WC aftermath - loud hard drive! What to do?

[Graystar]

Now that all the loud fans are gone, I can hear the high whine of the hard drive! So what things have people done to quiet their hard drives?

[bigben2k]

Some (most?) HDD have underside mounting screw holes. Using those, and a rubber grommet, you can prevent the HDD from transmitting its vibration to the rest of the case.

But your problem is different.

With a high pitched noise, you want to encase your HDD with something solid, preferably a metal. Of course it won't be very practical, because it still needs to vent, so I'd recommend a "muffler" approach, where you encase the HDD on four sides only, in a steel cage, as is found in a lot of cases nowadays.

If you have some extra steel (like from the 5 1/4 bay covers), you can suspend them on the remaining two sides.

You'll have to experiment, but that's your basic guideline: high pitched noise is blocked by a dense object. A low pitch noise is blocked by a low density object.

[Graystar]

I was thinking that placing it inside of a gutted CDROM drive might help. I'll have to try and find one. I might also need a hard drive fan, like those that attach to the bottom mounting holes.

[cybrsamurai]

if the whine is the actual spinning of the drive there isnt much you can do with the exception of building or buying an enclosure to dampen the sound. If its a vibration issue you can just put some rubber or other absorbant material between the contact points and the case. Or buy a new relatively quiet drive.

[Graystar]

Originally posted by cybrsamurai
Or buy a new relatively quiet drive.

Give up my JB? Are you insane???

[theetruscan]

Yeah, the vibration issue is easily solved. Just pick up some rubber grommets from a hardware store ($.05 each). If that fixes your problem, grand.

If not, an "isolation" enclosure is the only way to go. Out of curiousity, is it a SCSI drive >= 10k RPM. If so, you could be in trouble. If not, I'll track down some links for ideas about enclosures and post them.

[bigben2k]

Originally posted by Graystar
I was thinking that placing it inside of a gutted CDROM drive might help. I'll have to try and find one. I might also need a hard drive fan, like those that attach to the bottom mounting holes.

Hey, I've got an extra dead CD-ROM! I bought 5 dead CD-ROM drives from NewEgg, in the hope of fitting a PSU in it (yeah, right!), but I was only going to use 4.

You'll have to paypal me for the shipping though. PM me.

[Graystar]

etruscan, it's only a WD 800JB so it's a 7.2k drive.

Sounds good bigben. I'll check with my office tomorrow to see if they have any dead CDs. If not, I'll take it off your hands.

[theetruscan]

Both of these methods are bulky, and somewhat effort intensive, but I haven't seen anything better.

1) Part 1: http://www.silentpcreview.com/module...icles&secid=14

Part 2: http://www.silentpcreview.com/module...rtid=11&page=1

2) http://www.silentpcreview.com/module...rtid=67&page=1

Some off the shelf ones exist.

Silent Systems makes a good insulated metal box that reduces noise significantly, though you need a low flow fan blowing over it; requires one 5 1/4" bay. Don't remember where to get them from.

Innovatek makes a vibration dampener that works well, and requires only one 5 1/4" bay. From http://www.sharkacorp.com among others

And this one works, and looks bad ass, but it's pricey
http://www.silentpcreview.com/module...rtid=23&page=1

Dunno if that helps, hopefully something there will give you an idea.

-j

[Pug]

I have mine in watercooled, soundproofed, rubber-mounted enclosures.

The downside is, I didn't hear my IBM DeathStar's click of death before it died.

Here's a pic of them in a serial configuration


and one in parallel with connectors that don't raise a moan so much...

[Talik]

Those look really nice, Pug. Where might a soul, so inclined, find those for purchase?

[Pug]

Erm, well, (shuffles feet and reads terms again quickly) 'scuse the self-pimp but I sell them here - http://www.wizarddesigns.co.uk/hddcoolers.htm
or for those who live in Germany or mainland Europe, you can get them direct from http://www.aqua-computer-systeme.de/.

They do come with slightly different connectors though (see pics on the linked page), I use uprated Legris fittings in my own rig (which is what the above pics were from) but otherwise they are available with barbed fittings if it's a preference.
I guess I could do them with the uprated fittings if necessary though (or possibly thread increasers if required).

For a bit more info -
The inside top and bottom plates are lined with bituminous mat and it also comes with a spare adhesive-backed sheet of this (bituminous mat) and a foam one.
All fixings for mounting in a standard 5 1/4 bay included (inc. rubber standoffs but not the drive rails - they're off my Cheiftec Dragon).

Hope this helps.

[Edit] 2nd link didn't work

[Seal]

looks good ive seen it before and have seriously contemplated buying it but am worried about this so called "battry effect" and also the fact that it dosent come in 1/2" barb sizes.

Ideally i want something very similar to that but in copper with 1/2" barbs.

And yes, the motor in my "silent seagate barracuda IV fluid bearing motor" hard drive is the noisiest part of my computer. it drives me mad with its high pitched whine.

Seal

[hara]

Originally posted by Graystar
Give up my JB? Are you insane???

Yeah, I can hear the high pitched whine from far away at night

[Pug]

Originally posted by Seal
looks good ive seen it before and have seriously contemplated buying it but am worried about this so called "battry effect" and also the fact that it dosent come in 1/2" barb sizes.

Ideally i want something very similar to that but in copper with 1/2" barbs.

And yes, the motor in my "silent seagate barracuda IV fluid bearing motor" hard drive is the noisiest part of my computer. it drives me mad with its high pitched whine.

Seal

Well, I used to get around the battery effect risk through adding Silkolene Pro Cool radiator additive (although they are anodised).
I heard this may affect my temps a fraction though and as I wasn't running my rig sub-zero at the time I decided to switch to 98% distilled water : 2% ACFluid, which is neat corrosion inhibitor with no antifreeze properties (afaik).
I have this mix in a m8's rig and it's completely clear (mine has a further 1% mix of UV dye atm).

Regarding the 1/2" barb question, as I said, they may be available to order with thread converters which would allow 1/2" barbs to be fitted.

Alternatively, there's this thread.