I have recently installed Ubuntu 20.04 on my HP-Pavilion x360 laptop. There are two drives SSD(500GB) and HDD(1TB), Ubuntu is installed on SSD alongside windows.
Whenever I plug my laptop into AC power, HDD starts overheating, There is an activity indicator light for HDD, and it shows little or no activity. But HDD keeps heating(reaching 65-70C sometimes), even when I have not mounted it. I only use it to store my data since OS is on SSD. There is plenty of RAM(16GB) and swap(2GB) is on SSD so there is no chance of extra HDD access. The effect is more pronounced due to the aluminum chassis. Please suggest some solution.
P.S- Before downvoting or marking as duplicate, please read details carefully, This is a real problem and I have seen posts and solutions ranging from Ubuntu 12.04 to 18.04 but nothing works well.
41 Answer
Generally speaking, when something inside a notebook shows higher temperatures when plugged into power, it's because heat cannot escape fast enough. Below is an image of a typical HP Pavilion x360:
There are a couple of things to note here:
- the hard drive is immediately beside the battery
- the hard drive is the farthest device from the air circulation mechanisms (the vents at the bottom of the case are under the motherboard near the primary exhaust fan, making them practically useless for the hard drive)
- the case is plastic, which traps heat rather than transfers it
- rechargeable batteries get hot when they're being charged
2.5" Western Digital spinning disks are generally rated to operate between 10˚C and 45˚C. Unfortunately, your question does not say what temperature is being reported but, so long as it is under this temperature, then you should be good. A 2.5" drive that is not spinning can tolerate temperatures that are a bit higher.
What I would recommend is that the notebook not be lying flat on a desk or on fabric while charging, as this will trap further heat, exacerbating the problem.
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