Cooling suggestions for drive bay in a tower case

On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:57:30 +0100, Rarius
<rarius@rarius.co.uk> wrote:

>brassplyer wrote:
>> I've got an older tower case with a drive bay for 4 h/d's stacked on
>> top of each other horizontally - and of course baking each other with
>> their heat output.
>
>
>My first thought was... Why 4 hard drives? Surely it would be better to
>replace these with a one or two 1TB drives.
>
>Rarius


Perhaps, but what if they are 1TB drives, or a RAID array?

I happen to have 6 hard drives in the system I'm typing on.
Why? I don't know. They piled up in there over time, LOL,
and 3 of them don't even have cables plugged in. **** the
motherboard manufacturers for getting rid of PATA channels,
I could add a PATA PCI card but I don't really need to use
them, so leaving them in the case is as good a place to
store them as any.

"brassplyer" wrote:
> I've got an older tower case with a drive bay for 4 h/d's stacked on
> top of each other horizontally - and of course baking each other with
> their heat output.
>
> Right now the case has a smaller 80mm fan just under this bay blowing
> inward and a larger (120mm?) fan blowing out. Also a side case fan
> currently blowing inward approximately over and toward the CPU.
>
> I imagine there's air being drawn past the drives from the slotting in
> the case in front of them, but would like to enhance cooling of them.
> Any suggestions?


If the tower case was not designed specifically for the particular
motherboard/heatsink/CPU, and if you're not overclocking your CPU,
you probably don't need the side fan. What that side fan is doing is
increasing the internal air pressure inside the case (i.e. reducing the suction
at the front of the case), and thus reducing the airflow from front to back.
You may not even need the front fan, and since it is not blowing directly
on the hard drives, it too is reducing the suction. If you have slots directly
in front of the hard drives so that air sucked into the case flows over them,
try blocking both the side and front fan intake holes and disabling those fans.
This will maximize the airflow over the hard drives. Then, just relying on
the large rear fan, test the rig. If the hard drives feel at about body temp,
you've solved the hard drive cooling problem. Monitor the CPU temp
while doing this, though.

*TimDaniels*

On Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:07:11 -0700, brassplyer wrote:


> I imagine there's air being drawn past the drives from the slotting in
> the case in front of them, but would like to enhance cooling of them.
> Any suggestions?

Blanking plates with fans built into them. Available in single or dual.
Or, if you want serious cooling, make up your own front plate with fans.
I'd also draw the air through a filter of sorts.

On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:11:38 +0000 (UTC), terryc
<newsninespam-spam@woa.com.au> wrote:

>On Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:07:11 -0700, brassplyer wrote:
>
>
>> I imagine there's air being drawn past the drives from the slotting in
>> the case in front of them, but would like to enhance cooling of them.
>> Any suggestions?
>
>Blanking plates with fans built into them. Available in single or dual.
>Or, if you want serious cooling, make up your own front plate with fans.
>I'd also draw the air through a filter of sorts.


Take the case front bezel off, there may already be a fan
mount behind it or if there isn't, a hole might be cut out
then if there is an excessive opening around that hole from
the prior inlets, add the blank plate as you mentioned.

On Sep 8, 8:07 pm, brassplyer <brasspl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've got an older tower case with a drive bay for 4 h/d's stacked on
> top of each other horizontally - and of course baking each other with
> their heat output.
>
> Right now the case has a smaller 80mm fan just under this bay blowing
> inward and a larger (120mm?) fan blowing out. Also a side case fan
> currently blowing inward approximately over and toward the CPU.
>
> I imagine there's air being drawn past the drives from the slotting in
> the case in front of them, but would like to enhance cooling of them.
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks

I used to mess with that stuff -- let the pros do it. Got an all
aluminum "engineered" LanBoy -- two 120 fans front and back. Then I
saw NewEgg about giving away a top-rated CFM 120 fan, on a special,
which I bought to replace the Antec backplane fan (if included, I
forget).

Everything since has been 180 degrees out of perspective. My computer
flatout got up and told me it's also a vacuum cleaner -- and days of
modifying cases with 60/80mm fans for cooling Athlon XP setups was all
just a joke. And I do mean it really sucks -- always filthy in there.
But it's always cool and lasts a long time (756 core Athlon - 3 or 4
200G Seagates off a Sparkle server-grade PS).

Only thing I suspect these days are DVD units -- between firmware
going obsolete on Asian disk manufacturer ID codes -- never really
learned to tear one down to properly clean the optical lens apparatus
by hand. Oh well, and cat's in the well -- leaving DVD for permanent
storage, anyway, skipping BlueRay, for HDs and docking stations.

Seriously, not considering case efficiency in a build is like hooking
up an 8" speaker to a Fender Bassman.

