Topic: 360 HDD heat?

[Quemaqua]

Just curious.  Buying a refurbished 20GB drive from ebgames is like 10 bucks more than buying a 512MB memory card, and we need more memory for this thing.  But I'm curious as to whether or not having the drive in runs any risk of overheating my machine.  It's an original model and hasn't yet crapped out on me, and I'm worried that doing anything to fuck with it will cause that to happen.

Thoughts?

[idolminds]

I wouldn't think a HDD would generate more heat, or block existing airflow (since I imagine the place it plugs into is semi-enclosed as it is). So it probably won't change anything. That would be my guess.

[Cobra951]

No problems here so far, after a year.  I have the 360 set up vertically with lots of airspace on all sides (except the bottom, but it draws air in from slotted vents near the bottom, so it's fine there too).  The back points to the side, toward a wall that's about 2 feet away.  It was overheating the wooden panel behind it originally.  If I ever get an IR remote for it, I'm going to have to set up a mirror to bounce it off of.  Heh.

[Quemaqua]

Hmm.  I have my 360 flat due to hearing concerns that disk scratching happened frequently when they were set vertically.  Actually, for where it's at on my desk I think it gets better airflow flat anyway.  Still considering the HDD.  May indeed end up getting one since Julia desires more space for more Viva Pinata gardens.

[Cobra951]

This is strictly speculation.  My feeling is that the scratching is most likely to happen if people move the console against the axis of rotation (while it's on and a disc is in the drive) because of gyroscopic forces.  If the console is flat, then sliding it one way or another would be along the plane of rotation, so there is no harm.  If it's vertical, and you slide it around on its small footprint, you introduce stress which might make the disc hit the optical pickup.

Just a thought.  I have no scratched discs after a year.

[Ghandi]

I've heard that disk scratching only occurs if you move the console as the disk is spinning, as Cobra said. If you have a tendency to kick your console as you are playing it, don't go vertical.