Ashwin Lewis
BDO, or Black Desert Online, is a popular PC MMORPG developed by Pearl Abyss. The game has a competitive design, which encourages players to keep the game running 24/7 to gain an edge over other players. This has led to a common question among players: does BDO still work when the computer goes to sleep? While some players opt to leave their computers running, others explore power-saving options like sleep mode. Sleep mode runs just enough power to prevent data on the RAM from being deleted, allowing users to resume their work from where they left off. However, running BDO in the system tray is considered an active process, and it may prevent some computers from entering sleep mode.
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What You'll Learn
BDO running in the system tray
BDO has a "reduce to system tray AFK" feature that allows the game to run in the background with minimal CPU and GPU usage. This feature is useful for players who want to take a break and use other applications or perform AFK activities in the game without using a lot of system resources.
When BDO is running in the system tray, it still counts as an active program being executed. As a result, the computer's sleep mode may be affected, and it may not activate as expected. Sleep mode is designed to reduce power consumption, but the computer's components remain powered. While BDO is in the system tray, it continues to use system resources, albeit at a reduced rate of less than 2% of CPU usage.
To address the issue of the computer not entering sleep mode, one solution is to create a shortcut or script that forcibly ends the BDO process after a certain amount of time. This can be achieved by using a tool like "killbdo.bat" or creating a batch file with specific commands.
It is worth noting that some users have expressed concerns about the potential impact of running BDO in the system tray on hardware lifespan. However, opinions vary, and some users have shared their experiences of using their PCs for extended periods without noticeable consequences.
The "reduce to system tray AFK" feature in BDO offers players the convenience of performing AFK activities while using minimal system resources. However, it is important to be mindful of the potential impact on the computer's sleep mode and hardware lifespan, and take appropriate measures if needed.
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Frequent restarts and computer lifespan
Frequent restarts can have varying effects on computer lifespan. While some sources claim that reboots can damage the computer's CMOS battery or corrupt the RAM, others argue that these are merely urban legends. Indeed, in one test, a machine was rebooted thousands of times before it stopped working, suggesting that frequent restarts alone are unlikely to significantly harm your computer within its expected lifespan.
However, it is important to note that the impact of restarts on computer lifespan may depend on the type of storage drive in your computer. HDDs and SSDs have a life cycle that depends on read and write times, and frequent restarts involve read and write operations. While reads don't wear out SSDs, writes do, and Windows does write to the disk on reboot and startup. Therefore, frequent restarts may impact the lifespan of HDDs and SSDs over time.
On the other hand, restarting your computer can have several benefits. It can help resolve peripheral and hardware issues, fix internal errors, and optimize system memory. Regular restarts ensure that all memory, CPU, registers, hard drive, video boards, audio, and network devices are restored to their original startup state, providing optimum resource availability. Additionally, a consistent restart schedule can enhance your computer's security by facilitating the successful application of recurring security patches.
To balance the potential lifespan impact of frequent restarts, you can consider implementing a dedicated machine for each operating system or application you use, reducing the need for constant restarts. Alternatively, you can explore the use of virtual machines hosted on a single OS, such as VirtualBox, to minimize the number of restarts required.
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Power consumption and hardware life
Sleep mode is a power-saving feature that reduces the power consumption of a computer when it is not in use. It is designed to save energy and extend the hardware life of a computer system. When a computer is in sleep mode, most of its components are powered down, and it consumes significantly less power than when it is fully operational.
The power consumption in sleep mode can vary depending on the hardware configuration and usage patterns. Some sources suggest that a computer in sleep mode consumes around 7-10 watts of power, which is significantly lower than the power consumption during normal operation. However, it is important to note that certain components, such as the RAM and chipsets, may still remain powered to retain the system's state and enable a quick wake-up.
The impact of sleep mode on hardware life is a subject of debate. Some users argue that sleep mode can shorten the lifespan of hardware components due to the constant power cycles and the stress of powering hardware components on and off. However, others claim that sleep mode has little to no impact on hardware life, and modern hardware is designed to handle power states efficiently.
