Sleep and Hibernate in Windows

Windows provides some power saving modes.The different options are.

• Sleep
• Hibernate

Sleep Mode

Its also called as the standby mode. Sleep mode is a power saving mode, a Windows machine can be brought to sleep mode by clicking the Sleep button from the start menu.

In the sleep mode the power for the non-essential components are turned off. All the data in the RAM is still kept in the internal memory itself.  The system can be revoked from the sleep mode very quickly. The system will considerably reduce the power consumption in the sleep mode, Still it would be using some power. So we cant completely cut off the power during the sleep mode.

If you would be away from your system for sometime. If you don't want your system to use full power and you want to quickly resume the work you were doing, In that case its best to go with the Sleep mode.

Hibernate

Hibernate mode can be activated by clicking the hibernate button from the start menu. Hibernate mode is a full power saving mode, that means in hibernate mode the system would be using zero power. 

Before going to the hibernate mode the Windows will save all the open and running application to Hard Disk and then shuts down the system. When you switch on your system back from the hibernate mode it will take more time for the system to start as it needs to restart your system. Once your system is started windows will resume the files and applications as you left them.

If you are away from your system for long time and if you want to resume the system as you left with zero power usage. Go for Hibernate mode.