I just bought both a new desktop system and a My Book Duo 20Tb external drive. The tower I replaced was huge compared to the new one and I notice that, if it’s okay to do so, I can actually set the hard drive on top of the tower and make more room on my desk top. There are no vent openings on the top of the computer tower. Would it be alright for me to sit this 20Tb drive on top of the tower? Could it cause any problems? Thanks.
Gravity will be the biggest problem if you bump your PC tower accidentally.
Be Safe and place the drive on the desk well away from the edges and where it can’t be bumped and fall.
If you want more room on your desk top … buy a bigger desk.
Thanks. Gravity won’t be a problem. My desk has a hutch on top. The tower is placed in the corner and is safe and secure, as would be the drive on top. In fact, it’s a pain to pull the tower out to access cabling in the back. There’s plenty of air circulation but I have it well secured in it’s cozy corner, so the drive would be as well. I was just concerned about magnetic fields between the tower and drive or heat buildup. But once in there, it ain’t going no where! 
