How hot would a hdd have to get to cause a shutdown?

jewels_P · 16 Jan 2011 at 19:00

I was using my pc when it suddenly shut down, then I realised a visitor had shoved my room's fan heater so it was blowing at the front air vents of my case, from about 2 ft away. The hdds would be first to feel the heat, would you think they would have caused a shut down? I have two 1tb green caviars, and a non overclocked phenom II 955 [stock cooler]. Would you think it was just the heat or could I have another problem?

JonJ678 · 16 Jan 2011 at 20:19

I think I'd expect hard drives to die rather than shut down if they got too hot, they don't have any option for signaling the computer to switch off.

I'm inclined to think it was coincidence. Is the computer working as usual now you've moved the heater away?

jewels_P · 17 Jan 2011 at 11:46

Well it hasn't happened again.... Everything seems ok at the moment.

Ch3m1c4L · 17 Jan 2011 at 12:03

hdd's dont shut down the PC, they have a max operating temp of between 50-60 C (depending on model) but its more likely that the CPU/mobo got hot and shutdown.