I'm in the market for a full tower case able to house at least 8 hdds, but bit more room would be welcome or rather necessary...
I currently own a Chieftec Bravo full tower case and it has served me well for some years and put up with relocations, at times burdened with 11 hdds (3 mounted on 5,25)...however it seems to have grown a little tired, producing strong periodic vibrational noise..
I've tried sound dampening material on the side panels (which actually made it tolerable), placing it on carpet/softer material but it just isn't enough anymore...I keep the case under my desk where I spend many-many hours reading, and the noise keeps throwing me off, giving me slight headache and wild temper...
The problem is the only cases satisfying the hdd prerequisites are aluminum - and expensive - Lian Li cases like the A70f, B70 (actually only the first is available here in Greece at 210€, the latter "looks" more silent) or the older V2000 series, which may just not be as silent as needed...
Could you make any recommendations? I will also be gradually shifting to quieter hard drives (wd green and seagate lp) to reduce or prevent noise and vibration, but that's going to take months...
In fact I'm not really sure whether buying a new case is the right thing to do...the logic behind changing the case is that a single buy may solve the trouble once and for all, presently and with future hdd expansion in mind...but maybe investing on bigger, low rpm hdds now will solve the problem, reducing noise presently and preventing it more efficiently when more hdds are added...
Thus, the question is also of a more subtle nature: what will be more efficient in reducing noise? Changing the case which now produces more noise than it used to (it has begun to produce strong vibrational noise) even though it houses fewer and newer hdds OR replacing older drives with bigger, quieter ones (at first I might replace two seagate 750gb drives with as single WD 2tb and then gradually replace each one for added space) ? The "easy" answer may be to do both (and I plan to) but presently this is an exclusive choice...
You could recommend a case and light modifications if you like to and give you "avis" on the current dilemma...
Thanks in advance...
Full tower case with large HDD capacity
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i looked up the case you have on newegg, it has a 5-star rating, but it looks like the hard drives are not suspended in rubber?
are you absolutely sure that the vibrational noise is coming from the hard drives? i usually unplug or stop all fans, one at a time, to identify the true source of the noise.
if the sound is definitely coming from hard drives that are solid-mounted, no suspension, you'll have to fix that, or replace the case... can you modify the hard drive mounting system?
are you absolutely sure that the vibrational noise is coming from the hard drives? i usually unplug or stop all fans, one at a time, to identify the true source of the noise.
if the sound is definitely coming from hard drives that are solid-mounted, no suspension, you'll have to fix that, or replace the case... can you modify the hard drive mounting system?
Nexus Edge is one big tower, places for 9 hdds along with 9 5.25" slots so you can fit in another 9-15 depending what sort of bays you get for those. No idea about the sound level. Oh, I think the hdds are attached with rails so unlikely to be superquiet.
NZXT Whisper is pretty much the same case, but hdds are mounted on rubber grommets like in Antec Solo.
I'd recommend getting some silent drive and testing how it sounds in your current case. It sounds to me that you are going to get more drives anyway so might as well get one now to try it out and then decide whether to start changing the rest or getting another case.
NZXT Whisper is pretty much the same case, but hdds are mounted on rubber grommets like in Antec Solo.
I'd recommend getting some silent drive and testing how it sounds in your current case. It sounds to me that you are going to get more drives anyway so might as well get one now to try it out and then decide whether to start changing the rest or getting another case.
NZXT Whisper
I just finished a new build with the NZXT whisper. I have a gigbyte p55-ud4p mobo, i5/750 cpu, ati radeon 4850 graphics card, ultra 750w pwr supply. 7 drives in the case (one of them is a SSD so it doesn't count. The other 6 area...4 WD 640gig caviar Blue drives (set up as 2 RAID ) arrays) and a pair of WD velociraptors from my old system (set up in another RAID ) array).
I kept the stock cooling fans that came in the NZXT case. While it's not "silent", I can run the machine for hours on end, doing lots of video editing (I actually built the machine to use as a DAW (digital audio workstation) but i also edit videos on it. I've rendered 2 hours of DVI video to MPEG2/DVD format (machine cranked with all 4 cores running at around an average of 75% load) and never saw any core temp rise above 120f. The noise from the system is not silent but is so low a level that you hardly notice it.
The nature of the noise is easy to get along with as well....kind of a low level whoosh...no irritating high freq component or low freq rumble.
