Yesterday I
mentioned how important it is to ensure your disk drive is cool and that your
fans are working properly. Cooling is an essential part of computing and
something you need to keep a close eye on. That’s especially true for smaller
form factors or laptops. But why? Why do you need to keep your disk drive cool?
Computer
cooling is a huge subject and something of a passion of mine. We sell all sorts
of cooling products here at Dave’s Computers in New Jersey and I have taken it
as a personal mission to improve computer cooling for everyone. So what’s the
fuss about?
Heat is a
byproduct of energy conversion. In the case of computing, turning the potential
energy of electricity into an electronic process. Whether that’s powering your
computer processor to perform calculations, powering your RAM to store and
retrieve data or your disk drive to read and write files. All computer
components generate heat to one degree or another.
Computer
components are heat tolerant but only to a certain point. The hotter they get,
the more susceptible to failure they are.
Heat
damages electronics in a number of ways. It begins to break down the chemical
bonds within components. Breaks down glues and adhesives. Causes components to
expand and contract at different rates causing material fatigue and by altering
the materials themselves to make them brittle or distorted.
All of
these things can affect a disk drive and cause you to lose data which is why it
is important to make sure they stay cool. They are able to cope with the heat a
typical PC produces and then some but there are limits.
The cooler
you can keep your computer, the less fatigue and heat damage takes place. Then,
the normal lifespan of those electronics is able to keep them running for
longer.
Fortunately,
it is relatively simple to keep a hard drive cool. Make sure all your PC fans
are working and are free of dust and debris. Upgrade your fans to larger ones
if you can fit them into the case. Keep the air intake at the front of the PC
clear of dust and debris and make sure air and enter freely.
Keep all of
your computer as clean as possible as dust is an insulator and can raise the
temperature of your PC. Make sure the exhaust ports can push hot air out freely
too.
If your
computer is close to central heat or a radiator, move it. If you have a high
ambient temperature, consider an external fan pointing at the computer. Or
upgrade those fans.
Backups are
also important if your computer runs hot. You don’t want to lose your files
just because you like your apartment or house to be warm!
If you have
issues with cooling or want a cooling upgrade for your computer, bring it to
our store in New Jersey. We can handle everything for you.