Is there a risk in booting up a pretty cold computer?

[BZeto]

One of my PC's stays downstairs (my file server/test pc). Now that its starting to get cold here and we dont heat the basement I noticed it gets pretty chilly down there. I was wondering if there were any risk to components from being run when its too cold. Now I figure once its running there isn't too much of a risk, but could there be damage to the hard disks from booting up when things are too cold?

 

[Ionizer86]

Nope, as long as nothing starts condensing like crazy.

 

[corkyg]

There is a minimum operating temperature specified by most makers - and that is about 41 degrees F. Below that, you should probably pre-warm. But - if the temperature in your basement is that cold, you could have other problems too. Chilly is OK - in fact - better! There is also a max operating temperature as well. Check your specific HDD specs.

 

[BZeto]

Ok, thanks. It probably gets pretty close to 41 degrees. In fact, I could probably run the system fanless. I was just curious if I should worry about things like hard drives.

 

[KenSr]

Why don't you put a low wattage light bulb by it? That will cut down on condensation also.

 

[Slogun]

I've been running a server from my unheated basement for the last 3 years with no problem.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Slogun
I've been running a server from my unheated basement for the last 3 years with no problem.

Yes, but that's constantly running, and therefore not under the condensation risk of the sudden temperature increase.

I've wondered how the folks with carputers manage to have them in workable shape in the winter. Or do they just pull 'em? Ditto for the LCD displays in the high-class luxury navigation/DVD systems.

- M4H

 

[randumb]

As long as it stays within the advertised limits of your parts. Usually the box will say "only operates between Blah degrees and Blah degrees".

 

[dkozloski]

I have booted up computers while doing brute force overclocking experiments at temperatures as low as -50deg F. I used SCSI drives on a cable long enough to have them inside with the rest of the machine outdoors on the patio table on the deck. Everything worked normally except that I frostbit some fingers. I have booted drives that have been cold soaked to 0deg.F while using the "freezer trick" that also worked fine. I think you would be more likely to suffer hypothermia yourself before the computer failed.

 

[subman]

You have cold problems and here in India we have heat and humidity problems. I had a major problem with the computer the last monsoon (June-Sept) there was so much humidity in the air that the sides of the case was damp to touch. On one day due to the moisture the computer got a short circuit and would not start. After thinking about this problem I came to a solution which may be of use to your cold problem too - I found a thermal pad (used for muscle aches) which has a built in thermostat for 45C - I started to keep this pad on the side of the computer case and this heated the insides just about right to keep the moisture out.

 

[drag]

Generally in my area of the world (midwest USA) it gets VERY dry during the winter, very humid in the summer.

Condusation isn't a issue around here. Generally the colder the computer the better and longer lasting it will be. If you have any thing with moving parts like a cdrom the plastic can get brittle, electric motors loose power and stuff like that, but the solid state stuff you don't have to worry about.

Hell you dump the entire motherboard, ram, cpu and stuff (not the HD) into a liquid nitrogen bath and the only thing that would screw up was the electrolite in the capasiters would freeze and cause them to fail. And that's only going to happen a couple hundred degrees below zero.

Some houses do have humidifiers because the more humid (relatively) indoor air makes it easier to keep things warm.

The most thing you have to worry about around here is the extremely dry air will cause you to build up static electricly very fast.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: drag
Generally in my area of the world (midwest USA) it gets VERY dry during the winter, very humid in the summer.

Condusation isn't a issue around here. Generally the colder the computer the better and longer lasting it will be. If you have any thing with moving parts like a cdrom the plastic can get brittle, electric motors loose power and stuff like that, but the solid state stuff you don't have to worry about.

Hell you dump the entire motherboard, ram, cpu and stuff (not the HD) into a liquid nitrogen bath and the only thing that would screw up was the electrolite in the capasiters would freeze and cause them to fail. And that's only going to happen a couple hundred degrees below zero.

Some houses do have humidifiers because the more humid (relatively) indoor air makes it easier to keep things warm.

The most thing you have to worry about around here is the extremely dry air will cause you to build up static electricly very fast.

That brought up another thought - humidity in the summer. Is there a dehumidifier in the cellar there? High humidity could be a very bad thing for computers, moreso than cold temps (come summertime of course).

 

[buckmasterson]

I've had a Barton in my garage shop all year round. I suffer from hot and have a fan blowing on it in the summer, but winter seems ok, as it's around 40 degrees in there. The one thing I worry about is the dry air in the winter, so I do strap on when working on it.