Hard Drive Coolers

[Brad_Barker]

I hope I am posting this in the right place. I wanted to know if the HD coolers actually make a difference on system performance. I have been reading about them, I just wanted to know if any one has had any experience with them.

If I hear, <b>DUDE YOUR GETTING A DELL</b>, one more time... I'll put up with it because my boss told me to.

 

[Teq]

Hard disk coolers are an excellent way of separating you from your money, and not much more. Make sure you have good airflow through your case and you won't need them. Performance wise they won't make a bit of difference.


--->It ain't better if it don't work<---

 

[Brad_Barker]

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering if they were worth anything. I will spend my hard earned cash on something usefull

If I hear, <b>DUDE YOUR GETTING A DELL</b>, one more time... I'll put up with it because my boss told me to.

 

[Teq]

Yep, good idea. In general use, most hard disks don't even get warm to touch so there's definately better places to put you hard earned cash...



--->It ain't better if it don't work<---

 

[Lonemagi]

I would mention that some of the "coolers" for hard drives also work to silence them... That being the one thing mot here might pay for.

<font color=red>*</font color=red><font color=white>*</font color=white><font color=blue>*</font color=blue>
... And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

 

[Teq]

Yep, true enough, but there's no need to pay for an expensive cooler when you can effectivey quiet most drives with noting more than a few scraps of fabric and some double sided tape.

It's easily done...

Press double sided tape (the thin kind used for carpeting) onto some soft fabrick like that used to make t-shirts.

Now cut the resulting fabric covered tape with scissors so you have two pieces the height of your drive and the length of the drive bay.

Slip the drive in and use a pencil to mark the drive bay.

Next peel the other side of the tape and stick the two pieces to the insides of the drive bay along your marks.

Use an x-acto knife to open the screw holes.

Put the drive in place inside the fabric padding and mount it with plastic screws.

Noise recuction... very noticeable.
Total cost... about 50 cents.



--->It ain't better if it don't work<---

 

[error_911]

makin a foam casing around the HD is even better, and then mounting it in a 5 1/4" bay with some $0.99 adapters, that way you not only reduce HD vibration-to-chassis noise but the actual HD noiz

<b>I'm
just
taking
up
space.







Heheheh, and you thought I was done</b>

 

[Teq]

Except that foam:

a) traps moisture and may interfere with drive operation
b) holds heat and may end up overheating the drive.

A couple of simple strips of cloth and it's all done...



--->It ain't better if it don't work<---

 

[error_911]

thats why you don't mount the foam to the hard drive directly and leave the ends open - that way less noise, no moisture/heat trap

<b>I'm
just
taking
up
space.







Heheheh, and you thought I was done</b>

 

[Guest]

I have some old 10K SCSI drives I wouldn't run without them. I mean these suckers get hot enough so you can't even touch them and the spec sheet says 50 degree C max, so...I use Ultimate Hard Drive Coolers, and they keep my drives noticeably cooler. They are better than most designs because they are actually heat sink like in shape and contact the whole upper surface of the drive.

Many here have argued with me that theoretically they shouldn't help and blah blah blah, but alls I know is they keep my drives at around 25-30C (uncalibrated fingertip measurement).
Hope it helps.

 

[jihiggs]

i think you and i have had a go at that before. notice again he said and i said at the time, MOST HARD DRIVES. the 10k hard drives do not fit into the category of most.

my computer is so fast, it completes an endless loop in less than 4 seconds!

 

[Guest]

You'll notice that I replied to the original poster so as not to stir the coals...I just think it is important to point out that hard drives do exist that will die without some type of cooling, and it seems to me like most people here don't. Who knows what the original poster has, he never says.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

indeed

modern IDE 5400 and 7200 hard drives no.
modern 10l and 15k hard drives maybe, depends on case ventillation.

older IDE probably yes.
older SCSI most definately.

<b>Now can someone explain how we ever got the idea that baby bunnies lay multicolored eggs made of chocolate in our living rooms?" :lol: </b>
<A HREF="http://members.iinet.net.au/~lhgpoobaa/images" target="_new">http://members.iinet.net.au/~lhgpoobaa/images</A>

 

[Guest]

People building/maintaining their own systems are well advised to consider each system individually with respect to expected environmental conditions, as each persons environment isn't the same as any one elses.

For example, I would test temps, then make my decisions based on manufacturer environmental specifications from the data sheet. Since I believe testing is really the only practical way I can make sure I am meeting the designs intended usage.

 

[Teq]

Since I believe testing is really the only practical way I can make sure I am meeting the designs intended usage

Exactly.


--->It ain't better if it don't work<---