Hibernate or not

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31 points

Hibernate or not

I just got a 2018 Mac mini. My 2012 mini died on me.

I did the "pmset" command in Terminal & found out that my mini is in hibernatemode 3. That's the default for post-2005 portables according to the websites I visited. Is a mini considered a portable?

The different hibernate modes confuse me a bit.

Hibernatemode 0: RAM powered; RAM contents not backed up to disk

Hibernatemode 1: RAM contents copied to disk; RAM not powered

Hibernatemode 3: RAM contents copied to disk; RAM powered

Do the new desktops & laptops support hibernatemode 25?

I noticed that my 2018 mini boots pretty quickly after its powered down. It may be a little faster than waking it from sleep.

My 2012 mini had a physical disk & I clicked on "sleep" when I was done with it. My 2018 mini has an SSD which is soldered to the motherboard. I know that SSDs have a limited number of read/write cycles. So every time that the contents of the RAM are copied to the SSD, its life shortens a little. I want my mini to last for a long time. So, I don't know which is better for a long life- shut down every time or sleep.

My computer & monitor are plugged into a UPS. If there's a power failure when I'm on my computer, I can safely shut it down. But if my mini is sleeping & there's a power failure & I'm not around, the UPS will power the computer & monitor for a while but will eventually run out of power. What happens to a sleeping mini if there's a power failure & the UPS battery is drained? Will the mini properly shut down or will macOS files get corrupted because the mini wasn't properly shut down?

Mac mini, macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 5, 2019 2:40 PM

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Answer 1

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macnerd48 Author

Level 1

31 points

Apr 6, 2019 7:08 AM in response to John Galt

My Energy saver is set to turn off display AND put hard drive to sleep after 20 minutes. My monitor will go into standby if there's no signal from the computer.

Alrighty, then. I think that answers my questions. Thank you.

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

141,126 points

Apr 5, 2019 2:54 PM in response to macnerd48

When you're not using your Mini, ignore it. Macs are designed to be used that way. Any changes you implement using pmset will degrade its performance and reduce its life. If you changed it, revert that change.

The flash memory used in Apple products is likely to outlive you.

... will macOS files get corrupted because the mini wasn't properly shut down?

It is literally impossible for that to occur.

A sleeping Mini consumes less power than a night light: about one W. You can calculate how long your UPS will continue to power it by measuring that power or consulting its specifications, here: https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/desktops/Macmini_PER_oct2018.pdf

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Answer 3

macnerd48 Author

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31 points

Apr 6, 2019 4:27 AM in response to John Galt

I haven't changed the hibernate mode. I found the Terminal command online to show the hibernate mode. Mine is set at hibernatemode 3.

Is hibernatemode 25 still used? Based on the description for hibernatemode 25 that I found online, it seems to be the same as hibernatemode 1. If one uses the Terminal command to change the hibernate mode to 25, will the computer work?

By saying "ignore it", do you mean to use Energy Saver? Won't Energy Saver use the default hibernate mode? It seems to me that all the Energy Saver does is set the length of time the computer & display are inactive before the computer goes to sleep. So, it seems to me that it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other whether I use Energy Saver or click on "Sleep". Is my assumption correct?

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Answer 4

John Galt

Level 10

141,126 points

Apr 6, 2019 6:01 AM in response to macnerd48

0, 3, and 25 are the only supported modes. Unsupported modes will result in unexpected effects. 25 will work if you really want to use it but you have to do that on your own.

To reset its mode to whatever Apple decided is correct for the model Mac, the easiest way is to reset NVRAM.

It seems to me that all the Energy Saver does is set the length of time the computer & display are inactive before the computer goes to sleep. So, it seems to me that it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other whether I use Energy Saver or click on "Sleep". Is my assumption correct?

Almost; the difference being Energy Saver will not override most power management assertions. Selecting "Sleep" will override most of them. Time Machine is one example.

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Answer 5

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

31 points

Apr 6, 2019 6:37 AM in response to John Galt

When I was researching the different hibernate modes, some websites listed 0, 1, 3, 25 & some listed 0, 3, 25. I'm curious. When was support for 1 dropped & why?

If you don't recommend using 25, I won't change it.

I remember reading about resetting NVRAM. There was another called PRAM. According to support.apple.com:

NVRAM (nonvolatile random-access memory) is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. PRAM (Parameter RAM) stores similar information, and the steps for resetting NVRAM and PRAM are the same.

I wake up my mini by tapping on the "esc" key. Tapping any key or moving the mouse will wake up the mini from Energy Saver sleep, right?

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Answer 6

John Galt

Level 10

141,126 points

Apr 6, 2019 7:07 AM in response to macnerd48

I don't recall ever using hibernatemode 1. There used to be plain old sleep mode which is now 0. Then things got complicated with portable Macs, Macs that no longer incorporate magnetic storage media, EU Extreme Energy Efficiency impositions, dark wake, Power Nap... etc.