I have several Noctua fans on the way to replace the stock case fans with but, for the money ($99 from several online stores), the NZXT case is solid, lot's or interior room, lots of HD slots, well constructed.
There is a flip up, top panel with a few USB ports and an eSATA port. Some folks say it seems a little flimsy...I guess I might agree but I dont handle it like a gorrilla so it's entirely adequate for me.
By the way, I use the Noctua NHu9b CPU cooler.
I kept the stock cooling fans that came in the NZXT case. While it's not "silent", I can run the machine for hours on end, doing lots of video editing (I actually built the machine to use as a DAW (digital audio workstation) but i also edit videos on it. I've rendered 2 hours of DVI video to MPEG2/DVD format (machine cranked with all 4 cores running at around an average of 75% load) and never saw any core temp rise above 120f. The noise from the system is not silent but is so low a level that you hardly notice it.
The nature of the noise is easy to get along with as well....kind of a low level whoosh...no irritating high freq component or low freq rumble.
I have several Noctua fans on the way to replace the stock case fans with but, for the money ($99 from several online stores), the NZXT case is solid, lot's or interior room, lots of HD slots, well constructed.
There is a flip up, top panel with a few USB ports and an eSATA port. Some folks say it seems a little flimsy...I guess I might agree but I dont handle it like a gorrilla so it's entirely adequate for me.
By the way, I use the Noctua NHu9b CPU cooler.
I guess you're right trying to identify the source of the noise by looking at the fans...this was the first thing I did...initially I thought some fan motor might have gone wild, or the case mounted-screwed 3x92mm fans might be producing the noise...I went through the whole process of removing fans one by one and testing each fan separately to pinpoint to noise source but it soon became clear that it emanated from the hdd area and expanded from there...danimal wrote:i looked up the case you have on newegg, it has a 5-star rating, but it looks like the hard drives are not suspended in rubber?
are you absolutely sure that the vibrational noise is coming from the hard drives? i usually unplug or stop all fans, one at a time, to identify the true source of the noise.
if the sound is definitely coming from hard drives that are solid-mounted, no suspension, you'll have to fix that, or replace the case... can you modify the hard drive mounting system?
The hdds on that case are mounted on rails, no rubber grommets though...you just have to put your hand on it while it operates to feel the vibration...and it used to be so sturdy! I've also soft/rubber mounted anything, the psu (I used that soft plastic frame where it makes contact with the case), the 120mm fans are supported by those soft plastic screws -they don't even make contact with the case...
Well I surely will (and have to cause I'm running out of space on my hdds) but I don't have the money to replace them altogether and changing one drive will likely not make that big a difference, but I don't know that for sure, do I? Will need to experiment on that surely...bearbar wrote:I'd recommend getting some silent drive and testing how it sounds in your current case. It sounds to me that you are going to get more drives anyway so might as well get one now to try it out and then decide whether to start changing the rest or getting another case.
@Kartl, bearbar...
I'll be looking into these cases you recommended (actually I had read a review on the NXZT Whisper some time ago, need to refresh my memory) and get back for info/questions...
Thank you for your answers....
I checked out a few reviews of the NXZT Whisper and I can say I'm not exactly sold:
- I would like to have more vertical space between the hdds in the lower department for better airflow
- once you fit the psu (and I don't own a modular one) the space is rather limited,
- leaving the 2x80mm fans do the work which I don't find optimal for noise and airflow considerations...
- the rear hdd cage sits real close to the psu intake which means that it will be drawing in heat from the drives
- Most importantly, the arrangement of the hdd slots makes connecting the power cables somewhat difficult...I am not sure whether a sata power cable will be long enough between any two connectors to be able to travel horizontally between the hdd cages and connect properly - without being drawn continuously - or connect at all...breaking the hdd enclosure into three separate cages is just not a good idea...it increases the hdd capacity in paper, but it's just not clear whether 9 hdds can actually be accommodated - properly or at all - in this case (considering that most psus have two sata power cords with approximately four connectors each)...
In that respect I like the Lian Li PC-A70F and PC-B70 more, although it does present the same kind of problem by breaking up the hdd housing into two separate compartments, one on the front bottom (7 hdds) and another on the rear back (3 more hdds)...the problem in this case is that one of my psu's native sata connectors will be left unused and I will have to use molex>sata converters for the drives I will be placing on the top enlosure
The older v2000 and v2100 design seemed so much better actually...if they could just update it with more sound dampening-silencing features...
