Does a hard drive in a box need to "breath[e]" ?

[mikefg]

I am considering using the Scythe Silent Box or similar to reduce the noise of a 3.5" hd, but I am concerned about warnings on disk saying "Do not cover any drive holes."

It seems like closing a disk up in a box goes directly against this warning.. Can a Silent Box or similar be used on a drive with a warning like this, or do I need to find a disk without the warning?

Thanks,
Mike

[mikefg]

You can see the warning clearly on this WD RE2 GP: http://techreport.com/r.x/wd-caviar-gp/drive.jpg

[Kristian]

I am running two Seagate HDs in Scythe silent boxes. Both are still running smoothly after I guess about 6-7 months of daily use. I do not recall if the same warning are on those HDs though.

[AuraAllan]

Im pretty sure that warning is on all HDD's. Cant remeber seeing one without it.

Alot of people in here (including myself) put the drives in cases or cover up those holes in other ways. I have yet to hear about drive failure after doing so.

[Capsaicin]

I am considering using the Scythe Silent Box or similar to reduce the noise of a 3.5" hd, but I am concerned about warnings on disk saying "Do not cover any drive holes."

IIRC, this has to do with pressure differentials (e.g., moving the HDD to a different elevation). I have a 5400 rpm HDD in on of the older silencing enclosures that's been in there for a couple years now. Just make sure the box is designed for the appropriate drive temperature/rpm (e.g., mine isn't designed for 7200 rpm drives).

[Tephras]

Does a hard drive in a box need to "breath" ?

Yes, it does; breather holes.

It seems like closing a disk up in a box goes directly against this warning.. Can a Silent Box or similar be used on a drive with a warning like this, or do I need to find a disk without the warning?

HDD enclosures are not airtight, air will still be able to pass in and out of the enclosure. However, if the drive is supposed to be placed in the enclosure with a gel sheet or similar attached to the drive, it might be a good idea to ensure that the gel sheet doesn't obstruct the holes.

[Jipa]

I have really hard time believing blocking the holes would cause any issues. I just can't come up with any reasons why a HDD would want to breath. Maybe the spinning disks create a larger pressure there and suction to some direction so the top would bend and... and... What the heck it's not like the forces and pressure differentials would create a black hole.

You may not want to glue the holes shut, but really I'm yet to see any complaints about HDD-enclosures breaking the disks.

[FlorisNielssen]

I don't think it would create a pressure difference between anything. The HDD's are completely sealed (and for a reason), because else air (and dust/condense) would come to the platters, which is futile..

I think it's more because if you let the HDD's breathe, they become (a little) cooler, thus within the safe zone, as defined by HDD manufacturers.

[jaganath]

HDD's are completely sealed

no they aren't, as many people who have tried to submerge hard disks in mineral/vegetable oil have found out to their cost. the breather holes have a very fine filter to prevent dust and crap from settling on the platters and ruining them.

[Bluefront]

Yep....the ones I've taken apart had filters at the hole location. These little holes have nothing to do with cooling.....they equalize pressure for sure, and maybe deal with condensation.