Monitor disk temperature

The Temperature monitor measures your disk's heat level every hour and warns you if it overheats. To check the disk temperature, open the Menu, click the Storage monitor, and see Temperature.

The temperature is displayed in Celsius or Fahrenheit, depending on your system preferences (you can change this in System Settings > General > Language & Region > Temperature).

Monitoring temperature is crucial because hard disks and solid-state drives aren't designed to withstand excessive heat. While graphic cards and processors have built-in mechanisms to manage high temperatures, disks don't. Overheating accelerates the wear and tear of internal disk components, leading to early failure, often sooner than manufacturers predict.

By regularly monitoring the temperature, you can quickly detect when the disk overheats and take steps to cool it down. Operating within the optimal temperature range helps the disk last longer and work more efficiently.

CleanMyMac reports the following common temperature ranges for your Mac computer's disk:

• Normal (50°C (122°F) or less)

  

  Ideal operating temperature.

• Warning (51–70°C or 124–158°F)

  

  The disk starts overheating. Read/write operations remain functional, but the disk is under stress and wears out faster.

  Consider cooling the disk when you finish your current tasks. If your disk frequently enters the "yellow heat zone", consider having it diagnosed at a repair store.

• Critical (71°C (159°F) or more)

  

  The disk temperature is dangerously high. Cool it down immediately.

• Unavailable (no value)

  

  The monitor failed to get the system information about the disk temperature.

  If temperature isn't displayed for your disk, refer to troubleshooting.

Disks don't overheat on their own – they're affected by the overall temperature inside your computer. The CPU and RAM generate extra heat, and poor ventilation in your Mac can make the situation worse.

While you can't cool down the disk directly, here's what you can do:

• Reduce the load on your CPU (temperature and CPU-intensive apps) and RAM.

• Improve airflow: place your Mac on a flat surface to ensure the air inlets aren't blocked.

If your disk overheats frequently, it could indicate a more serious issue. To protect your data, we recommend backing it up using Time Machine and having your disk checked at an authorized Apple service center.