Do you think the lian li will make a quiet case, vibration-wise?
- I would like to have more vertical space between the hdds in the lower department for better airflow
- once you fit the psu (and I don't own a modular one) the space is rather limited,
- leaving the 2x80mm fans do the work which I don't find optimal for noise and airflow considerations...
- the rear hdd cage sits real close to the psu intake which means that it will be drawing in heat from the drives
- Most importantly, the arrangement of the hdd slots makes connecting the power cables somewhat difficult...I am not sure whether a sata power cable will be long enough between any two connectors to be able to travel horizontally between the hdd cages and connect properly - without being drawn continuously - or connect at all...breaking the hdd enclosure into three separate cages is just not a good idea...it increases the hdd capacity in paper, but it's just not clear whether 9 hdds can actually be accommodated - properly or at all - in this case (considering that most psus have two sata power cords with approximately four connectors each)...
In that respect I like the Lian Li PC-A70F and PC-B70 more, although it does present the same kind of problem by breaking up the hdd housing into two separate compartments, one on the front bottom (7 hdds) and another on the rear back (3 more hdds)...the problem in this case is that one of my psu's native sata connectors will be left unused and I will have to use molex>sata converters for the drives I will be placing on the top enlosure
The older v2000 and v2100 design seemed so much better actually...if they could just update it with more sound dampening-silencing features...
Do you think the lian li will make a quiet case, vibration-wise?
In a word: no.
I have a Lian Li V2100 with 8 7200 RPM hard drives (Samsung and Maxtor). I tried to identify where the noise came from and stopped every single fan except for the PSU (Seasonic S12 500W, very quiet), and it wouldn't get much quieter. The hard drives seem to make a lot of noise. The installation is great, 4 screws for the hard drive, slide in, push the levers, connect the cables, done. But it's too loud for me now. I just bought a Samsung F3 5400 RPM 2TB drive to move away from all the drives.
If you still feel you need a lot of hard drives, buy a case with lots of 5.25" bays. That way you can either suspend the hard drives or put them in a Scythe Quiet drive depending on whether the sound comes from vibration or is airborne.
Good cases are the old steel Coolermaster Stackers which you can only find on eBay these days or a Lian Li A77 which is very expensive. The Sharkoon Rebel12 Economy has a lot of 5.25" bays, but has lower quality then the others mentioned.
Using fewer large 5400 RPM drives makes more sense to me in the long run. I will buy one or two more, depending on how much space I need. Maybe I'll put the old drives in a NAS enclosure and put it in another room, but right now I don't know exactly what to do with the spare drives. But I don't want them in my main computer any more.
I have a Lian Li V2100 with 8 7200 RPM hard drives (Samsung and Maxtor). I tried to identify where the noise came from and stopped every single fan except for the PSU (Seasonic S12 500W, very quiet), and it wouldn't get much quieter. The hard drives seem to make a lot of noise. The installation is great, 4 screws for the hard drive, slide in, push the levers, connect the cables, done. But it's too loud for me now. I just bought a Samsung F3 5400 RPM 2TB drive to move away from all the drives.
If you still feel you need a lot of hard drives, buy a case with lots of 5.25" bays. That way you can either suspend the hard drives or put them in a Scythe Quiet drive depending on whether the sound comes from vibration or is airborne.
Good cases are the old steel Coolermaster Stackers which you can only find on eBay these days or a Lian Li A77 which is very expensive. The Sharkoon Rebel12 Economy has a lot of 5.25" bays, but has lower quality then the others mentioned.
Using fewer large 5400 RPM drives makes more sense to me in the long run. I will buy one or two more, depending on how much space I need. Maybe I'll put the old drives in a NAS enclosure and put it in another room, but right now I don't know exactly what to do with the spare drives. But I don't want them in my main computer any more.
I'm not sure if I got it correctly, not exactly clear...the noise that troubles you comes from the airborne noise of the hard drives, i.e. loud hdd operation (seeks etc), or from induced vibration to the aluminum enclosure?
In the first case, you cannot actually blame the enclosure, but you could acknowledge such contribution to noise in the second case...if your experience is one of a vibrating case, then I will take it very seriously in mind for my choice...
But as I said, the V2100 would be perfect space/design-wise if it featured some sound dampening in the hhds, e.g. grommets and lacked those grills at the bottom...then it would have the best design in hdd accomodation plus the silencing features of a modern A70/1F...