To optimize power consumption and hardware life, it is essential to consider other power-saving features and best practices. For example, hibernation mode consumes less power than sleep mode, as it shuts down more components, including RAM. Additionally, users can manually set power plans, adjust power options, and utilize smart plugs with energy monitoring to further reduce power consumption and potentially extend hardware life.
In conclusion, sleep mode is an effective feature for reducing power consumption and can have a minimal impact on hardware life when used appropriately. However, users should be mindful of other power-saving options and hardware considerations to optimize their system's power efficiency and longevity.
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Competitive gaming and player behaviour
Competitive gaming has become an increasingly popular form of entertainment, with millions of players worldwide. While the majority of players engage in respectful gameplay, a small group of players exhibit disruptive behaviours, such as cheating, trolling, and offensive speech. This negative behaviour may be due to a misunderstanding of the proper code of conduct, mismatched player expectations, or the game's competitive nature.
Research has shown that the competitiveness of a game can increase aggression in players, with longitudinal studies indicating that both violent and non-violent competitive game genres can predict aggressive behaviour over time. This is particularly relevant when considering the intensive nature of e-sports, which are growing in popularity. E-sports, or electronic sports, are organised competitions of video games with millions of players worldwide. With the rise of competitive online games, there is a risk of over-diagnosing non-problematic intensive gaming behaviours as pathological. However, it is important to recognise the distinction between high-risk problem players and healthy highly engaged players to avoid over-pathologizing gaming patterns.
The collaborative effort of stakeholders, designers, and policymakers is necessary to create a more effective and player-friendly gaming ecosystem that addresses these disruptive behaviours. While previous research has studied disruptive behaviour in online gaming, a holistic view of the challenges of detecting and moderating these behaviours is still lacking.
In addition to the impact on player behaviour, competitive gaming can also affect players' prosocial reciprocity expectations, which then influence their subsequent feelings and behaviours. Cooperative play is expected to promote positive attitudes and prosocial behaviour, while competitive play is predicted to decrease affiliation and prosocial behaviour towards other players. This is because teammates are considered in-group members, while competitors are seen as the out-group.
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Offline games and static screens
If you're playing an offline game and want to put your computer into sleep mode, you may run into some issues. Sleep mode is designed to conserve power by shutting off certain components of your computer, but it won't activate if a program is actively running in the background. This means that if you're playing an offline game that continues to run in the background, your computer won't go into sleep mode.
In the case of BDO (Black Desert Online), users have reported that their PCs won't enter sleep mode while the game is running in the system tray. This is because the game is still considered an active process, and sleep mode won't activate until there has been no activity for a set period, typically 45 minutes.
To work around this issue, you can try a few things. One option is to set up AFK fishing in BDO and then use a batch file or script to forcibly end the game process after a certain amount of time. This way, you can keep playing the game offline, but your computer will eventually enter sleep mode. Another option is to simply turn off your monitor or display when you're not actively playing, which should help conserve power without needing to put your computer to sleep.
It's worth noting that some users have expressed concerns about the potential impact of sleep mode on hardware lifespan. However, opinions vary, and some believe that sleep mode does not significantly extend hardware life and may even create more problems than it solves. Ultimately, whether you choose to use sleep mode or not, it's important to consider your specific use case and decide what works best for you.
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Frequently asked questions
Ideally, no. If it’s an entirely offline game and on a static screen, there is a chance it might work. However, putting your computer to “sleep mode” means that your computer is running just enough power to stop the data on your RAM from being deleted.
You can put the game in the system tray and put your PC to sleep. You can also go into power options and set it to the lowest power consumption mode.
BDO is a competitive game by design and encourages players to gain an edge by keeping the game running 24/7. However, this is not a responsible design as it wastes electricity and shortens the lifespan of computers.