Then came the iPhone which always has power and is never shut down, and Apple adopted its broad principles to the Mac. Yet we still have people who routinely shut down Macs for reasons known only to them. I wonder if they routinely shut down their iPhones also. Does an iPhone "dark wake?" Yes, but no one knows when it does, nor should they care.

I wake up my mini by tapping on the "esc" key. Tapping any key or moving the mouse will wake up the mini from Energy Saver sleep, right?

Yes.

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Answer 7

John Galt

Level 10

141,126 points

Apr 6, 2019 7:08 AM in response to John Galt

John Galt wrote:

.... Time Machine is one example.

iTunes is another. There are many more but the point is if a user instructs the system to sleep, it will sleep assuming everything is working the way it should.

Energy Saver will sleep a Mac if it concludes the user isn't doing anything.

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Answer 8

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

31 points

Apr 8, 2019 5:27 AM in response to macnerd48

I thought of more questions.

Please explain, in layman's terms, what happens when my computer is powered down with Energy Saver & what happens when my computer is awakened from Energy Saver. Does it use the default hibernate mode, which in my case is 3? Or does it not use hibernatemode at all?

Hibernate is a good word to describe the sleep mode. When animals hibernate, their body temperature drops, their heartbeat slows way down & their breathing becomes very shallow. I notice that when I click on "Sleep" my monitor will show "No signal" & then "entering power save mode" & then shut down. My computer takes longer to shut down when I click on "Sleep". And my computer takes longer to wake up from sleep than from Energy Saver. When my computer powers down with Energy Saver, the monitor screen goes black. There are no on-screen messages. It seems to wake up faster from Energy saver than from Sleep. So, I reckon that "Sleep" is a deeper sleep than Energy Saver, correct? I read about Standby. Is that just another word for Energy Saver? The option "Put hard drive to sleep when possible" is checked. My mini has an SSD which has no moving parts. Is it alright to uncheck that or do I leave it checked? If I uncheck that, the SSD will be powered 24/7/365. Only the display will turn off so my computer will wake up a lot faster. I don't want to do harm to my computer. I want it to last for a long time.

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Answer 9

John Galt

Level 10

141,126 points

Apr 8, 2019 7:56 AM in response to macnerd48

You deserve a comprehensive answer than what follows, but briefly stated your Mini will last a long time. Accurate predictions are impossible but if history is a guide your Mini will become functionally obsolete well before any of its components wears out.

In other words, five or ten years from now you will want to do things with it that are not even contemplated yet, and you will want to upgrade. No one can possibly predict what those functions might be, but I can predict they will happen.

As an illustration: every time a new macOS or iOS upgrade is announced, people whose hardware doesn't meet its requirements feel somehow left out. They complain. Loudly. How dare Apple do this to them. Their (fill in the blank) is only xxx years old and still works and looks as good as it ever did. Etc. Those complaints sprout like weeds on this site with disturbing regularity. Fact is, their five or ten year old device is perfectly good and will remain so, perhaps for decades. They just want to take advantage of some new feature but their hardware doesn't support it, and they whine and moan and complain and threaten... and no one cares.

Apple does not divulge hardware-specific information in any great detail, but if you want to peruse their design goals relative to Energy Saver and its relation to "sleep" and "hibernate" read the US ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements for Computers specification. The Mini is considered a "Desktop Computer" for its purposes. There are many detailed requirements dictating power supply efficiency, hard disk operation, network components, displays, memory, how to determine when a device is actively being used, is idle, or "off" (quotes because even the concept of "off" isn't so simple any more). Apple exceeds those requirements by a wide margin. Beyond the US, the EU imposes even stricter requirements by regulation, and Apple meets them also.

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Answer 10

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

31 points

Apr 8, 2019 10:04 AM in response to John Galt

Fascinating, as Spock would say!

I have read that minis are used as servers & servers must be up 24/7/365.

I got my 2012 mini in June 2012. I used it every day for almost 7 years - 6 years & 9 months. Usually I spent hours on it surfing the 'net, reading e-mails, doing stuff on my word processor. It finally died on me a few days ago. I got the 3-year Apple Care when I got my new mini. The Best Buy sales person told me that that Best Buy store will become an Apple authorized repair store. COOL! So, I don't need to go farther down Broad Street to the Apple store.

So, what I'd like to do is use Energy Saver just to turn off the monitor. My mini will be like a server - on 24/7/365. If I know that I won't be using it for a while, like going on a vacation, I'll turn it off.

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Answer 11

macnerd48 Author

Level 1

31 points

Apr 8, 2019 11:26 AM in response to macnerd48

Put hard disks to sleep when possible

Put the computer’s hard disk to sleep whenever it’s inactive.

Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off

Prevents the computer from going to sleep when the display sleeps.

Are they both the same thing? If I checkmark both of them, is it redundant? Right now only the display is set to turn off after 10 minutes.

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Hibernate or not

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