Is it normal for a 10,000 RPM Serial ATA or SCSI drive to run hot?

It is normal for a 10,000 RPM Serial ATA or SCSI drive to be hot when it is in operation. The reason is because the drive is rotating at an extremely fast rate, 10,000 rotations per minute. For example, while in operation, the temperature of a 10,000 RPM drive will be hotter than a 7200 RPM or 5400 RPM drive which rotates at a slower speed. Overheating can cause damage to a hard drive. Make sure that your system has adequate cooling fans.