Why You Must Monitor Your
Hard Drive Temperature

Hard drive temperature monitoring is a way to prevent loss of data. As the hard disk operating temperature becomes hotter there is an increasing chance of drive failure and data loss.

A software temperature monitor can be configured to save all open files and shutdown the computer when the hard drive becomes too hot. Shutting down the computer in this instance might be inconvenient, but it is better than losing data.

Overheating your hard drive is more likely if you have a high performance system which contains additional sources of heat such as a fast video adapter. The cumulative effect of the hot video adapter, the hot CPU, and the high RPM hard drive is certain to lead to heating problems.

Almost all newer SATA or Parallel EIDE hard drives have a temperature sensing diode to monitor the operating temperature of the hard drive. This temperature can be read by looking at the S.M.A.R.T data. This data also includes the average and maximum operating temperatures of the drive since it was manufactured. This piece of information will let you know if the drive has ever overheated. An overheated drive may have incurred damage.

Maximum HDD Temperatures

Each drive can have a different safe maximum temperature, but the normal temperature range is 30C to 40C (86F to 104F).

If your hard drive reaches temperatures of 45C (113F), you should add additional cooling to your case. If the hdd temperatures reach 50C (122F) for long periods of time, you are certain to have hard drive troubles. Of course these are my maximum recommendations and I realize that some drive manufacturers say that their drives can safely go to 55C or even 60C.

In any event, you don't want your hard drive to stay at these maximum levels for long periods. It is an undeniable truth that a lower operating temperature will prolong the life of your hard drive and only you can decide how important your data to to you.

Cooling Your Hard Drive

A hot drive can be cooled a couple of different ways. Firstly, you can add an extra fan to your computer case to increase airflow through the case. Secondly, you can mount the disk inside of a hard drive cooler. In either case, make sure all the fans in your case are free of accumulated dust to insure the maximum airflow from your existing fans.

A hard drive temperature monitor is cheap insurance for your valuable data. But if your drive is normally running on the hot side, consider adding a hard drive cooler to your system.

A Free Way to Monitor Your Hard Drives on Windows

On my system, I like to use this free S.M.A.R.T hard drive temperature monitor to see that my drives aren't being overheated. This free monitor places the hard drive temperature in your Windows taskbar.

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