Differences between Hibernate and Sleep
Hibernate vs. Sleep[edit]
Sleep and hibernate are two power-saving states available in most modern operating systems that allow a computer to pause its current session and resume it later.[1] While both modes conserve energy, they differ fundamentally in how they preserve the system's state, which affects resume speed, power consumption, and data safety in the event of a power failure.[2][3]
Sleep mode saves the current state of all open applications and documents to the computer's random-access memory (RAM).[4] The computer then enters a low-power state, where it supplies just enough electricity to maintain the data in the RAM but turns off most other components, such as the display, hard drive, and CPU.[1][5] This allows the computer to resume its full-power operation within a few seconds.[4] Sleep mode is intended for short breaks from computer activity.
Hibernate mode saves the current session's data to a file on the hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD), typically named `hiberfil.sys` in Windows operating systems.[1] After the data is written to the disk, the computer shuts down completely, consuming no power.[4] When the computer is powered on again, it reads the hibernation file from the drive and loads it back into RAM, restoring the system to the exact state it was in before hibernating. Because this process involves reading from the disk, resuming from hibernation is slower than waking from sleep.[2] It is often used for longer periods of inactivity, such as overnight.[2]
Comparison table[edit]
| Category | Sleep | Hibernate |
|---|---|---|
| Session data saved to | RAM (Random-access memory)[4] | Hard drive or SSD (in a file such as hiberfil.sys)[1] |
| Power consumption | Low power consumption (typically 1-10 watts)[1] | Zero power consumption (computer is fully off)[4] |
| Resume speed | Fast (typically a few seconds)[4] | Slower (requires booting and loading data from disk)[2] |
| Effect of power loss | Current session is lost | Current session is preserved on the disk |
| Disk space usage | None | Requires disk space approximately equal to the amount of RAM |
| Ideal use case | Short breaks (minutes to a few hours) | Extended periods (overnight or longer)[2] |
Hybrid sleep[edit]
Hybrid sleep is a state that combines features of both sleep and hibernation. It saves the open session to both the RAM and the hard disk. The computer then enters a low-power state like sleep mode, allowing for a quick resume. However, if a power failure occurs, the session can still be restored from the hard drive, as with hibernation. This mode is often the default setting on desktop computers to protect against data loss from unexpected power outages. It is less commonly enabled by default on laptops, as a laptop's battery already protects against sudden power loss, and writing to the disk takes time and power.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "slashgear.com". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "medium.com". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ↑ "quora.com". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "howtogeek.com". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ↑ "tomshardware.com". Retrieved November 30, 2025.
