Comment # 33 on bug 951548 from andreas bittner

No, nothing is to be seen ever during this "cpu fan rotating still in slow
mode, but hdd powerup is already triggered as the hdd spins up and continues to
rotate, can be observed audibly".

During this time, there are no pixels (monitor powered down, dpms state or
similar, so: not only black screen), the num-lock lamp of the ps/2 keyboard can
not be triggered, the network stack (pings) are not replying and nothing can be
done with this semi-waked/semi-sleeping system. The atx power led (indicator)
is not pulsating any more though. it does pulsate and indicate the real sleep
state, when the cpu fan is completely turned off, and so is the hdd powered
down at that time.