How Hot Is Too Hot For Hard Drives?

Hard drive specifications vary from brand to brand, but normal operating temperatures for the most commonly used drives typically range from 41 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 60 degrees Celsius).

A five-year study by Google, monitoring statistics from their massive data centers, revealed negative effects when temperatures reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit or more, but only in drives that were at least three years old.

Other studies report that hard drives operating five degrees above the recommended operating level could increase the failure rate by 10 to 15 percent.

Overheating can slow down the computer's performance or warp the aluminum hard disk assembly inside the drive where the platters, motor and head assembly reside. This causes the drive to crash due to alignment problems and wobbling. Extreme heat can also impact electronic connections, leading to mechanical malfunctions and increased error rates, thus affecting the integrity of the stored data.

To optimize your computer's performance and protect its hard drive during warm summer months, check your hard drive's specifications on the manufacturer's Web site, keep the air intake vents free of dust and provide proper air circulation.

Source: Drive Savers

Never leave the side covers off your computer for extended periods of time. They are actually designed to keep air flowing through your computers case and across the components keeping them as cool as possible.
Another tip is to check if a fan can be placed behind or in front of the hard disk drive inside your computer, blowing across the top and bottom of it.

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