Storage temp° [LAPTOP]

[.aria.]

Hello,

Would someone here know +/- the temperature range for the storage of my Rog laptop? It's a GL502VS-FY299 but if you know about other models that may help as well!

I'm asking you because beg bugs are in my dear laptop and I'd like to know if I can expose it without damage:
- to the cold at -20°C/-4°F for 3-4 days or
- to the warmth at +55-60°C/130-140°F for 45 min to a few hours.

Does anyone know whether this is theoretically safe?

Or would anyone has some other suggestions?

Thanks for any advice or info

[davemon50]

Temperature extremes are not good ideas for your computer. Below zero is not safe in my opinion, and I wouldn't try it. That said, I have left my work laptop in my car over a winter weekend many times with no ill effects. I live in Maryland and the temps are usually only around 20°F or in the teens during the worst winter bouts. I looked up your solution for the bugs with freezing temps, and the recommendation is zero degrees for multiple days. Personally, I would be uncomfortable with that. I'd prefer to seal up the machine in a bag for whatever period it takes to starve the little *******s.

If you do choose to leave it in the cold for an extended period, and everything comes into equilibrium at the low temp, be most careful about not warming it up quickly or turning it on right away while it's cold. Warm it up to room temperature like you do when you thaw out a turkey (except obviously don't submerge it in water, lol). Warming up too quickly can unfortunately be a good way to damage components or the screen. And if you warm it up (especially quickly) in a space with high humidity you're just asking for condensation on internal parts. Water drops forming on your internal computer parts will obviously do some serious potential damage.


Sidebar.......sorry this is a bit off-topic but you can now relate. I once got tobacco beetles in my humidor from a cigar I bought on vacation and brought back. I had about 70 cigars in there, and they got infested before I knew I had the beetles. So freezing is one of the cures for them too. I took out all the cigars from the humidor and froze the cigars and the humidor for several days to kill the bugs. Lost about 75% of my cigars, saved the rest, but the freezing did actually work on the bugs!

[Zka17]

Cold itself is good for electronics - the only issue if you go to low in temps is that you may got condensation (depends on the dew point of your ambient air). So, -20C is OK if you don't get condensation. If you have the laptop outside at that temperature then bringing it in a much warmer one, there will be serious concerns about the condensation (warmer air has more moisture in it, which will precipitate on cold surfaces). If you do that, just make sure to wait until the laptop warms up to the ambient temp and maybe dries before you turn it on.

60C is well between the specs, all components should still work. Again, not immediately after the -20C!!!

If you have your laptop frequently moving from cold to warm and inverse, make sure that you completely shut it off and remove the battery. Keep the battery at room temperature, cold may kill it faster.

[.aria.]

Thank you both!

Actually I'd either use cold or heat, which one is likely the safest?

I can't put the laptop in a closed bag as it'd have to stay in it for over a year.

[Zka17]

May I ask what exactly are you trying to do? Long term storage of your laptop in changing temperature environment? How sudden are those changes?
If it is long term storage, I would remove the battery (after completely shut down), place the laptop in a bag, seal it (duct tape), then add some styrofoam around it, place the whole thing in another bag and seal that bag too. Then you will have pretty good temp and mechanical protection.

[.aria.]

Sure & thanks for the advice! I'll keep it in mind.

I'm trying to remove all bugs & eggs from the laptop and that could be done either by storing it 3 to 4 days in the cold or 45 min to a few hours in the heat.

There would be sudden temp changes from room temperature to the freezer & vice versa, or from room temp to the oven or near a strong radiator & vice versa. I would wait a lot before I turn on the laptop & I'd keep the battery out of the cold.

[Zka17]

Oh, sh*t! I thought that you were kidding about the bugs...
You will need to take it apart and clean it correctly - the problem is that if you kill them and their carcases remain inside, those can cause problems later.
Remove battery and take it apart as much as you can.
Use pressurized air to flush out any loose particles.
Then spray it with 70% ethanol/rubbing alcohol, let it dry, then spray it gain couple times.
The make sure that everything is clean, use the pressurized air to clean and dry completely.
Then put it back together.

[.aria.]

Actually pressurized air is a great idea!
Though ethanol/rubbing alcohol isn't going to damage the components?

[Zka17]

Ethanol is safe, evaporates very fast. Using 70% is to prevent some melting/disolving things... Although it is not 100% safe, I don't know what else could you use...

[xeromist]

Actually pressurized air is a great idea!
Though ethanol/rubbing alcohol isn't going to damage the components?

No, if you use 99% isopropyl it will evaporate quickly. The only caution would be using it on stickers. It could cause a serial or model sticker to lift. It won't hurt the actual electronics.