Concerning hdds, I usually have to update them every few months, because I download and store A LOT of data...so I both change smaller hdds for bigger ones and I add hdds...
But since the case seems to have become prone to vibration over the years, maybe I cannot rely solely on more silent operation on the part of the hdds...
The Chieftec Bravo Full tower was fine until recently (maybe transportations took a toll on the case), but has some grills through which noise can easily escape, many smaller 92mm fans are needed to keep the drives cool and apart from the sturdy construction, it does not have any silencing features...which means that finding a quieter case is not altogether impossible...
Finding a more silent case with as roomy interior and at a price below/at 100€ (the Chieftec costs 99 euros) is proving to be quite a challenge...
Concerning the 3.5''>5.25'' converters using them for more than a couple of drives will dramatically increase cost AND may negatively affect temperatures...
Opting for a Stacker-like case and using those hdd cages of 3-4 drives (them being more affordable) does not seem the best possible choice to me when noise is a major concern, because the area from which noise can escape is larger and the placing of the drives at the front and with a fan cooling them will also increase noise...
...but maybe I'm wrong and the noise is not all that worse...
In the first case, you cannot actually blame the enclosure, but you could acknowledge such contribution to noise in the second case...if your experience is one of a vibrating case, then I will take it very seriously in mind for my choice...
But as I said, the V2100 would be perfect space/design-wise if it featured some sound dampening in the hhds, e.g. grommets and lacked those grills at the bottom...then it would have the best design in hdd accomodation plus the silencing features of a modern A70/1F...
Concerning hdds, I usually have to update them every few months, because I download and store A LOT of data...so I both change smaller hdds for bigger ones and I add hdds...
But since the case seems to have become prone to vibration over the years, maybe I cannot rely solely on more silent operation on the part of the hdds...
The Chieftec Bravo Full tower was fine until recently (maybe transportations took a toll on the case), but has some grills through which noise can easily escape, many smaller 92mm fans are needed to keep the drives cool and apart from the sturdy construction, it does not have any silencing features...which means that finding a quieter case is not altogether impossible...
Finding a more silent case with as roomy interior and at a price below/at 100€ (the Chieftec costs 99 euros) is proving to be quite a challenge...
Concerning the 3.5''>5.25'' converters using them for more than a couple of drives will dramatically increase cost AND may negatively affect temperatures...
Opting for a Stacker-like case and using those hdd cages of 3-4 drives (them being more affordable) does not seem the best possible choice to me when noise is a major concern, because the area from which noise can escape is larger and the placing of the drives at the front and with a fan cooling them will also increase noise...
...but maybe I'm wrong and the noise is not all that worse...
How about the Coolermaster Centurion 590?
It has 9 x front 5.25 inch bays, which could be used for suspending HDDs, which is IMO a superior option to using hdd cages, and much cheaper as well. Just cover some of the extra fan holes with sound damping material.
Although this case has the open grill fronts that may result in some noise escaping from the front, a case with 8 HDDs in it is never going to be all that quiet.
While suspending a HDD will reduce vibration-induced noise and may reduce (but not eliminate) seeking noise, suspending HDDs will not help with the idle whirring of HDD platters.
As buying enough enclosures like the Scythe Quiet Drive to reduce idle HDD noise is likely to be far too costly for you, your best bet would be to suspend the drives and gradually replace your current drives with 5,400/5,900rpm quiet HDDs like you mentioned.
It has 9 x front 5.25 inch bays, which could be used for suspending HDDs, which is IMO a superior option to using hdd cages, and much cheaper as well. Just cover some of the extra fan holes with sound damping material.
Although this case has the open grill fronts that may result in some noise escaping from the front, a case with 8 HDDs in it is never going to be all that quiet.
While suspending a HDD will reduce vibration-induced noise and may reduce (but not eliminate) seeking noise, suspending HDDs will not help with the idle whirring of HDD platters.
As buying enough enclosures like the Scythe Quiet Drive to reduce idle HDD noise is likely to be far too costly for you, your best bet would be to suspend the drives and gradually replace your current drives with 5,400/5,900rpm quiet HDDs like you mentioned.
I think the vibration of the hard drives is amplified by the case. The mounting mechanism on the Lian Li V2100 has no dampening.
The Lian Li A20 has a HDD cage with some degree of dampening. The screws for the hard disks have little rubber grommets. The case only fits 6 hard disks this way, but you can buy converters for the 5.25" bays with the same mounting mechanism from Lian Li.
