Computer in hot weather

[bueller555]

Anyone here run a pc at home 24/7 as a media center, ftp server, or the like? I'm thinking of using an old pc for my security cameras, but I'm afraid of the house temperature during the day. When the house is locked up during the day, the room temperature gets to about 95 degrees and I don't know what that'll do to the innards of a pc. Any ideas or is 95 degrees manageable for a pc?

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Computer in hot weather

Anyone here run a pc at home 24/7 as a media center, ftp server, or the like? I'm thinking of using an old pc for my security cameras, but I'm afraid of the house temperature during the day. When the house is locked up during the day, the room temperature gets to about 95 degrees and I don't know what that'll do to the innards of a pc. Any ideas or is 95 degrees manageable for a pc?

Probably not safe. Keep an old fan running, facing the PC.

[joshuatree]

Re: Computer in hot weather

Definitely running a high risk of prematurely killing your PC. A fan is a must. Don't know what your budget is but you may want to consider liquid cooling.

http://www.xoxide.com/thermaltake-bi...-cl-w0075.html

[helen]

Re: Computer in hot weather

You may want to check the PC's specs. I was checking the specs for the iMac and the Mac Pro today and I come to find out that the iMac max operating temperature is at 85 degrees F while the Mac Pro max operating temperature is at 95 degrees F.

[JAvendan]

Re: Computer in hot weather

heat is tough on components.

depending on the age of the system expect problems with the power supply, power supply fan, cpu fan and hard drive.

also, if the inside is dirty/dusty heat will build more quickly.

i had a "server" room that didn't have 24/7 a/c and it got hot - fast.

small room + a lot of big machines made for a bad day at work.

good luck.

joel

[zff]

Re: Computer in hot weather

is 95 degrees manageable for a pc?

Probably. There are too many unknown variables for me to give you a better answer, but I think you'd be fine.

I've seen reasonably busy server farms run 24x7 just fine in 100°F environments. Granted, servers tend to have very good ventilation compared to desktops, but I think a mostly idle desktop in a 95°F room will be just fine. I would just check inside to make sure the heatsinks and fans aren't clogged with dust.

A computer running in a warm environment is very unlikely to suffer from a major component meltdown right away. Probably the worst that will happen is the machine will lockup and need to be rebooted. The warmer the room, the more the PC will lock up. If it happens often enough to be a problem, you'll have to address it. You can buy larger heatsinks, fans, etc., or if you're really cheap, just leaving the cover off the case will probably do it. The heat will definitely shorten the life of the components, but if it's already an old computer, it'll go obsolete quickly anyway.

My current PC has temperature sensors sandwiched between certain key components and their heatsinks, so I have an accurate measurement of their operating temperatures. They can run fine all day at 160°F.

[surlygirly]

Re: Computer in hot weather

If you put a really good fan on the computer itself, it can withstand heat better. As long as you don't have anything of great importance on the computer's hard drive, try it out. Keep a fan aimed at it, and keep it in the shade. When we lived there last year, I kept my laptop on 24/7 and never had a problem. I just put it out of sight and sun. For a tower, try the fan and a bigger cooling fan.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Computer in hot weather

Is it similar to HDTV with its heat coming from the screen? Is it dangerous to put a HDTV up against the wall without good ventilation?