Dell Power Vampire?

[Bobmi357]

I'm sitting here wondering why there is a red led lit up inside my wife's computer when her machine is shut down. From my angle I can see through the back grill and see the red led lit up.

Does anyone know why this machine is still drawing power when it's supposed to be shut down?

 

[Calvin]

I'm sitting here wondering why there is a red led lit up inside my wife's computer when her machine is shut down. From my angle I can see through the back grill and see the red led lit up.

Does anyone know why this machine is still drawing power when it's supposed to be shut down?

Many of the new machines will have LED's on the mainboard that do show a power connection. The machine is only drawing (most likely) just the few milli amps needed to light the LED. It is most likely just a connection light. My big server as two of them as well.

Of course you could always use a voltmeter to measure the draw if you are handy in that sort of thing...

 

[Cenobite]

Basically ever since we switched from AT mains power switching (as in a big button all the mains power ran through to turn the PC on and off) to ATX systems most systems don't actually fully switch off.

So even though it's shut down, unless you pull the plug or turn it off at the wall or even sometimes a switch on the back of the PC, it still has live power running through it.
It's only a matter of 5 volts and all it does is enable it to switch on fully when you push the power button (it completes a circuit which requires the power.)

That LED indicates that there's still power to the system and is nothing to worry about. The power usage is so minimal you'll barely notice it.