How to make HDD block

[ukasz]

Hi

I would like to make a hdd block. Do you know how to make such one or do you have construction plans ?

I was thinking about making such one. Two blocks mounted on sides of hdd.

[Colt357tw]

the heat spot is not on the sides of HDD, but in the motor hub and controller IC on the PCB. I would use two Al plates with barbs on opposite side and run a loop between the plates, but that's just my thought :P

[G33k]

@ ukasz : Try this.

@ Colt357tw : Whilst the heat may be generated in the middle, the amount of heat generated by even the hottest disks is a relatively small amount. Cooling the sides of a HD is more than enough imho!

[Colt357tw]

Originally Posted by G33k

@ ukasz : Try this.

@ Colt357tw : Whilst the heat may be generated in the middle, the amount of heat generated by even the hottest disks is a relatively small amount. Cooling the sides of a HD is more than enough imho!

true, we are talkng something generally generate less than 2.8A*13.2V for SATA ones and even less on Ultra320 SCSI ones.

However, on the one you showed from digital-explosion, it does contain a heat spreader plate on the base of HDD. Touching or not cannot really tell.

[Brians256]

ukasz, there is a huge thread on hard drive blocks here. Search for it and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It was started by BigBen2k, I think. Or, he posted a lot in it (although at that time, I think he was posting in EVERY thread possible!).

[Butcher]

Originally Posted by Colt357tw

true, we are talkng something generally generate less than 2.8A*13.2V for SATA ones and even less on Ultra320 SCSI ones.

Also the quoted power for actual usuage is around 12W, I suspect that ~35W maximum is only reached during disk spin-up.

[AngryAlpaca]

Here's the issue for the bottom. If the HD does not have the bottom plate, a flat block on the bottom will contact a series of contacts (at least on the seagate 40GB right next to me) and possibly cause problems, or it will be a couple millimetres from contact with the motor. Now, while the heat may be produced on the bottom, you'll note that the sides get nearly as warm. The sides don't have contacts, so attaching the waterblock there is safe, will make good contact, and will probably do a good enough job (any problems with HD stability from heat?)

[G33k]

Originally Posted by Colt357tw

true, we are talkng something generally generate less than 2.8A*13.2V for SATA ones and even less on Ultra320 SCSI ones.

However, on the one you showed from digital-explosion, it does contain a heat spreader plate on the base of HDD. Touching or not cannot really tell.

Yeah, the one in the article has one as I was less enlightened when I built it and wanted to be on the safe side. I tried it without later and you can't tell the difference temperature wise! Sorry, should've made that more clear

[Etacovda]

If you look at WD raptor series drives, the sides themselves have a heatsink profile; you'd imagine that enough heat gets transfered to the drive sides to cool them, so i guess its not too much different on the non-10k drives.

[bigben2k]

Originally Posted by Brians256

ukasz, there is a huge thread on hard drive blocks here. Search for it and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It was started by BigBen2k, I think. Or, he posted a lot in it (although at that time, I think he was posting in EVERY thread possible!).

Link in my sig.

[Moparchris]

http://forums.silentpcreview.com/vie...&highlight=hdd - thats my hdd cooling

[davidzo]

Originally Posted by Colt357tw

the heat spot is not on the sides of HDD, but in the motor hub and controller IC on the PCB. I would use two Al plates with barbs on opposite side and run a loop between the plates, but that's just my thought :P

wrong

HDDs are constructed so get cooled on the sides. Thats also wy they are screwed into metal boxes in almost every computer case, to give a little heat away to the material of the pc-case.
Yout can't cool the ics, because they are to small an on most modern hdds they are plated with a protective sheet metal and foam (see seagate or samsung).
The really hot ics are on the other side of the pcb and connected to the massive aluminium frame of the hd.
The motor too is directly connected to this massive block. The sheet of metal on the top on the other hand is not connected with any of these part and covered with plastic in most cases.
Cooling the top or bottom of a hdd would do effectively nothing, because the surface of both is not meant for cooling (see wd hds with a not exactly flat top). You would only stop the natural convection on both sides, which results in a worse cooling of the hd.

[MadHacker]

I made a HD waterblock but unfortuatly it didn't help much...

the harddrive (maxtor) has a small bevel sticking out right where the screws are on the side by about 1mm.
This made the contact area on the side verry small
Also put a flow switch in the loop but found it caused to much of a flow drop.
I Plan on going with level switch instead in my resevoir...

[Colt357tw]

Originally Posted by MadHacker

I made a HD waterblock but unfortuatly it didn't help much...

the harddrive (maxtor) has a small bevel sticking out right where the screws are on the side by about 1mm.
This made the contact area on the side verry small
Also put a flow switch in the loop but found it caused to much of a flow drop.
I Plan on going with level switch instead in my resevoir...

Thanks for indirectly support my earlier point: HDD are not best to cooled from its side.

As far as electrical/short issue, have you guys considering on use this stuff?? I have come across some of these in my job, and they works better than I first thought they would.