These days, space is rare and priceless. Residential and office spaces are getting more compact by the day. From houses in cities to cars, everything is designed around the idea of saving space.
This is true for computers too. One criterion when building a PC is to fit it into the available space. One of the most important aspects of the PC build is storage.
While SSDs are most commonly used these days, hard drives still have some room in budget builds. And because the SSDs don’t have any moving parts, the attention goes directly to the moving parts of the Hard Drives.
So, when there is movement, there are laws of gravity affecting that movement in some ways. So, we are going to discuss the impact of gravity on hard drives.
The question that arises is whether the performance of the hard drive will be affected by its orientation. Let’s talk a little about it.
What do you mean by Hard Drive Orientation?
Orientation is the way the Hard Drive is placed in the PC. Normally, it is fitted in a horizontal position. But when space saving is involved, it may need to be placed vertically. Some constraints may demand sideways or angular fitting. While using vertical, angular, and sideway orientation, one naturally is concerned about the overall performance of the hard drive.
To understand if the orientation will affect performance, it is essential to understand the hard drive and how it works.
Understanding a Hard Disc Drive
A hard disc drive, also known as a hard drive, is a storage device. It is installed on the disc controller of the motherboard of the PC. It is made of a hard casing which keeps the internal parts safe. Inside the casing are multiple discs or sometimes one which are known as platters. They are coated with a thin layer of magnetic material that enables data storage. There is a motor that spins the platters and a magnetic head also known as an actuator that writes data on the spinning platters. The magnetic head is also responsible for reading the data from the platters.
The hard disc drive is vital for the functioning of the computer as this is where the operating system and software for running the computer are stored. This also stores data like files, documents, pictures, music, etc.
What can cause a hard disc drive failure?
There are some key reasons for hard disc drive failure. Orientation is not one of them. These factors are
Shocks and impacts
One of the most common reasons for hard disc failure is shock due to impacts. When this happens, the magnetic head will contact the rotating platters resulting in damage.
Heat
Hard drives must be maintained below a certain temperature for smooth functioning. This is the reason fans and cooling systems are installed to remove the heat generated due to operations. Excessive heat may damage the hard drive.
Humidity
Moisture and humidity can play a significant role in damaging the hard drive. It elevates the possibility of malfunctioning controllers and adapters.
Power supply
Surges in the electrical power supply can cause severe damage to the hard drive. For this reason, surge protectors must be used to prevent damage to the hard drive and the PC.
Other factors that may result in hard drive failure are human errors, hardware failure, and firmware corruption.
Will hard drive orientation affect its performance?
Many people have this question when having to choose the orientation. Horizontal orientation is the standard option. The vertical option saves space. However, will this affect how it functions or reduce its life? The truth is orientation does not affect the performance or life of the hard drive.
Some of the major manufacturers of hard disc drives are Hitachi, Western Digital, Maxtor, and Samsung. In most cases, these manufacturers do not specify the orientation of their hard drives. There may be a few hard drives that require horizontal orientation. Such exceptions are clearly stated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Hence it is best to check before purchasing. All the manufacturers state that the hard disc drive must be secured to its chassis to avoid shocks and impacts.
There is an air cushion between the actuator head and the magnetic platter. This air pocket prevents the head from touching the platters. Hard impacts can cause head crashes. This is a situation where the shock of the impact disrupts the air pocket. This causes the head to touch and scratch the sensitive platter. Orientation does not affect this air cushion and there is no chance of a head crash. It is far more important to keep the actual reasons that can affect performance and lifespan at bay.
Many engineers believe that once a PC has been set up with a certain hard drive orientation, it must not be reoriented or changed. There is no scientific evidence for this belief. Think of a laptop using a hard drive. You can use your laptop in any orientation and the hard drive will have no issues with anything at all.
How to install a hard drive on a PC properly?
This thing is hard to describe as well as understand through text. So, I have found a great video to help you install a hard drive properly on any computer.
The lifespan of a hard disc drive
A hard disc drive is built to last between 3 to 5 years. In ideal conditions, it may extend for a year or two. But, if you are using it properly, it can even work for decades. Orientation will not hamper life expectancy in any manner. However, one must remember that hard drives have moving mechanical parts. This may cause wear and tear over a certain period. Hence it is important to have all data backed up.
Conclusion
A horizontal, vertical, or sideways hard drive orientation is a choice one has. Unless specified by the manufacturer, orientation does not affect the performance or the life of the hard drive. What is more important is to keep it safe from impacts, elevated temperatures, moisture, humidity, and power surges. Wear and tear of the hard drive due to usage is inevitable. Hence, it is advisable to keep a backup of software and data on an external storage device or a cloud portal. This will ensure uninterrupted computing even in the event of hard drive failure.