On Sep 16, 2011, at 3:09 AM, QuoVadis wrote: > Yes, it's harmfull to a computer to leave it running constantly, > though this is purely a mechanical issue: a harddisk drive has a > number of revolutions (of the disk) before it starts to fail. No need > to worry though: the actual number could be in the millions, if not > billions.
This is about as incorrect as it can get. There is no magical number of revolutions before a drive will fail! The mechanical forces (and wear) exerted on the drive bearings during spin-up greatly exceed those seen in normal operation. In terms of hours of operation, you will almost certainly get a longer operating life out of a drive which is running 24x7 than one which is put in sleep several times (or even once) a day. When the first 1 GB drives were introduced, this was one of of their requirements... Keep them running! I have never seen a server drive fail while running 24x7 (even after more than a decade of operation) where systems which are run in the manner you describe often exhibit issues after only a few years (3-5). While this may be partly due to drive construction, it is also due to the stresses placed on the drive during startup. Even the electronics will perform worse under the conditions you recommend. Most electrical faliures occur during the inrush current which occurs during startup, not during steady state operation. The only true negative to 24x7 operation is the power consumption cost. Derek -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/
