Heat - Your Computer's Enemy

Once upon a time all computers were huge and they were kept in air conditioned rooms to keep them from malfunctioning due to over-heating. Today, computers are smaller and they tolerate a wider range of operating temperatures (usually 45-80 degrees Fahrenheit). Serious damage can still be caused to your computer or its components by not providing a cool enough space. Recently one of our customers, not aware of the need to provide proper ventilation for their server, had one of the main drives fail from overheating. The server was kept in a closet with the door to the closet kept shut. To make matters worse, bubble-wrap packing material, not only a good protector of fragile items but a great thermal insulator, was piled on top of the server. Without a proper air flow to remove the heat the server generated and with the further insulation of the bubble wrap, the contact points on the hard drive became so hot that data loss was just around the corner. Fortunately, we were able to recover the great majority of the files on the drive and the customer is back in business. So whether your computer is a laptop or desktop, make sure it is surrounded with as much cool air and air circulation as possible, or you run the risk of a “melt-down”.