On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:15:49 -0700 (PDT), Flasherly
<Flasherly@live.com> wrote:

>On Sep 8, 8:07 pm, brassplyer <brasspl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I've got an older tower case with a drive bay for 4 h/d's stacked on
>> top of each other horizontally - and of course baking each other with
>> their heat output.
>>
>> Right now the case has a smaller 80mm fan just under this bay blowing
>> inward and a larger (120mm?) fan blowing out. Also a side case fan
>> currently blowing inward approximately over and toward the CPU.
>>
>> I imagine there's air being drawn past the drives from the slotting in
>> the case in front of them, but would like to enhance cooling of them.
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks
>
>I used to mess with that stuff -- let the pros do it. Got an all
>aluminum "engineered" LanBoy -- two 120 fans front and back. Then I
>saw NewEgg about giving away a top-rated CFM 120 fan, on a special,
>which I bought to replace the Antec backplane fan (if included, I
>forget).

Problem is, the "pros" design cases as if fan mounts are
line item features, eyecandy, and they are tailored towards
maximum compatibility with unknown system configuration.

Even so, only a poorly engineered case or extremely high
ambient temps would require 120 CFM fans. Otherwise the key
is ensuring adequate heatsinks on the hottest parts and
letting a low RPM PSU and 120mm rear exhaust fan do the air
moving. Generally speaking in a climate controlled room
there should be no need for fans over 1800 RPM unless it's a
dual video card gaming system... even having a half
dozenconsumer grade/7200 RPM hard drives you won't need more
than that.


>
>Everything since has been 180 degrees out of perspective. My computer
>flatout got up and told me it's also a vacuum cleaner -- and days of
>modifying cases with 60/80mm fans for cooling Athlon XP setups was all
>just a joke. And I do mean it really sucks -- always filthy in there.
>But it's always cool and lasts a long time (756 core Athlon - 3 or 4
>200G Seagates off a Sparkle server-grade PS).

It seems like you just picked fans with too high RPM and/or
didn't have adequate intake and exhaust ports. Athlon XP
overclocked past 2.2GHz, single gaming video card (otherwise
typical PC components) is cooled fine in a climate
controlled room with a 2000 RPM PSU and single 80mm rear
exhaust fan. This assumes the CPU is wearing a fairly good
heatsink.


>
>Only thing I suspect these days are DVD units -- between firmware
>going obsolete on Asian disk manufacturer ID codes -- never really
>learned to tear one down to properly clean the optical lens apparatus
>by hand. Oh well, and cat's in the well -- leaving DVD for permanent
>storage, anyway, skipping BlueRay, for HDs and docking stations.

2/3rds of the time cleaning the lens alone won't cut it,
dust flying around scratches up the lens and wear on the
rail sliders makes it's aim imprecise. The other 1/3rd of
the time you can simply drip pure alcohol on the lens in a
stream to flush off dust. Avoid touching the lens with
anything to wipe it if at all possible. Besides, you can't
usually gain access to the rear of the lens (besides
dripping solvent on it) without tearing apart the laser
assembly meaning it's not likely to go back together with
the correct alignment needed.

On Oct 19, 5:53 pm, kony <s...@spam.com> wrote:
>
> 2/3rds of the time cleaning the lens alone won't cut it,
> dust flying around scratches up the lens and wear on the
> rail sliders makes it's aim imprecise. The other 1/3rd of
> the time you can simply drip pure alcohol on the lens in a
> stream to flush off dust. Avoid touching the lens with
> anything to wipe it if at all possible. Besides, you can't
> usually gain access to the rear of the lens (besides
> dripping solvent on it) without tearing apart the laser
> assembly meaning it's not likely to go back together with
> the correct alignment needed.

Those are good considerations, and supportive of why I've felt all
thumbs attempting to tear into optics. Should have at least a couple
2-30XX NECs writers for my oldest DVD discs, rest are newer LG.
Hopefully the NECs will serve for their last call to duty -- getting
everything over to HDs.

Usually nose around reviews, looking for cases that are popular,
couple people usually that look like they know what they're talking
about, that and A-#1 well regarded for value. The aluminum Antec
Lanboy was once such, and I've seen it locally for as little as $40
bare from the likes of CompUSA when on sale. I probably paid twice
that. True, grated and drilled $200 cases or gaming setup wouldn't
appeal as much to me as pure function and value. Though I'd think
more of anything with 120mm fan, especially if adjustable. (Not
what's in a little beater case across the room with the cheapest chip
Intel's probably released. Early PGA Celeron D. Does audio/visual
only and I try and purposefully keep it simple as possible.)

I'd rather have the dusty case than deal with temperature. Take it
out in the garage with alcohol, tooth and small-parts brush. 60gal
Cambell Hausfeld compressor to finish it off. Like new.
Theoretically, though all it's ever got was a quick run over with a
vacuum wand, as much behind the unit and what's blowing out the back.
Things for lazy people, like me and fun the living room.

Good post, kony - good points. Just been there, back with the Athlons
and "custom cooled" 12-bay Towers of Power -- long enough to where
you'd have to chisel these 120mm fans out from my cold, dead hands.