It is also the most expensive Lian Li case currently on sale.
Silencing so many drives is not easy. Can you build a dedicated file server and put it in another room?
The Lian Li A20 has a HDD cage with some degree of dampening. The screws for the hard disks have little rubber grommets. The case only fits 6 hard disks this way, but you can buy converters for the 5.25" bays with the same mounting mechanism from Lian Li.
It is also the most expensive Lian Li case currently on sale.
Silencing so many drives is not easy. Can you build a dedicated file server and put it in another room?
Ok, I have got a little bit hooked on the Fractal Design R2...other cases with such hdd capacity are just too expensive (or make it somewhat impossible to mount and use all the provided hdd bays, e.g. NZXT Whisper - see my doubts above)...
What worries me a little about this case is that with 8 hdd fitted I will most probably have to attach a fan to one of the top vents in order to keep the temps at acceptable levels, thus opening up a path for noise...
I'm worried this will somewhat ruin it for me, letting out all the noise that the bitumen covered sides and vents keep inside...I will keep the case on the floor just on the right of my desk (160cm x 80xm)
What do you think the acoustic impact would be? Any feedback from owners of the case?
What worries me a little about this case is that with 8 hdd fitted I will most probably have to attach a fan to one of the top vents in order to keep the temps at acceptable levels, thus opening up a path for noise...
I'm worried this will somewhat ruin it for me, letting out all the noise that the bitumen covered sides and vents keep inside...I will keep the case on the floor just on the right of my desk (160cm x 80xm)
What do you think the acoustic impact would be? Any feedback from owners of the case?
i took a couple of air filters out of my stacker to show you what the guys are talking about:
apologies about the quality, only had my phone to hand. this model isn't made any more but they have similar ones and Antec do the 900 and 1200 which look similar.
in terms of noise path, yes it's going to be an issue. in the photos you can see all but one (another story) of my drives are in aluminium enclosures but of course that makes the cost rocket up. in theory i could put sound dampening foam in place of the air filters, some of them at least. the drives are kept cool by being in the air intake path, i only have a single 120mm slipstream at the rear providing the airflow for the whole case. all other vents are blocked so the only intake is through the front over the drives therefore they don't need direct air cooling with front fans.
of course most of the time the drives are spun down so it isn't an issue.
apologies about the quality, only had my phone to hand. this model isn't made any more but they have similar ones and Antec do the 900 and 1200 which look similar.
in terms of noise path, yes it's going to be an issue. in the photos you can see all but one (another story) of my drives are in aluminium enclosures but of course that makes the cost rocket up. in theory i could put sound dampening foam in place of the air filters, some of them at least. the drives are kept cool by being in the air intake path, i only have a single 120mm slipstream at the rear providing the airflow for the whole case. all other vents are blocked so the only intake is through the front over the drives therefore they don't need direct air cooling with front fans.
of course most of the time the drives are spun down so it isn't an issue.
Hi Pierre
Firstly, if you are going to encase a shed load of hard drives you need to consider their cooling. As has already been explained, unless you go for an expensive case then you are unlikely to get it really quiet out of the box.
My advice, for what its worth, is to look for a case that has lots of 5.52" bays and then modify.
Firstly, suspend each of your HDs in thin (3mm) bungee cord. It's not difficult to do. That will rid you of any disk based harmonic resonance and minimise seek noise too.
Secondly, go to your local car accessory store and buy some sheet sound deadening material. Put that on the top, bottom and case sides to minimise drumming. Cover any other vent holes you do not want. See note below about YOU deciding how the air flows.
Thirdly, fit a good quality rubber mounted (NOT screwed) system fan, a good quality rubber mounted CPU fan and make sure your CPU fan is a decent quiet one - rubber mounted. Modify the fan to take air OUT of the box if reqd.
Lastly, use one or more 120mm fans (rubber mounted) to blow air INTO the case and OVER the HDs. You don't need much (so 7v is probably fine) but it makes a shed load of difference to their temp and so lifespan. The reason for two is that you need to try and create a flow of air through the case. If you don't, then air wil be pulled through every available orafice and you will lose control...
Basically, if you don't want to spend out upfront you HAVE to be prepared to spend time and a little money elsewhere. Its simply not possible to get a quiet system with spending something!
HTH
David
Firstly, if you are going to encase a shed load of hard drives you need to consider their cooling. As has already been explained, unless you go for an expensive case then you are unlikely to get it really quiet out of the box.
