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Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 4:36 pm
by Horseman
Hi everyone. Around 8 years ago and due to SPCR I bought an Antec 182 case (plus a motherboard ASUS P5Q-E, and a Core Duo 8400 CPU), and I've been using it as my PC since then. It's quite slow by today's standards, but until I can buy a newer machine it has to keep working.

Over the years I added several 3.5'' hard drives, I now have 3 working, and I'd like to install a 4th one that my brother gave me last Christmas, but for that I need to get some screws. The person that installed the 3rd drive said that he only had 2 screws left, that hard drive isn't very stable at the moment with only those 2 screws, so I think I need a total of 2 + 4 screws.

I'm tetraplegic, and I can't do this on my own, but I have a cousin that can do it, as long as I have the necessary material. In this case, the 6 screws to hold the 3.5'' Hard drives in place, and the cable necessary to connect the new hard drive to the motherboard.

Can someone please point me to where can I buy these things?

Sorry for making such a basic question.
Thanks in advance for all suggestions and advice.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:05 pm
by CA_Steve
Hi Horseman, welcome back. If the drive doesn't come with screws, then just send your cousin to Best Buy or similar shop that services PCs and just tell them what you need. Screws are cheap and they might just hand them over for nothing.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:39 pm
by lodestar
I am not sure it is that simple. Antec used silicone rubber grommets for hard drive mounts on many of their cases including the P182 and they do need a specific screw.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 3:17 am
by CA_Steve
Yeah, mind blank on my part. Horseman, are these the special shoulder screws (wide head, no threading except at the bottom) with the silicon grommet that attaches the HDD to the bottom of each tray? Your best bet might be an email to Antec with a plea for replacement parts.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:04 am
by lodestar
Yes, as shown in the photograph on this page from the Antec website. The screw shown on the website is for the P100/P280 but I don't know how different this would be from the one for the P182. The picture below is from a thread on SPCR from 2005 and shows a P180 screw that looks very similar. So a P100 or P280 screw set could be the answer. An email to [email protected] might sort it out.

Image

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 4:13 pm
by Horseman
Thank you very much for your posts. On the 15th (and before reading your posts) I managed to buy several screws from an online PC shop, but... They didn't work, precisely for the reasons that you guys mentioned on your own later posts.

My cousin came by, and after realizing that regular screws wouldn't work (basically, they are too short), he took one of the screws that was being used on one of the older HDD's and placed the new hard drive on the smaller tray, where the hard drive is placed horizontally, and due to that having only one screw made it possible for the hard drive to work, temporarily.

With just one screw the drive is vibrating more than normal, I think, so I'll need to find another solution. Also, by being placed horizontally, right above another HDD, makes both drives quite a hot. They're 44c and 48c.

I followed your advice and yesterday I sent an email to Antec, hopefully they'll be able to help.
If not, I'll need to find another way.

Thanks again for your posts.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:47 am
by Olle P
A longer regular screw with the right thread (UNC 6-32), combined with a washer, could also do the trick.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 5:30 am
by lodestar
I did find some Phobya UNC 6-32 radiator screws that have some similarities to the original Antec part but at 30mm are too long. They would need to be packed out with washers to match the length of the originals but this might create clearance issues.

Xoxide.com has them at $1.99 plus delivery.

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Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:40 pm
by Horseman
Thanks for your replies. Today I got a mail from Antec...

''We can offer 1x screws bag(see below photo, plus extra 4pcs x grommets) for €15,00,
or 8pcs x 3.5" HDD screws + 4pcs x grommets for €10.- for P182 inclusive VAT & non-registered fee.''

(I'll attach the photo they sent)

I'm glad they replied so fast, but I'm quite annoyed by the thought of having to buy so much stuff, wasting €10 plus shipping (I'm guessing it's 2 or €3, from the UK to Portugal), for just a few screws. That's almost 15% of the cost of an entire new case.

In the big scheme of things it isn't much, but my first instinct is to just forget about this and hope that the high temperatures don't damage the hard drives, until 12 or 24 months down the line when I buy a new PC, placing these HDD's on a new case.

lodestar - thank you. Those screws are much cheaper, but unfortunately they wouldn't fit on the tray. I'm almost sure I wouldn't be able to close the case.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 2:08 pm
by lodestar
Horseman wrote:...Those screws are much cheaper, but unfortunately they wouldn't fit on the tray. I'm almost sure I wouldn't be able to close the case.
Yes, I rather suspected that would be the situation.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:23 pm
by Olle P
Going back to the first posting a few things strike me...
Horseman wrote:Over the years I added several 3.5'' hard drives, ... and I'd like to install a 4th one.
... The person that installed the 3rd drive said that he only had 2 screws left, ...
* Why didn't you do the installation yourself?
* The case came with screws for at least six drives. Where are the other screws?
* If you get HDDs anything like me your new drive can hold a lot more data than your oldest drive, in which case you just might want to replace that one (which would free up some screws).

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:21 am
by Horseman
Olle P wrote:Going back to the first posting a few things strike me...
Horseman wrote:Over the years I added several 3.5'' hard drives, ... and I'd like to install a 4th one.
... The person that installed the 3rd drive said that he only had 2 screws left, ...
* Why didn't you do the installation yourself?
* The case came with screws for at least six drives. Where are the other screws?
* If you get HDDs anything like me your new drive can hold a lot more data than your oldest drive, in which case you just might want to replace that one (which would free up some screws).
1- I'm tetraplegic. I have some hand and arm movement, but almost none on my fingers. I'm using a voice recognition software to dictate this (I'm actually in bed right now, I need to be in bed completely horizontally 18 hours per day, and designed a system to allow me to access the Internet when in bed - I'll attach a photo of my setup), I have an electric wheelchair, and so on. Basically I can't make any physical activity besides stuff that doesn't require strength or precision.

