Hibernate vs Suspend on your PC

Most people, some tech guru's included, do not know the difference between letting your pc/laptop go into Standby mode and Hibernate mode.

Standby:

Bringing a machine back from Standby is much quicker as your information is stored in your RAM. What slows down the process is activating other devices that are connected. In Standby the power is cut to your hard drive and monitor but the PC still gets a small bit of power. Think of it as running your PC is a low power mode. Standby is useful for laptop computers that you want to stay on but know you will be away from for a while so you can to conserve the battery (ie at a meeting).

Hibernate:

Your PC actually shuts down when it goes in the 'hibernate' state. Your current session on the computer is saved onto the HD and it will pull that session back up once you take it out of hibernate mode. Since the PC shuts all the way down it takes longer to shut down and start up.

Not all PCs have the capability and are configured to Hibernate. Hold shift down when you click shutdown to see the option.