My advice, for what its worth, is to look for a case that has lots of 5.52" bays and then modify.
Firstly, suspend each of your HDs in thin (3mm) bungee cord. It's not difficult to do. That will rid you of any disk based harmonic resonance and minimise seek noise too.
Secondly, go to your local car accessory store and buy some sheet sound deadening material. Put that on the top, bottom and case sides to minimise drumming. Cover any other vent holes you do not want. See note below about YOU deciding how the air flows.
Thirdly, fit a good quality rubber mounted (NOT screwed) system fan, a good quality rubber mounted CPU fan and make sure your CPU fan is a decent quiet one - rubber mounted. Modify the fan to take air OUT of the box if reqd.
Lastly, use one or more 120mm fans (rubber mounted) to blow air INTO the case and OVER the HDs. You don't need much (so 7v is probably fine) but it makes a shed load of difference to their temp and so lifespan. The reason for two is that you need to try and create a flow of air through the case. If you don't, then air wil be pulled through every available orafice and you will lose control...
Basically, if you don't want to spend out upfront you HAVE to be prepared to spend time and a little money elsewhere. Its simply not possible to get a quiet system with spending something!
HTH
David
I bought the Fractal Design Define R2 and I can say I was really not impressed...that is considering noise-performance...
Moving from my Chieftec Bravo BA-02B Full Tower to Fractal I noticed only a very small difference in noise volume, in favor of the latter...but the noise was more of disturbing quality because the Define R2 is not as sturdy as the Chieftec one...the sides fit really snugly, there is bitumen applied but I could hear some vibrations which have thankfully disappeared in the Chieftec since I moved to an all 1.5TB + 2TB configuration...I guess they vibrate less...(the Chieftec does however have many openings to contain noise effectively)
What really messes the Fractal's noise performance is the little gap on the sides of the door which allows hdd noise to escape towards me (I keep the case on the right of the desk)
One great design-fault I found was that two optical drives could not fit in the 5,25 bays...the upper bay is a few milimiters upper than needed with the result that the plastic frame of the optical drive does not allow it to move inside the bay!!
So I'm giving it up...since the resonance on the Chieftec has gone away (and the case I had put my hopes on was a disappointment in the respect of noise-limitation) I think I'm gonna stick with the good old chieftec...
Maybe I could fashion some moduvent-style covers for those left-panel holes to reduce noise...
@ListysDad,
Thanks a lot for your message...
For it has positions for 3 x 92mm fans for the hdds which are vertically placed within the case...the fans are fitted on the right panel and I've oriented them so as to pull air outside the case...because the is long grill on the left panel, air is being drawn from there towards the right side, away from the position where I sit...before I had it blowing air within the case, and that did allow only for a 1-2 degrees C better cooling but forced a lot more dust into the case, so I gave it up...
The case has some tool-free mode for installation of 5,25 devices, but one which does not offer the alternative to screw the device to the case...so only Scythe Quiet-Drive style hdd holders can be used to keep the hdds firmly in place...
I'll be honest with you...suspending the drives is not something I would do under any circumstance...I just don't trust this solution enough....
I would like to know what do you thing about the the current configuration...
I must admit the system is not silent...the only silent system I have is on a Hec midi case double paxmated, which is only very faintly heard if heard at all (two MS-Tech -really good- 120mm fans, one intake, one outtake)...but with 7-8 hdds I guess I must familiarize myself with a certain amount of noise...not that it cannot get any quietter, but my hopes for a quiet system have more or less vanished after trying out the much acclaimed Fractal Design Define R2 (black pearl) case...
Cheers...
Moving from my Chieftec Bravo BA-02B Full Tower to Fractal I noticed only a very small difference in noise volume, in favor of the latter...but the noise was more of disturbing quality because the Define R2 is not as sturdy as the Chieftec one...the sides fit really snugly, there is bitumen applied but I could hear some vibrations which have thankfully disappeared in the Chieftec since I moved to an all 1.5TB + 2TB configuration...I guess they vibrate less...(the Chieftec does however have many openings to contain noise effectively)
What really messes the Fractal's noise performance is the little gap on the sides of the door which allows hdd noise to escape towards me (I keep the case on the right of the desk)
One great design-fault I found was that two optical drives could not fit in the 5,25 bays...the upper bay is a few milimiters upper than needed with the result that the plastic frame of the optical drive does not allow it to move inside the bay!!
