Q: Quick question about external HD
Got a new iMac 21", and was just wondering if it makes any difference in proformance if I leave external drive plugged in, or should I eject, and unplug it after using it?
Posted on Sep 1, 2016 7:49 AM
jstoneob wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply. I was more interested in the performance of the iMac being affected if external HDs are left plugged in and mounted. Do they use up more CPUs or memory?
They will not affect CPU or RAM. They are intended to be left plugged in and on, the only time mine are off is when I am away from my computer for an extended period like a week or two. The only downside to leaving them on all the time is they use a tiny bit more electricity and in the long term (years) they may wear more because they are spinning. What tends to affect electrical components is the heat and mechanical stress of turning them on and off which is why I leave mine on all the time.
Posted on Sep 1, 2016 10:40 AM