Best way to silence WD whine?

kie · Post by **kie** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:23 pm

I have a couple of Western Digital drives in my system and they whine like a monster mosquito these days!

What's the most effective way of silencing the whine (don't care about seek noise)?

Would something like a silentmaxx HDD enclosure be of any use for this high pitched constant whine ?

starcycle · Post by **starcycle** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:12 pm

kie wrote:I have a couple of Western Digital drives in my system and they whine like a monster mosquito these days!

What's the most effective way of silencing the whine (don't care about seek noise)?

Would something like a silentmaxx HDD enclosure be of any use for this high pitched constant whine ?

the most effective way is to replace them.

seriously -- i just replaced a WD that was whining like crazy after only a year. nothing i did really helped, and it was worse because of some sort of sympathetic vibration with the hd in my other computer. i got a seagate (yesterday!), and the difference is like night and day. imo, it's just not worth messing with WDs, they really suck.

MonsterMac · Post by **MonsterMac** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:17 pm

yep, new hd is the best and imho only route. check the recommended section if you're having a tough time deciding what one to get.

kie · Post by **kie** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:21 am

I have a Samsung Spinpoint as well which is just fantastic compared to the WD's.

Unfortunately I can't afford to replace them right now, I've spent too much money recently

Ned Slider · Post by **Ned Slider** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:23 am

The problem is because it's air bourne noise (not vibrational) the only effective way to reduce/elimiate it is to totally encase the drive in soundproofing material. The problem then becomes heat as the drive can no longer dissipate it's heat (sound proofing materials also tend to be good thermal insulators).

I'd have to agree that the best solution is to replace the drive. You could easily spend nearly as much as the cost of a new drive trying to quiet it and never achieve anything like the same results as just purchasing a quiet drive.

You could always try and sell the WDs to help meet the cost.

If replacement is not an option, then you might be able to block some of the sound. High pitch noise is highly directional, so try placing some thick sound absorbing material around the drive, particularly in the direct line towards your seating position. This may reduce it slightly but will never completely eliminate it.

Ned

kie · Post by **kie** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:25 am

Credit card, here I come!

Best way to silence WD whine?

Best way to silence WD whine?

Re: Best way to silence WD whine?