer then Standby Mode, because your desktop session needs to be retrieved from the hard drive and loaded back into RAM.

My recommendation is to use Hibernate Mode because you will save more energy and resuming doesn't take very long.

How to Enable Hibernate Mode

1. First enable Hibernate Mode on your PC.  Go to Start - Control Panel - Display - Screen Saver (tab) - Power (button) - Hibernate (tab).  Check the box to "Enable Hibernation".
2. Configuring automatic hibernation mode: Click on the Power Schemes tab.  If you are using a desktop PC, you can use the Home/Office Desk scheme and change the Hibernation setting to something like 45 minutes.  If you use a notebook PC, select the Portable/Laptop scheme and the default settings should work fine for most people.  Click OK to save your settings.
   
3. Manual hibernation: When you want to Hibernate your PC, go to the shutdown window (Start - Turn Off Computer).  Hold the Shift key down and Standby will turn to Hibernate then just click it.