Computer's worth - Easier option?

[boulder240]

Good Afternoon,

I have a computer with a P4 2.8ghz chip and 512mb of ram. I set it all up as a headless device and added it on to my network. It works great and seems solid so far but my question is whether or not it will last. After 24 hours of use the hard drives were very warm. Almost hot to the touch. I am concerned that the hard drives (brand new) will burn out. I am thinking that they must have been constantly spinning. Does any one know if it is too much for this computer to handle? Would I be better off settling with a device like drobo and forget about the extra amazing features? I am completely new with all of this so any and all explanations would be extremely helpful.

Thanks,
Jacob

[bigfoot65]

It is normal that hard drives get hot, especially Western Digital. They seem to run hotter than other drives.

As long as they stay within the normal operating range, you will be fine. You could also add an extra fan to the box to help cool things down if you are concerned. You can check the hard drive temperature from the Amahi Dashboard under Storage, disks area.

[boulder240]

Is there any way to tell if the disks are running constantly? What would you consider to hot for the disks? Is there any safety precautions built in that will shut the server down? Do you think the system specs are okay to run the machine?

Thanks for the help.

[bigfoot65]

Most disks spin constantly unless your OS puts them to sleep. They are designed for that, so not a big worry.

As for shutdown, the BIOS will typically shut down a box if the processor gets too hot. It does not usually pay attention to the hard drives.

The box should be fine for the HDA. I would not worry too much about the drives. Once you install Fedora and Amahi, you can see the temps and such then. Most drives run in the 80-100 degree range depending on what kind of load they are under. Some run hotter, but not constantly at that temp.

If you are concerned, add a fan to the case to help cool things down more. I have a case with two 120mm fans in the from, blowing over my drives. One 120mm fan in the back blowing out the warm air and one on top doing the same. My drives run in the low 80s most of the time.

I have had some run hotter in the past with less fans and they worked just fine. You seem a bit overcautious, so you might consider doing some research on the internet. Either way, the box you want to use should be fine for Amahi.