Is is harmful to use a cold laptop?

If I leave my laptop (W3V) in my car trunk all day in cold weather (10 degrees Fahrenheit for example) , is there any risk in using it without letting it warm up? Could there be a problem with condensation or anything else?

With my previous laptop I would use it while it was very cold, and never had any problems because of it. Anyway I dont want to take any risks, any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

I have no idea but I wouldn't do it.

The only moving parts are the fans and the hard drive. I wouldn't worry about the fans but I'd worry about the cold affecting the performance of the hard drive arm.

 

In theory, condensation is a risk. However, have you noticed any condensation occurring when you take the computer of its bag? The metal touchpad buttons are some exposed metal which should provide a good test. You may be in an environment which is dry enough that condensation does not occur and your previous experience suggests that this is the case. The risk of condensation can be minimised by powering up the computer as soon as you get it out of the bag. The heat generated will quickly warm the computer to a safe temperature.

I once (1991) had a laptop where the backlight wouldn't come on in a cold environment until the computer had warmed up, but that is a different issue.

John

 

Here, I found this on a site:

TEMPERATURE COMFORT RANGE

Every laptop has a recommended safe range of operating temperature. A laptop is much like you and me: it does not like to work in temperatures outside its 'Comfort range' and usually does not like to work near the outer ranges of that temperature range, either.

A safe operating temperature range is about 41 to 95o F (5 to 35o C). This does not mean that the laptop just needs to be in an environment within that temperature range, but that it must be allowed to warm or cool to a temperature in that range. For example, if you've had the laptop in a cold car and bring it inside, you should allow several minutes for the laptop to warm to room temperature before you operate it (this will also minimize potential problems from condensation). So …

· Do not leave the laptop sitting in the car for extended periods of time in either hot or cold weather. (Besides, a laptop computer is also one of the easiest targets for possible theft - a visible laptop is a 'walking laptop' and as such the failure to secure the laptop will be considered negligent if a theft occurs and you will be liable for replacement costs.)

· Do not leave the laptop computer exposed to direct sunlight or near any heat or moisture sources for extended periods of time (e.g., don't run the computer right next to a humidifier unit). We recommend a safe relative humidity range of 10-75%.

 

Hard drives are fairly well sealed to keep dust out (although there is venting provision to handle changes in atmospheric pressure). I would not expect condensation in the HDD to be a problem.

John

 

In my vast experience with LCD screens of any type I have learned that cold = bad for response time. The slower that screen moves, the more battery it eats up (I would assume). Therefore it can be construed that using it right out of the cold will yield lower battery life.

This is only from my experience, however, one can't deny the affect cold has on LCD.

 

Let me tell you something I've heard from Asus, Intel and have experienced myself.... apparently it's common knowledge to let a system warm up to room temp before using or it could perform very poorly, but there are some serious things that have happened.

1. condensation is an actual problem.. mainly on the hard drive, ram, cpu

2. LCD screen - more bad pixels apparently occur when a system is turned out right off the delivery truck on a cold day

3. As part of most warranties this is actually mentioned and most would be voided if damage was done because of it...... issues coming from condensation can be verified after the fact and usually are right up there with water, soda and coffee spills.

 

From what I understand, this applies not only to laptops, but ALL electronics from televisions to amplifiers and PA systems.
BDR

 

oh, very true...... I just think a laptop is probably the most expensive thing that someone may want to use right out of the box...

 

Ha! You aren't in the home electronics business like me. I sell remote controls that cost more than laptops.... You're point is well taken though~ a laptop is one of those things you can't wait to get your hands on after hanging out here for months trying to make a decision on what to buy!

 

...... I said it's the laptops that they are most likely to turn on as they're coming out of the box..... Don't worry, I've seen and have exactly what you're talking about and I just think the computers are something people want to get on ASAP.... with a remote it seems like something that you're not going take off work early and go home just to use it. A lot of people actually do that when they're waiting for laptops.