Windows 10: Sleep vs. Hibernate vs. Shut Down

[Note: I am running Windows 10 on the new Retina MacBook via Boot Camp]

I've been a Windows user for 20 years so I know the differences between each of these. But in Windows 10 I am experiencing significant battery drains that are not consistent with the performance from Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, etc. and am wondering if the culprit is Windows 10 or the fact that I'm running it on a MacBook. I don't use my notebook every day. It'll be in use for a day, then I'll not use it for 3 days, then I'll turn it on again. It's not my primary computer, it's what I use for work travel and on weekends at home.

In Sleep, I've historically lost 5% battery per day. Over the course of 3 days, it'll go from 100% down to 85% and its been that way on all my Sony notebooks since 1999.

In Hibernate, I've historically lost 2% battery per day. Go from 100% down to 97% if inactive for 3 days.

But with Windows 10 and my MacBook, I'm losing 15% battery per day in Sleep and 10% battery per day in Hibernate and that's a huge jump, a big loss of standby life and I'm not sure why.

Any thoughts? Is Windows 10 less efficient for a few days of inactive standby or is it my Mac?

TIA

BJ

:)

 

Sleep vs Hibernate vs Shut Down

I have heard so many stories from different people which is better to use Sleep vs Hibernate vs Shut Down.

I have a PC that's about 3 months old. It's an HP Phoenix Desktop and it's loaded. I was on a chat with an HP Tech and during the chat I told him I was having trouble getting the PC to sleep. He told me, unless I'm returning to the computer within an hour
or so I should shut dow, always to use shut down rather than Sleep vs Hibernate.

Does anybody have any hard facts about which is best for the life and performance of the PC?

Thanks

Jerry

 

Sleep vs Hibernate vs Shut Down

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter much. If you use Sleep for extended periods of time you're wasting energy; Sleep puts the computer into a low-power state but it keeps consuming electricity. Hibernation consumes some disk space but generally
not very much. The Fast Startup feature of Windows 10 (which is on by default) is a sort of hibernation, and using it will get you to your desktop from power-on pretty quickly--about thirty seconds for me. As far as "life and performance" of the computer
is concerned, as I said, it doesn't matter much.

 

How fast does the Macbook discharge when it is completely off?

 

About 1% per day.

I like the lightning-quick startup when waking from Sleep, awakening from Hibernate is very fast too. Would prefer avoiding turning to Off each day.

BJ

 

It is possible it is not going into deep enough sleep. This would have to do with the drivers that Windows uses. It might not be taking advantage of the deeper sleep states offered by the hardware without the proper drivers.

Providing better drivers is of course Apple's responsibility.

 

Thank you, that might be it. So are you saying that Windows 10's sleep states are as good (or better) as they've always been? In other words, there's nothing quirky about Windows 10 vs. 8 or prior in this area, Windows 10 Sleep/Hibernate/Off are no different that in year's past?

BJ

 

There is nothing to different about them concerning sleep-states other than Windows 10 supporting more sleep-states that is available in newer hardware, provided there is driver support for them.

 

You might want to check that "Allow this device to wake the computer" is turned off on your WiFi adapter - this will disable Wake On Line functionality.

This should mean that the card is powered off in sleep. Whether it affects hibernate I don't know. Some things leave WiFi card active in hibernate for WOL, some don't - I don't know what Apple does.

I have a rMBP also but I don't turn it off for long enough to check discharge rate (or notice any difference).

 

As far as I know, Hibernation and shutdown are supposed to be same amount of battery usage. If you are using 10% per day in hibernation, then maybe the computer is not really hibernating, or maybe the Macbook is designed to do something different than a Windows computer.

 

There's an option in Settings to turn off wifi when in sleep ( I think it was a new setting in Windows 10).

I have it set and battery loss in sleep mode is drastically reduced.

 

Thanks halasz, I had that setting already ticked so that isn't what's ailing me (unless as you point out its an Apple issue).

Mark, I've looked in my Windows 10 settings and can't find this "turn off wi-fi when in Sleep" setting. Can you tell me how to find it?

BJ

 

It's in Settings, System, Power & sleep; under the 'WiFi' heading you have a couple of options. I unchecked the 'on battery power...' one.
These options appear on my tablet, but not on my desktop, which I guess makes sense.

 

Thanks, but couldn't find anything like this either in PC or Tablet mode. If you have a screenshot or more detail would be great to know.

BJ

 

I thought that 'Sleep' put the computer into low PSU usage shutting most things down but still keeping the PC powered up with no ability to completely turn off the power; turning off the power would result in loss of current settings & PC would reboot normally.

Hibernate on the other hand stores the current state of the PC before shutting down allowing the power to be completely removed; turning off the power would retain the current set up which would be restored when PC re-booted.