2- Good question. :) Probably inside some boxes, but those boxes are somewhere in our garage, and it'd be very difficult to find them.

3- Indeed. I've been planning to buy a new PC for quite some time, because this one is already 8 years old and quite slow with my voice recognition software, but I've been delaying it as much as I can. At the moment my plan is to buy it in 12 or 24 months, and by then I'd do precisely what you're suggesting. I'd buy another HDD, placing on the new PC the new hard drive, plus the current two biggest I'm using now, leaving the 2 smaller HDD's on the old PC.

As I wrote above, at the moment I'm leaning towards this solution, it seems the most cost-efficient one. The only problem is the hard drives temperature, which s 43c and 48c, and may be an issue.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:15 pm
by Horseman
Well, it seems I’m having a streak of bad luck, just minutes ago when turning the computer ON it started making a LOT of noise, coming apparently from the frontal fan, near the main HDD tray, near the front bottom of this Antec 182. I restarted the machine, but the noise is still very loud. VERY. It’s very hard to dictate, with such a noise.

My cousin took the HDD’s trays out and then in, when installing the new hard drive, I’m guessing it’s perhaps due to that, maybe the fan nearby got somehow unbalanced or out of place.

Does anyone know I it’s possible to access that fan WITHOUT removing the trays, to give it a few ‘taps’, hoping it goes back to normal?
The side cover of the case is out, but I can't remove the trays.

My cousin won’t be here for at least one week, so I need a simple solution that my 64yo mother can do, with my guidance. If not, and it keeps making so much noise, I’ll have to not use the PC much and wait for my cousin.

edited - the HDD's temps are now only 40c. which is odd, because the fan is clearly not ok, making so much noise.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:27 pm
by CA_Steve
most likely - he dislodged the fan or the fan wires and the fan blades are hitting something.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 2:24 am
by Horseman
CA_Steve wrote:most likely - he dislodged the fan or the fan wires and the fan blades are hitting something.
Thanks Steve. It took me 4 or 5 hours - I'm quite slow searching and so on - but I solved this problem. I installed Speedfan, and after some attempts I was able to decrease the fan steed to 45 per cent, and the noise is gone. Don't know why it suddenly decided to go to 100, or why 100 make so much noise, but I'm certainly very happy it's gone.

edited - I'll keep an eye on the HDD temps, to check if it doesn't get too hot. ATM they're at 42 and 45c, with the PC case open.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:55 am
by Olle P
Horseman wrote:Basically I can't make any physical activity...
A logical explanation for not doing the changes yourself. :)
Horseman wrote:I've been planning to buy a new PC for quite some time, because this one is already 8 years old...
My computer is close to 17 years old, but I've done some incremental upgrades to it every now and then. (Gone through seven CPUs, seven graphics cards, six motherboards, four cases, four PSUs as well as some other stuff. Only the even older floppy drive remains...)

If you have some reliable "techie" friend to do the work for you you can keep the cost down (and spread the spendings) by doing such upgrades. First thing would probably be a new combo of CPU, motherboard and RAM.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:53 am
by Horseman
Olle P wrote:
Horseman wrote:Basically I can't make any physical activity...
A logical explanation for not doing the changes yourself. :)
I'm only seeing your reply today, sorry, but yes, it's certainly a great excuse for being lazy. :)
Being tetraplegic is almost worth it. eheh
Olle P wrote:
Horseman wrote:I've been planning to buy a new PC for quite some time, because this one is already 8 years old...
My computer is close to 17 years old, but I've done some incremental upgrades to it every now and then. (Gone through seven CPUs, seven graphics cards, six motherboards, four cases, four PSUs as well as some other stuff. Only the even older floppy drive remains...)

If you have some reliable "techie" friend to do the work for you you can keep the cost down (and spread the spendings) by doing such upgrades. First thing would probably be a new combo of CPU, motherboard and RAM.
Indeed. I haven't decided yet, I'm still considering buying a completely new machine (which is the easy solution), but I'm also considering buying only CPU, MB, and RAM, plus 3 fans.

Re: Antec case - screws needed for HDD

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:34 pm
by zdb
Horseman wrote:Around 8 years ago and due to SPCR I bought an Antec 182 case ... Over the years I added several 3.5'' hard drives, I now have 3 working, and I'd like to install a 4th one ... but for that I need to get some screws. The person that installed the 3rd drive said that he only had 2 screws left, that hard drive isn't very stable at the moment with only those 2 screws, so I think I need a total of 2 + 4 screws. ... Can someone please point me to where can I buy these things?
Do you still need these screws? I migrated to 2.5" SSDs a while back, so have surplus P180 bits and pieces. Spent a few minutes digging around and came up with ~25 of the long screws and the same number of silicone grommets. All yours if you want them.

I also have the three original Antec 3-speed fans. One has never been used. The other two were used for a few years before I replaced the CPU cooler and all of the fans in my system with Noctuas. I plugged them in a few minutes ago and tested them and they all run fine. Also all yours, if you want them.