Question Can a pc work while being left in a very cold Outdoor Garage?

[mikehende]

Hey guys, I've got an older HP Elite 8300 SFF pc. Each week I have to take it with me to and from the detached garage located at the back of the house. Here in NY where I am it's on average 40 degrees during the winter and in the 30s during the coldest months.

I am wondering if I can/should leave that pc in there permanently please? I use it in there like once per week for a few hours.

 

[Rokinamerica]

Since Covid I have been working from home. I set up an office in my detached garage and work about 60 hours a week in it. Temp has been in the 40's during the day and much colder at night and it runs great. Older pc and stays in garage. Have no issues in over a year and a half.

 

[mikehende]

Thanks, love your username . I use mine only for music whenever I need to get outside. My garage is brick so it holds the coldness in there which is my main worry about if the HDD can power up after not being used for a few days at a time and also moisture possible rusting the motherboard or other parts?

 

[dwd999]

Its not the temperature you have to worry about, its the humidity/dampness. So yeah, rust would be your primary concern.

 

[punkncat]

Is the case that you are concerned about condensation just set the power options to "always on". The condensation will not collect on a hot item.

 

[Rokinamerica]

Thanks, love your username . I use mine only for music whenever I need to get outside. My garage is brick so it holds the coldness in there which is my main worry about if the HDD can power up after not being used for a few days at a time and also moisture possible rusting the motherboard or other parts?

Thanks. I live in a fairly dry area so moisture is not a concern for me, but I didn't even think about other parts of the world.

 

[mikehende]

Is the case that you are concerned about condensation just set the power options to "always on". The condensation will not collect on a hot item.

GREAT, thank you!

 

[mikehende]

Just got this answer too:


Check out HP's spec on this https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03345460

It states lowest operating temperature as 50 deg F.
Lowest non-operating temp is -22 deg F.

So the non-operating temp is fine but I don't know about the operating temp part. Anyways, It should not be an issue though as I will have the heater on most times when I in there during very cold days.

 

[helper800]

You would have to go much colder than 30 F to start having problems with booting the PC. It would have to be getting into the -20sF for there to start potentially having issues.

 

[USAFRet]

If it is comfortable enough for the human, it is comfortable enough for the PC.

I had my PC in an insulated and unheated garage for years. Used it daily.

 

[InvalidError]

PC components are typically rated to operate in the 0-40C range. As pointed out by others, the single biggest concern is possible condensation as that could potentially short stuff out. Also as pointed out, that isn't a concern if the PC is already warm (warmer than dew point) when high-humidity air blasts through which should always be the case when the PC has been on for a few minutes.

If I had a garage and wanted to dump a PC in it permanently for winter, I'd make a fully-enclosed MDF box with filtered temperature-controlled intake and exhaust fans on it to keep the PC itself in the 20-30C range and also keep dust and bugs out. Since the garage's 0-15C winter air carries a whole lot less moisture, relative humidity once it gets drawn in by the fans will drop the relative humidity within the MDF box to near-zero. If worried about putting a computer inside a flammable box, you can apply a saturated solution of boric acid on the inside and outside walls as a flame retardant.