Hobbies And Interests
Reasons to Leave the Console On
If you're downloading games on the Xbox 360, leaving the console on is fine as long as it's in a well ventilated area. If you're playing a game or watching a movie, leaving it on for hours at a time is normal. The only reason to turn it off is if you're not using it and it's simply sitting there idle.
Console Care
To keep your console operating at its peak performance levels, store it properly. It should receive as much air as possible to keep cool. Consider placing it on an open shelf away from other electronics so that the heat generated by other devices doesn't affect the Xbox. It should be out of the sun, away from dust and placed in its proper position. Storing the Xbox vertically can help to dissipate the heat that builds up because less of the console is touching the surface of the shelf or ground.
Automatic Shut Off
It's easy to walk away from the Xbox and forget that you've left it on. To prevent the Xbox from running all night, enable auto-off. You can change the preferences for startup and shutdown in the Console Settings menu under "System and Settings." Select "Enable" and the Xbox will turn off after running idle for awhile. When you change the console settings, power down the Xbox and leave it off for ten minutes before turning it back on to ensure the change works.
Power Consumption
When the Xbox is idle and not performing a specific action, it still takes energy to run the Xbox operating system -- the machine will still be drawing power from your outlet. Keeping your Xbox shut off when you're not using it will help to reduce your power bill.