So I'm giving it up...since the resonance on the Chieftec has gone away (and the case I had put my hopes on was a disappointment in the respect of noise-limitation) I think I'm gonna stick with the good old chieftec...
Maybe I could fashion some moduvent-style covers for those left-panel holes to reduce noise...
@ListysDad,
Thanks a lot for your message...
The Chieftec has both enough hdd trays and many 5.25 so I guess that fits the bill...Firstly, if you are going to encase a shed load of hard drives you need to consider their cooling. As has already been explained, unless you go for an expensive case then you are unlikely to get it really quiet out of the box.
My advice, for what its worth, is to look for a case that has lots of 5.52" bays and then modify.
Firstly, suspend each of your HDs in thin (3mm) bungee cord. It's not difficult to do. That will rid you of any disk based harmonic resonance and minimise seek noise too.
For it has positions for 3 x 92mm fans for the hdds which are vertically placed within the case...the fans are fitted on the right panel and I've oriented them so as to pull air outside the case...because the is long grill on the left panel, air is being drawn from there towards the right side, away from the position where I sit...before I had it blowing air within the case, and that did allow only for a 1-2 degrees C better cooling but forced a lot more dust into the case, so I gave it up...
The case has some tool-free mode for installation of 5,25 devices, but one which does not offer the alternative to screw the device to the case...so only Scythe Quiet-Drive style hdd holders can be used to keep the hdds firmly in place...
I'll be honest with you...suspending the drives is not something I would do under any circumstance...I just don't trust this solution enough....
I had some Spire Sound Absorption material applied to the sides of the case (that did work to prevent some noise), but I did not like to see the logo and I thought I could find some better sound deadening material, so I gather courage, Akasa TIM Cleaner and I removed it from the left panel (the space on the right side is just too small to fit anything of bigger width)...I replaced it with a Cooltec 365 Bitumen/foam material and I also added to the bottom and the top of the case...it's really good, cannot feel any vibration on the top and the noise has decreased (although it still escapes from the hdd grill)Secondly, go to your local car accessory store and buy some sheet sound deadening material. Put that on the top, bottom and case sides to minimise drumming. Cover any other vent holes you do not want. See note below about YOU deciding how the air flows.
All fans I use (3x92mm for hdds and 1x120mm for rear outtake, all silent Papst ones) are rubber mounted...Thirdly, fit a good quality rubber mounted (NOT screwed) system fan, a good quality rubber mounted CPU fan and make sure your CPU fan is a decent quiet one - rubber mounted. Modify the fan to take air OUT of the box if reqd.
Because of the orientation of the drives and the space between the hdds and the mainboard on this case, one can actually say that the cooling of the two is independent of the other...without actual intake fan, mainboard-cpu-chipset temperatures (34-23-42 at idle) are lower than they were with the Fractal case (+5 on all of them at idle)...Lastly, use one or more 120mm fans (rubber mounted) to blow air INTO the case and OVER the HDs. You don't need much (so 7v is probably fine) but it makes a shed load of difference to their temp and so lifespan. The reason for two is that you need to try and create a flow of air through the case. If you don't, then air wil be pulled through every available orafice and you will lose control...
I would like to know what do you thing about the the current configuration...
I must admit the system is not silent...the only silent system I have is on a Hec midi case double paxmated, which is only very faintly heard if heard at all (two MS-Tech -really good- 120mm fans, one intake, one outtake)...but with 7-8 hdds I guess I must familiarize myself with a certain amount of noise...not that it cannot get any quietter, but my hopes for a quiet system have more or less vanished after trying out the much acclaimed Fractal Design Define R2 (black pearl) case...
Cheers...
Hi Pierre
In order to make any objective comments about your individual set-up you'll need to post a few pictures. Then we'll be able to give some more explicit and specific advice.
With regard to suspending HDDs. Like you. I too was extremely sceptical at first. I tried every method of mounting except total immersion in foam. Not one worked and I always got that horrible harmonising beat from the drives no matter what. Then I got my Sonata case and went for it. It is only designed to take three suspended drives but I ripped out their rubbish (sorry guys...) and instead installed the 3mm bungies oh and while I was at it put two more in the same space...
