HD Overheating

I have a WD 320GB 5400rpm drive and it's idling around 51C.

I am using a Targus Podium mat so there is adequate airflow underneath the laptop.

My CPU is at 44/45C, TZ1/2 are at 50/60C, and my GPU is at 63C.

My HD used to idle at around 47/48 just a week ago. Ambient temperatures haven't changed, if anything they have gotten cooler. All I have changed on my PC is uninstalling ESET IS and installing NIS 2009. I have uninstalled NIS to see if that was the case but the temperatures didn't change.

Any ideas as to why my HD temperatures are this high? Thanks.

 

Those temps are fine. It depends alot upon the notebook's architecture, and cooling capability, rather than the specific module. Your HDD will be fine unless it is under 60*C.

You could try disabling indexing, set a fixed pagefile, and disable Superfetch (Vista?).

You can use Process Explorer, or the Resource Monitor (in Vista) to monitor the HDD usage when idle....

 

You could also get Notebook Hardware COntrol and set the HDD to Max Battery and Quiet, that may cool it down and decrease speed it is spiniing to possibly decrease temp.

Not sure, just a theory.

 

Is the HDD more active? I ask because that would explain. Where is the heat coming from? If the HDD is not more active then likely not from HDD.

Is CPU more active? Virus/adware?

 

The WD3200BEVT has a tendency to get hot. 51 C is nothing to be worried about though.

 

A full defrag may also help reduce the amount of HDD activity.

Otherwise keep watching to see if the trend of rising temperature increases.

John

 

Those temps are fine for an HDD. It shouldn't cause any type of real problems. I speak from personal experience with an HDD that heated up so much my laptop would shut down due to the fail-safe lol

 

Thanks for all the input!

Andy:

Well my temperatures were lower which is why I am concerned. I heard 55C was the threshold? Indexing has been disabled and a fixed pagefile has been set. I don't really want to disable Superfetch as I find it useful.

I did look at the REsources Monitor and really didn't find anything out of the ordinary, seemed to be pretty low/standard usage as far as I can tell.

AHL:

I will give NHC another shot. I do believe that it's already on those settings though.

Son:

No, it's activity is basically the same. I really don't know where the heat is coming from. All usage is pretty much the same not doing anything out of the ordinary.

Phil:

That's reassuring. Just thinking long term here- I would like to get 4-5 years out of this HD since my previous Hitachi died a few months in. I do have good experience with WD though as I have one HD that's still going and it's about 8 years old now.

JOhn:

I defraged last night actually, but made no difference. I will keep my eye on it for sure.

Melody:

lol. I sure hope so, again I heard that the threshold is 55C and 51 seems a bit too close for comfort. I don't know.


Thanks for all the insight guys! It's highly appreciated!

 

NIS 2009 explains the rise in temps. Up to 55C is fine as others have said.

 

Well, I did uninstall it and give it a go for a few days.... and it made no difference..... I dunno.

 

Check the SMART data to see if everything is alright. WD3200BEVTs generally have a high power consumption, but that shouldn't increase the Surface Temp much. Your's is quite hot as compared to mine (idle). It might have something to do with the notebook's cooling system layout, probably the GPU/CPU heatsink is near to the HDD slot....



Does the area around the touchpad or the HDD slot feel very hot ?

Anyway, you can run WD's Data LifeGuard Tools once in a month to make sure the HDD is fine, and the Operating Temp Range is 0-60*C.

 

Wow. 36C? That's crazy man. Well I have a 14.1in HP DV2500 which have notoriously hot drives- just not this hot.

Weird thing is all my other temperatures are much lower than yours...

Yes, it does feel hot. The left palm rest for instance is pretty hot, although the HD is right underneath it.

Smart is reporting the HD as being fine...

 

Andy I was going to ask if you were in a cooler but I checked mine. HDD 34C CPU 30C and 26C.