I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.

(A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on the
metal of the PC case.

OR

(B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws) with
air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

lonra wrote:

> I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.

> (A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side
> of the HDD resting on the metal of the PC case.

No, most of the heat doesnt leave the drive that way.

> OR

> (B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws)
> with air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

You still get significant convection from the drive that way with air above and below and
you get significant heat conducted from the drive body to the metal drive bay stack too.

lonra wrote:
> I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.
>
> (A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on
> the metal of the PC case.
>
> OR
>
> (B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws)
> with air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

Minimal airflow is fine, so long as there is actually airflow. It doesn't
take much of a breeze to keep a drive cool.

As for not wanting to use a fan, if it is noise you are concerned about, you
could alway run a 12v fan off of 7v by hooking the fan (+) to 12v and the
fan (-) to 5v. It will run slower and hence, a lot more quietly.

Jon

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage lonra <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.

> (A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on the
> metal of the PC case.

> OR

> (B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws) with
> air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

For contact on the sides. They are parts of the Aluminum body.
The top cover does not have good thermal contact with the rest
of the drive.

Arno

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, lonra <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.
>
>(A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on the
>metal of the PC case.
>
>OR
>
>(B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws) with
>air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

(B)

The computer case acts as one large heatsink to dissipate heat. It does help
to have a fan in front of the inside of the case drawing cool air across from
front to back.

lonra wrote:
> I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.
>
> (A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on the
> metal of the PC case.
>
> OR
>
> (B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws) with
> air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.

Products like these might help:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118215
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835199008

I'm not vouching, mind you, it just looks like it addresses your
constraints.

"Grinder" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote...
> lonra wrote:
>> I want to cool my one of my hard drives but without using a fan.
>>
>> (A) Is it better to have the smooth metal side of the HDD resting on the
>> metal of the PC case.
>>
>> OR
>>
>> (B) Is it better to have the drive mounted (using the side screws) with
>> air above and below it. The airflow is minimal.
>
> Products like these might help:
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118215
>
> I'm not vouching, mind you, it just looks like it addresses your
> constraints.

It appears the Zalman product may help somewhat, making use of what airflow
there is. Depending on actual configuration, that may allow you to mount the
HD to the metal case as well.

Ato_Zee wrote:
>>>> Either way, plenty of people build systems in relatively
>>>> poor cases with airflow being an afterthought, and don't
>>>> have problems with drive cooling.
>>> Many domestic PVR HD recorders have little or no
>>> drive cooling (if there is a fan it usually has a short
>>> life) and they work fine.
>>
>> They may work fine for awhile, but that is not evidence the
>> HDD works as long as it would in a better cooled system!
>
> Whilst cooler is obviously better, drives survive with passive
> cooling in the hottest of tropical climates, those of us
> in temperate climates have few problems due to drive
> temperature. With poor cooling other system components
> are likely to fail first.

Find an OEM specification and use the graph in the specification,
to see what drives are rated for.

http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techl...rastar_A7K1000

Ultrastar A7K1000 OEM Specification PDF 07/12/07

http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/1AED690724342C808625731600763765/$file/7k1000_sp.pdf

Open the document in Acrobat, and look for

"Table 15: Limits of temperature and humidity"

HTH,
Paul

Ato_Zee wrote:
>>> Whilst cooler is obviously better, drives survive with passive
>>> cooling in the hottest of tropical climates, those of us
>>> in temperate climates have few problems due to drive
>>> temperature. With poor cooling other system components
>>> are likely to fail first.
>
>> Find an OEM specification and use the graph in the specification,
>> to see what drives are rated for.
>> http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techl...rastar_A7K1000
>> Ultrastar A7K1000 OEM Specification PDF 07/12/07
>> http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/1AED690724342C808625731600763765/$file/7k1000_sp.pdf
>> Open the document in Acrobat, and look for
>> "Table 15: Limits of temperature and humidity"
>
> Didn't find Table 15, but operating temp 5 to 60 degrees C seems
> to support my post that those in temperate climates have little to
> worry about.
> As does the spec quote
> The system is responsible for providing sufficient ventilation to maintain
> a surface temperature below 65°C at the center of the top cover of the
> drive.

Well, keep looking then. PDF page 38, paper page 28.

Paul

Somewhere on teh intarwebs Ato_Zee wrote:
>>> Whilst cooler is obviously better, drives survive with passive
>>> cooling in the hottest of tropical climates, those of us
>>> in temperate climates have few problems due to drive
>>> temperature. With poor cooling other system components
>>> are likely to fail first.
>
>> Find an OEM specification and use the graph in the specification,
>> to see what drives are rated for.
>> http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techl...rastar_A7K1000
>> Ultrastar A7K1000 OEM Specification PDF 07/12/07
>> http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/1AED690724342C808625731600763765/$file/7k1000_sp.pdf
>> Open the document in Acrobat, and look for
>> "Table 15: Limits of temperature and humidity"
>
> Didn't find Table 15, but operating temp 5 to 60 degrees C seems
> to support my post that those in temperate climates have little to
> worry about.
> As does the spec quote
> The system is responsible for providing sufficient ventilation to
> maintain a surface temperature below 65°C at the center of the top
> cover of the drive.

I use Seagate HDDs almost exclusively and they're rated to 60°C operating
temp also. I live in New Zealand, not hot by world standards but it's easy
for a HDD to hit 60°C in a case that doesn't specifically address HDD
cooling. Sure, the drive might run fine at or slightly above 60°C but the
highest temp recorded is retained by the drive's SMART data and good luck
with any warranty claim on a drive that has exceeded it's specced operating
temperature.

I bought a Samsung Spinrite 80GB drive once and fitted it into a poorly
ventilated case. The owner further cut down the chances or air movement
around the drive when they fitted a second drive right next to it. It died
of heat failure in the middle of summer in a small, sunny sleep-out when
about 6 months old. Since then I make sure all desktop HDDs are actively
cooled and I haven't bought another Samsung. Must say their new drives look
good on paper though...
--
Shaun.

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll
be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchet, 'Jingo'.