There is one difference with mine from most other peoples. I do NOT use loops of bungie. This is because one failure means the whole drive falls. Instead, I use 6 (yes six) individual tied off strands per drive. Two go under each drive and one on top! (the means two are top mounted and one low - see comment later about why!) They are very very quiet (def not silent tho) and their winding up to speed after going to sleep when not used oh and the clicks when seeking are deafening (NOT) !!! Since suspending them I have not had a single episode of harmonising drone (what IS the proper word for that?)
I can assure you that suspending drives is 100% safe so long as you take into account the following:
1 - use GOOD QUALITY cord. Ask your local haberdashers for the best.
2 - when drilling holes make sure you lose ALL burrs. You need to run your finger round each very hard - if it bleeds you have a problem so smooth it till it doesn't!
3 - Get the tension in the cord right. For mine, I pulled the cord through so it was under NO tension then pulled it through for 60-75mm more. When installed, the drive should drop by about 5mm. Bearing in mind that you 'twist' the cords (i.e. top becomes bottom, bottom becomes top) when you install. This stops the drive going any where horizontally.
The simple fact of the matter is that the major manufacturers would not install such systems if they didn't work. My Antec used knicker elastic!
Look forward to your pictures.
In order to make any objective comments about your individual set-up you'll need to post a few pictures. Then we'll be able to give some more explicit and specific advice.
With regard to suspending HDDs. Like you. I too was extremely sceptical at first. I tried every method of mounting except total immersion in foam. Not one worked and I always got that horrible harmonising beat from the drives no matter what. Then I got my Sonata case and went for it. It is only designed to take three suspended drives but I ripped out their rubbish (sorry guys...) and instead installed the 3mm bungies oh and while I was at it put two more in the same space...
There is one difference with mine from most other peoples. I do NOT use loops of bungie. This is because one failure means the whole drive falls. Instead, I use 6 (yes six) individual tied off strands per drive. Two go under each drive and one on top! (the means two are top mounted and one low - see comment later about why!) They are very very quiet (def not silent tho) and their winding up to speed after going to sleep when not used oh and the clicks when seeking are deafening (NOT) !!! Since suspending them I have not had a single episode of harmonising drone (what IS the proper word for that?)
I can assure you that suspending drives is 100% safe so long as you take into account the following:
1 - use GOOD QUALITY cord. Ask your local haberdashers for the best.
2 - when drilling holes make sure you lose ALL burrs. You need to run your finger round each very hard - if it bleeds you have a problem so smooth it till it doesn't!
3 - Get the tension in the cord right. For mine, I pulled the cord through so it was under NO tension then pulled it through for 60-75mm more. When installed, the drive should drop by about 5mm. Bearing in mind that you 'twist' the cords (i.e. top becomes bottom, bottom becomes top) when you install. This stops the drive going any where horizontally.
The simple fact of the matter is that the major manufacturers would not install such systems if they didn't work. My Antec used knicker elastic!
Look forward to your pictures.
I had the exact same experience. Disconnected all fans to hear my 8 drives sounding like 8 little fans themselves. I'm really hoping the Lian-Li B70's new HDD mounting mechanism helps with this problem.boost wrote:In a word: no.
I have a Lian Li V2100 with 8 7200 RPM hard drives (Samsung and Maxtor). I tried to identify where the noise came from and stopped every single fan except for the PSU (Seasonic S12 500W, very quiet), and it wouldn't get much quieter. The hard drives seem to make a lot of noise. The installation is great, 4 screws for the hard drive, slide in, push the levers, connect the cables, done. But it's too loud for me now. I just bought a Samsung F3 5400 RPM 2TB drive to move away from all the drives.
If you still feel you need a lot of hard drives, buy a case with lots of 5.25" bays. That way you can either suspend the hard drives or put them in a Scythe Quiet drive depending on whether the sound comes from vibration or is airborne.
Good cases are the old steel Coolermaster Stackers which you can only find on eBay these days or a Lian Li A77 which is very expensive. The Sharkoon Rebel12 Economy has a lot of 5.25" bays, but has lower quality then the others mentioned.
Using fewer large 5400 RPM drives makes more sense to me in the long run. I will buy one or two more, depending on how much space I need. Maybe I'll put the old drives in a NAS enclosure and put it in another room, but right now I don't know exactly what to do with the spare drives. But I don't want them in my main computer any more.
+1. I bought one after searching for the least expensive case with 9 exposed 5.25" bays. Here's a SPCR gallery thread where the owner suspended 7 drives with stretch magic.JamieG wrote:How about the Coolermaster Centurion 590?
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