Hard drive operating temperature

I've started monitor the hard drive temp on my desktop and laptop. The desktop is steady around 31c and the laptop is around 40c. I'm wondering if the laptop is running too hot and if I need to try one of those cooling pads? The cooling fan in the laptop is working properly and I don't have any obvious overheating problems, but it's good to get out in front of these things

 

31c and 40c are good temperatures for a hard drive, it's above 45c that you need to be concerned about.

A cooling pad for a laptop won't make a huge difference in temperatures, but it wouldn't hurt having one.

What does your other temperatures look like? (CPU, Graphics, etc.)

 

Check your model on your HDD manufacturers website. Will have normal operating temperature ranges.

 

Glad to hear that. The laptop originally had a 5400rpm drive and perhaps the current 7200rpm drive runs hotter. I never monitored the slower drive though so I don't know. It could be the limitations of the cooling design.

Well, it wouldn't hurt but it would be a nuisance to have another thingy to cart around and setup in Starbucks, etc. Might it actually lower the hard drive temp? The laptop does get a little warm on the bottom, but there are no vents and plastic is not a great conductor.

Good question. I haven't tried monitoring those. I'll give "core temp" a try on the laptop (works well on my desktop). Thanks!

 

Exactly so, thanks!

 

Victek123,

Anything less than 55° C is OK. The Google study of 100,000 HDs suggested low HD temperatures in the first 3 years were more likely to be associated with HD failure.

 

Interesting - can you link to that study?

 

http://static.googleusercontent.com...arch.google.com/en//archive/disk_failures.pdf

I think it demonstrates there have been unsubstantiated myths about temperature and HDs.

 

Not if you buy one that fits your laptop, but one that is also more compact, slim or foldable. Some of them can lower the temps better than others, so you may want to research around before you decide to purchase one.

No vents at all? You're kidding me...Most of them do have some type of ventilation.

 

I stand corrected - there are vents in the ram cover. Fold-able? I'll have a look, thanks.

 

Yes, depending on the size of your laptop, there should be a foldable option.

Here is an example of a folding cooling pad.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA07Y0BG6395

 

In view of the Google study showing a correlation with low HD temperatures and HD failure I wonder if these coolers do more harm than good. I advise people to avoid them.

 

There is a very small percentage that these coolers have caused harm to a laptop...And I mean a very small percentage.

You say that you "Wonder" if these coolers do more harm than good (With uncertainty if it does or not). If you are uncertain about the cause of these coolers, then I wouldn't advise people to avoid them...Especially if you don't know the for sure answer.

The only thing a person should be concerned about when buying a laptop cooler is, is if it will indeed drop temperatures or at least cool the bottom surface of the laptop.

As for hard drive temperatures and Google's study goes, My drives always sit around 32 to 38 degree's C and I never once had a problem...ever.

I use my best judgement, I don't follow the study. In my opinion, the Google study isn't all based on truth and fact.

 

i agree with Brian K as there is evidence that cooling hard drives increases the failure rate. i class the article which Brian linked to as evidence.

on the other hand a cooling pad for a laptop will also help the laptop's CPU/GPU to stay cooler and that can only be a good thing, there is evidence for that.

so its kind of like a Catch-22 situation.

 

100,000 hard drives. That is a big sample. I'm sure our individual experience in HD failures is inconsequential compare with the Google study.

 

Have you even read the study ?

http://research.google.com/archive/disk_failures.pdf

 

I'm taking a guess here. Would a hot running hard drive tend have less hot spots and a more stable temp compared to a cooler running drive? Put another way, the temperature distribution among various components in a hot drive is more uniform. Whereas with a cooler drive, there are localized hotspots on some controller chips, and bearings, and coil actuators. All those parts are hot internally, but the outside of the housing is cool. This leads to all sorts of different expansion/contraction rates of various parts and areas, as well as more of it.