Garage Computers....Is it too cold?

[SuperSocket]

You can run a computer at basically any temperature thats cold. Ever seen a liquid nitrogen cooled computer?

Yes thats frost on it.

Yes, but keep in mind, they most likely used silicone under the processor, sprayed all components with an insulator epoxy and most likely used neoprene insulating foam beneath the board.


Also, when you get into the game of LN2, you tend to kill a lot of hardware. Some CPU's have cold bugs and some components simply can not take all the stresses of heat, cold, and the over clocking.




You can run a computer in any environment provided that you take precautions. If you go to ebay you might be able to find a sealed environment case for the system so that it keeps the system a bit more warm but prevents debris and stuff from being sucked in. You can also use SSD drives and solid state components and no fans, this will help in sealing your system environment.


I plan on installing a computer in my new garage project but it will run solid state and have no moving parts, plus I would opt for the more rugged sealed components.

 

[Old Patriot]

I have an old school computer in my shop with temps below freezing and have not had a problem with it at all.

 

[Ford12508]

Yes, but keep in mind, they most likely used silicone under the processor, sprayed all components with an insulator epoxy and most likely used neoprene insulating foam beneath the board.


Also, when you get into the game of LN2, you tend to kill a lot of hardware. Some CPU's have cold bugs and some components simply can not take all the stresses of heat, cold, and the over clocking.




You can run a computer in any environment provided that you take precautions. If you go to ebay you might be able to find a sealed environment case for the system so that it keeps the system a bit more warm but prevents debris and stuff from being sucked in. You can also use SSD drives and solid state components and no fans, this will help in sealing your system environment.


I plan on installing a computer in my new garage project but it will run solid state and have no moving parts, plus I would opt for the more rugged sealed components.

I doubt anyone here is running a computer in as extreme conditions as LN2, thats why I didn't go into depth about it. I doubt anyone is going to have a problem running their computer at -10*. I was merely stating that the cold isn't going to destroy computer parts(if the ambient temperature is warm enough for someone to be living in, the computer will be fine anyway). You are correct though in stating that the motherboard will be sealed off from air, as well as other precautionary measures.

 

[gte718p]

Batteries for a laptop are a completely different issue. They don't like to be cold.

 

[EB.Bldr]

I bought a dell for $100 and a 22" LCD screen that have been in the garge for just over 2 years. -10deg out, 100deg at 80% humidity. It's been left on for days and off for weeks. It's only has a slight issue at startup with a wierd buzz sound. But I just go inside till it stops. LOL

Heck I'm typing on it now and it probably 40deg in here now.

 

[HOTFR8]

With a desk top I would be more worried about heat and air being moved to keep it cool. with a laptop I would be worried about batteries getting cold. Any way to keep the temperature of the building in a liveable state ?

At present here due to heat (Summer here) I have a fan going to move the air about my computer to keep it cool.

 

[SMKS]

This is the socond winter that I've had a computer in the garage. It has an LCD monitor and I haven't had any problems. Also, I'm in Kansas, so it's pretty darn cold right now.

 

[Coolabah]

Time for a quick stop by your old high school science book...moisture in the air does not condense on surfaces when you heat them up...it condenses on surfaces as they COOL. The reality is that every computer made has been specified for a storage and operating environment. The storage parameters are often much more forgiving than the operational ones. Somewhere in the puiblished specification for your machine, there are these numbers. Your very best bet is to put the thing out there, let it run. This computer I'm using right now hasn't seen a normally heated space in YEARS. It just sits out here in the garage, on the floor running. I would say than between the winter, nightly heat and summer temperatures, the machine is subjected to probably70-80 degree temperature swings. Also, a hard drive is a hermetically sealed unit and could care less about humidity. The things associated with a computer than can act up on you would be any drives with removable media i.e. floppy and cd drives. They are subject to dust and humidity changes. And if the amount of bondo, old paint dust, overspray and just general **** in this garage is any sort of an indicator, it takes a boat load of that stuff to bother the machine as well.
Set it up, let it run, you will be fine.

So long as you don't put it into a really, reallly EXTREME environment.... ie Teenage daughter's room...made that mistake... hairspray used in a confined space in teenage girl quantities *WILL* kill any computer, within months..... so , your garage is, relatively speaking, a computer friendly environment !!! Cold ??? Nah !! My grandfather used to strap his computer on his back and walk barefoot 20 miles through the snow to school ...err wait... got the story wrong I think that was his horse... whatever...

 

[EuroVt]

I would think Condensation would be the enemy, not the cold.