Hard disk cooling...do I need one?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

shaqblogs2011

Distinguished
Oct 19, 2011
283
0
18,810
I have 3 Hard Disks. 2 of the 3 usually have temp's about 45C - 50C. I use HD Sentinel to monitor them.

1. Do I need a cooling solution?
2. If yes, any suggestions?

This is my cabinet.

Looks like there is a slot in the front for a fan.
The outside of the box has a small U curved opening for air to flow in. Its just inside to the blue border. Not sure if that suffices. I also plan to put a better cooling for the CPU.
 
That should be ok for Hard drives. Anything over 50 is when I'd be like "yea time to get a fan" either way fans are cheap. See what size you can stick in the front (Will probably have to take front face plate off) and then see what size fan you need. probably either a 80mm or 120mm fan
 
Your link says that, in addition to the pre-installed rear 120mm fan, the case, supports an additional 120mm front fan and a side fan. So yes, you could mount a 120mm fan in the case front. Check the case manual for exactly how to install where. Usually it would suck air in from the front and blow over the HDD's mounted there before the air gets to the rest of the case. This is good for the HDD's, but especially good for all your other components - it increases the supply and flow of cool air through the whole case. Choose a 120 mm fan, but choose whether it is 3-pin or 4-pin according to the way you will power it. The best way, I think, is to connect it to the mobo's port called SYS_FAN1 (or 2) and let the mobo control it according to actual temperature measured on the mobo by its sensor. WHICH SYS_FAN port depends on whether your existing rear fan is already using a port. Anyway, whichever port type you will plug this new fan into (3-pin or 4-pin), buy your fan for that.

Don't forget that the front panels probably include a foam sheet dust filter where the fan mounts, and you should check that filter and clean it from time to time.
 
just fyi difference between 2 3 and 4 pin.

2 Pin = Full power fan, can't tell how fast its going or control it
3 Pin = Full Power Fan, but you can tell how fast it is going
4 Pin = The fan speed is monitored by the motherboard and depending on what spot you plug it into it will adjust its speed according to that area for which that 4 Pin is designed to cool down.


The truth is most fans today are dead silent. I shouldn't matter if its a 2 3 or 4 pin in this case or even plugs into a molex adapter. The cooler your drives and parts are the longer they will last.

So just look around. if you have a 3 Pin free on the board great. If you have a 4 pin that is great as well. If you don't have anything then you can either use a molex adapter (it adapts either a 2 3 or 4 pin) to get power for a molex connector from the PSU.
 
Makes sense...will go with a 3 pin.

One clarification.
Will any 120 mm fan should fit. The holes for a 120 mm should be standard irrespective of the fan. Or am i mistaken?
 
OK, Chassis Fan is the mobo port you want to power a fan that cools the chassis. One is already in use - I expect for the pre-installed rear fan. Your new fan can plug into the other one. To chose the fan type, do NOT base it on the CPU fan port. Check the unused Chassis Fan port - is it 3-pin or 4-pin?

Yes, the spacing of mounting holes on a 120mm fan is standardized.

Let me clarify a bit better why the pin count on a fan makes a difference.

2-pin fan only gets its power from the two leads, and most often is connected somehow to a 4-pin Molex power output from the PSU. It can only run at full speed, unless it is connected to some other power supply.

3-pin fan has Ground (Pin 1, Black wire), +12 VDC varying (Pin 2, Red wire), and Speed Signal (Pin 3, Yellow wire). The mobo automatic control system changes the voltage on Pin 2 to achieve fan speed control. The speed signal on Pin 3 is generated inside the fan motor as a pulse train (2 pulses per revolution) and sent to the mobo for counting so the mobo can tell you the fan speed. But the speed is NOT controlled by this signal. The mobo changes the fan speed based on an actual measurement of TEMPERATURE of the device being cooled. This can be a temp signal from a sensor built into the CPU (for CPU cooling fan), OR a sensor built into the mobo for Case Fan control.

4-pin fan has those same first three pin signals, except that the +12 VDC line is always at +12 VDC. The wire color codes are different: Pin 1 (Grnd) Black, Pin 2 (+12 VDC) Yellow, Pin 3 (Speed pulses) Green, Pin 4 (PWM Signal) Blue. A few fans use different colors for Pins 2 and 3. The fourth pin's PWM Signal is used inside the fan motor by a small chip. The signal is a On / Off "square wave" type of signal with varying % On values, and it controls what percent of time the +12 VDC supply is actually fed to the fan, thus accomplishing fan speed control.

If you plug a 3-pin fan into a 3-pin fan port, or 4-pin into 4-pin, this all works. HOWEVER, you can mix them up with limited results. If you plug a 3-pin fan into a 4-pin port, it will run at full speed all the time because that is what a 4-pin fan port supplies - the +12 VDC line never has reduced voltage. If you plug a 4-pin fan into a 3-pin port, it will work fine, because the fan never gets a PWM signal to use, BUT it does receive a + voltage supply on Pin 2 that varies according the the mobo's control system. And yes, you can plug these things in that way - the fan pinout and physical structure allow that.

In general, the PWR_FAN port on a mob (IF there is one) is only for one purpose. It is intended for use when you have a PSU with a special set of wires coming out that terminate in what looks like a standard 3-pin fan connector. You plug this into the mobo PWR_FAN port, and it allows the fan inside the PSU to send its speed signal to the mobo for monitoring. The actual control of that PSU fan, if there is any, is done internally by the PSU itself - the mobo makes NO effort to control a fan attached to this port. However, some mobo makers have provided the Ground and +12VDC supplies on this port (voltage does not change), so you can plug in here a fan that will always run at full speed.

One additional suggestion, similar to what others have said in choosing a fan. I prefer to buy one that has ball bearings, rather than sleeve type. They last much longer before bearings wear out.
 
The front fan made a good difference on my 3 drives.

Without fan: 51, 49, 43
With Fan: 40, 39, 31

Let me run it for a whole day and see what it gives. I usually have disk activity on at least one drive.
 
Cooling usually isn't a huge concern with hdd's, but in your case it looks like a good idea since you're running multiples with moderate/steady activity. Hard drives can get stacked pretty tight just because of the typical clearance given in a hdd cage and the more there are the more they trap the heat and warm each other up. Another thing that may help if you can, try to skip a bay between each hdd for improved airflow or if you can only skip one (ie 3 drives 4 bays) try to give extra room around the drive you use most often.
 
I usually do that. Using alternate slots for the drives.
it looks fine now, temp has not reached above 40 in any since using fan.

While on this topic, i'm fitting a cooling for the cpu. Wondering if i should go for a side fan?

Currently, Front -> Inlet, Back -> Outlet, Stock CPU cooling.
 
It wouldn't hurt. Side panel fans can help bring more direct cool air to the cpu cooler and blow air across the motherboard directly from outside the case (vs the prewarmed air coming across the hard drives). Plus it will give you a slightly positive case pressure although some prefer to have negative case pressure. I wouldn't say 'pressure' is the right word since a case isn't air tight the pressure will always be equal - but it's how it stays equal. Positive (filtered) airflow - more intake than exhaust, excess air will find it's way out of the case either through gaps in the case panels or if you have a perforated portion of the rear plate near the i/o panel. Negative airflow (more exhaust than intake) means it'll be sucking air (and potentially dust) in through those same gaps of least resistance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom