What is the Difference Between Hibernate and Standby (Sleep)?

The main difference between Hibernate and Standby (Sleep) lies in their power consumption and the way they save the computer's state:

• Standby (Sleep): This mode puts the computer in a low-power state, similar to pausing a DVD movie. The computer technically stays on, but only uses a small amount of power. Open documents and applications are saved in the computer's memory (RAM), allowing for a quick resumption of work within a few seconds. However, if there is an interruption in power, the information in memory is lost.
• Hibernate: This mode saves the state of the memory (RAM) to the hard disk and shuts the computer down, using as little power as possible. When the computer is turned back on, it resumes from the saved state on the hard disk. Hibernate uses less power than Standby and is designed primarily for laptops. The downside is that it takes longer to wake up from Hibernate compared to Standby.

In summary, Standby is useful for short breaks, while Hibernate is suitable for extended periods of inactivity. Standby conserves some power, but Hibernate uses even less power and is more suitable for longer periods away from the computer.

Comparative Table: Hibernate vs Standby (Sleep)

Here is a table comparing the differences between Hibernate and Standby (Sleep) modes:

In summary, Hibernate mode consumes less power than Standby (Sleep) mode, but takes longer to resume from. Hibernate saves data to the hard drive, allowing the computer to be in a near-zero power state, while Standby saves data to memory and draws a small amount of power.