Any ideas on how to cushion a hard drive

[Staxxx]

For some reason the additional internal hard drive that I put into my media server box is not physically stable. When it begins to rotate I hear it move in the box. I tried to secure it with Blu Tac but it doesn't quite work. The rack is too small for the drive to fit securely within it. By the way, it does not affect the sound of anything as it is only holding the data files which are copied onto an SSD to make a playlist for replay.

I wondered if some "techie" may like to visit and think of a sensible solution please? Tea and good snacks guaranteed...and of course a listen to another FM's system. Thanks!!

 

[Nikhil]

Use Teflon tape (plumbers tape) on the mounting screws.
This is an old tweak that does wonders on all connectors that are loose.

 

[magma]

staxx

drive is too small ?
are you using a 2.5inch drive in a 3.5inch slot

or a 3.5 incher in a DVD 5.25inch slot ?

didnt you get the 2.5to 3.5inch adapter ?

 

[Staxxx]

Hmmm I don't know. I think its a 3.5" which does not fit into a smaller slot - well it goes just about a quarter of the way in. SO i have it wedged in and then blu-tacked to something else below it. I have some pictures but am not sure how to upload them into the post.

 

[Staxxx]

I think I have it:
The pictures are of the unit with the original drives in (HDD AND SSD)...the space above it is where I have wedged the second internal drive: In the first picture you can see the spare SATA cable that I used to connect to the second internal drive (which would not fit in the space shown in the corner of the second and third picture).
View attachment 10844

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View attachment 10846

 

[magma]

hmm cant make out much from the pics
maybe a PC nerd can!

 

[rud3dawg]

Hi,
A regular HDD ie SATA II /III are 3.5 Inch HDDs an SSD is a 2.5 " one...The one in the bottom looks ike a 3.5 " one on top(Since it is placed deeper mst be an SSD.) but to further help you out I guess more pics are needed from the rear of the Bay ie facing the slot entry and not of the CPU case or else can you pls give the CPU case makers name and model

 

[Nikhil]

Not very conversant with this but are you sure you don't need something like a SSD bracket to fit it into that slot? See bottom left of below pic

 

[hydra]

The SSD does look like it has been put in with an adapter. And since the 3.5" drive on the bottom has actually gone in, the HDD bay must be wide enough (just not deep enough maybe) to accommodate it.

If that bay was designed to hold two drives, there should be provision on the side/s of the bay to screw the 3.5" HDD in. Do check. But from that position, I'm not sure if the bay itself will have to be removed first, to fit the 3.5" drive properly (you may not have leeway on the sides to use a screwdriver to screw the HDD in).

 

[mowgli80]

Are you sure that the sound is because the HDD is physically unstable and not because its rotating. This can be a problem with high speed 7200 RPM drives . Check your HDD RPM and if it 7200 RPM and all other efforts fail to reduce the sound, I would suggest to move to 5400 RPM drive. I will slow down the data transfer but will reduce the noise as well.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'd always go for slower drives in a sound-playing PC: quieter and cooler. And you certainly won't notice the difference except for huge file transfers. Consider that a PC can play music from an infinitely slower CD drive: the slowest-possible hdd will still be fast enough.

Offtopic Do I spy the colours of a Noctua fan there on the cooler? Another Noctua fan? (or should that be Noctua fan fan )

 

[gobble]

I use WD green - quiet as a whisper and very good write speed! And great performance reviews. The noise may be because its not properly fastened.
This will make drive prone to failure within a few years. Vibrations and bad ventilation are the enemy.

--G0bble

 

[Staxxx]

Thanks for the input all. I will definitely check if it is the fastening of the drive or the drive itself that is the problem. It does not rotate when the music is playing as the file is read off the SSD and buffered, so the noise is not an issue then. I only hear it when I open the drive to find a file. The HDD only stores the music files to make the playlist on the SSD.