Computer and Room temp

[Hobbs28]

Trying to build a mini office in garage with no full time heat. Will temps around zero kill my computer or not. The comp is a junker just for interent and some printing but I would like to know before I run the line out there.

Thanks
Steve

 

[oldman420]

computers love the cold you may get some issues with cold cd drives that spin slow but overall as far as the board cpu etc are concerned colder is better just make sure that you do not get any condensation buildup as this is bad for the computer "water and all"
i have even considered building a pc inside of one of those mini freezers so i get better performance

 

[4dm]

the severe cold will eventually effect the computer in a negative fashion. The first signs of wear you will encounter will be with the fans, cd drives, and other moving parts.

If you turn the computer on and off daily, or multiple times a day you will seriously reduce the lifespan of your CPU. Processors fail due to thermal changes. IF you allow the computer to get to 0, then back up to 100+ when it is on, it will definitely reduce the lifetime of the CPU. If you leave your computer on most of the time though, it should only have a negative effect on the dc motors in your computer.

Hope this helps

 

[Calin]

The most negative effect would be on the hard drive. Also, beware of condensation dangers. If your computer is always on, the extra heat inside will protect it from condensation. This danger is present when the computer is off.
Also, the extra heat (temperature) will protect the motors inside form the effects of the cold.

Calin

 

[huesmann]

Originally posted by: 4dm
the severe cold will eventually effect the computer in a negative fashion. The first signs of wear you will encounter will be with the fans, cd drives, and other moving parts.

If you turn the computer on and off daily, or multiple times a day you will seriously reduce the lifespan of your CPU. Processors fail due to thermal changes. IF you allow the computer to get to 0, then back up to 100+ when it is on, it will definitely reduce the lifetime of the CPU. If you leave your computer on most of the time though, it should only have a negative effect on the dc motors in your computer.

Hope this helps

IMHO, his computer will be obsolete long before he notices any effects of CPU heat cycling. Besides, as he says, the computer is a junker.

The hard drives may be another issue...they seem more sensitive. If you do keep your computer in the garage office, I would leave it on as much as possible just so the drives don't get heat cycled a lot.

 

[Hobbs28]

Thanks for the help I plan on leaving it on so that should take care of most of the problems. All I need it for is to print shipping labels and cheacks auctions online so if it goes I will buy another $50 garage sale special to replace it. Plus it should only be that cold a couple months out of the year.

Thansk
Steve

 

[acemcmac]

yeah, I'd really avoid running a machine anywhere near dewpoint...

 

[Cheetah8799]

The hard drive might suffer. My dad's office has a few rooms, and the front room has very large windows. In the winter, it gets really cold in that room, and thus the hard drive in that machine started to go. In the end it tested ok, but it was a weird deal. Sometimes the pc wouldn't start, sometimes it needed to reboot a couple times. This was always in the cold mornings, not later in the day when the room warmed up...