hdd sleep vs always on

[theateam794]

had a debate with a friend about mechanical drives and curious to know which holds most truth.

I say that you want to spin down a drive when it isn't in use because drive will last longer, saves power and is quieter.

friend argues that you should disable hibernation of the drive due to spin up / spin down cycles being what kills mechanical drives,

he says having it spin 24/7 for a whole year will have less wear than a drive that spend more than half the year sleeping.

thoughts ?

 

[USAFRet]

There is no conclusive decision either way.
Especially in terms of your individual drive(s).

Saving electricity - A typical HDD would consume 6-10 watts at idle. That rate, running 24/7, would cost $6-$10/year ($0.12/kWh).

The thing to realize is that ALL drives will die eventually. If it dies in the warranty period, replace for free.
The data on that drive is worth far more than the physical hardware. Backup, and test that backup.