Silencing a Terabyte array of 11 drives.

ASSEMblerEX · Post by **ASSEMblerEX** » Tue May 20, 2003 7:43 pm

I run 11 mixed 120 and 100 gig drives using the built in IDE and two ULTRA 133 cards. This is non raid system.

I use a large server case that mounts the drives in metal frames.
After adding the last two drives, the system began to vibrate like you
wouldn't belive.

Some interesting things about a Terabyte system or a system with a LOT of drives. One hard disk hums, but ten + RESONATE. I mean hum in sequence if they are identical. The case will vibrate so bad, it can move.

So I decided to do the suspension mod.

Using bungees from home despot ($4.99 for 10)
I ran suspension sets for all the drives, including the DVD writer and CD-writer.

What a difference.

When I turned on the machine, I thought I had forgotten to plug the drives in.

Replaced the two blowers on top with panaflows, and it's near silent.
I keep my drives cool with less fans by spot epoxying heat sinks to the tops of the drives. JB weld snaps off easy and clean if you need to send a drive out for warranty RMA.

Some tips.

Drilling holes, make sure you don't leave jagged edges. This is VERY important.
Two Bungee lengths per hole if you're doing a multi drive setup.
Don't knot the two bungees together. Do two individual knots. They stay put longer and make a tighter knot. I then JB welded the knots so they won't slip.

Make sure you get relatively similar tension on the lengths as if one side is tighter than the other (way tighter) it will make the drive lopsided.

If you ever thought of doing the suspension mod, it's incredible.

Post by **Rusty075** » Tue May 20, 2003 8:10 pm

Pics!!!! We need pics!!!!!

Sounds like quite the setup.

I like the idea of using JB weld to glue the HS's on. I've got tubes of that laying around but never thought to use it for that. Good thinking.

Oh, and another question, what do you use that terrabyte for?

ASSEMblerEX · Post by **ASSEMblerEX** » Tue May 20, 2003 8:21 pm

What I do is take the sink and place it on the bare metal. I thermal paste only the bare metal area. I don't cover the labels etc, no point unless it's bare metal. I lay the sink on, and then tack it to the disk with dabs of JB weld, like weld points. It hardens in 4 mins. Then I can screw a fan on the top if I like. I usually scavenge socket 7 sinks and use four. Two side by side in a 4 sink array that juts out maybe 1/4 inch on each side. I use lager gap sinks, so the bungies sink into them and level.

My machine is on 24/7 and the temps are great, the drives are cool to the touch under 24/7 and heavy load.

I'll get the cam out and take some pics.

I use it all to store video.

My case has the entire hard disk system removable, the bungies are strong enough to warp the frame, so I had to out it back in while countering the force with a "push stick"

ez2remember · Post by **ez2remember** » Wed May 21, 2003 3:37 am

That explains the sheer size, video is a hard disk killer for space.

Wow 11 drives must feel like a hot radiator. I bet you don't turn on the heating. LOL

ASSEMblerEX · Post by **ASSEMblerEX** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:14 am

Well I can leave the system on (all drives on) and it will slowly over the period of a day , day 1/2 warm the room if all windows and door is closed.
However, as it's nbulk storage, I set the drives to shut off after 5 minutes of inactivity, and that keeps the heat and noise down.

Defragging in xp is easy, I can do the drives in sequence while I am sleeping.

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:42 am

howdo u set it todo that?

tragus · Post by **tragus** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:48 am

I'm also looking forward to photos.

Meanwhile, what is JB Weld? Pointers to product pages appreciated (I'm always looking for new glues

)....

aphonos · Post by **aphonos** » Wed May 21, 2003 8:20 am

tragus wrote:I'm also looking forward to photos.

Meanwhile, what is JB Weld? Pointers to product pages appreciated (I'm always looking for new glues )....

Google JB Weld.

Athlon Powers · Post by **Athlon Powers** » Wed May 21, 2003 8:47 am

Radeonman wrote:Defragging must suck.

LOLOLOL!

tragus · Post by **tragus** » Wed May 21, 2003 12:30 pm

aphonos wrote:Google JB Weld.

OK, I shoulda done my homework before asking.

I guess I wasn't sure if it was a "real product" or part of an argot. The product sheets look very nice; I'll check out Home Depot for a sample. On the web pages, I couldn't find whether/how the stuff conducts heat/electricity, however.

ASSEMblerEX · Post by **ASSEMblerEX** » Wed May 21, 2003 1:36 pm

100% nonconductive. Not for use between heat transfer.
It gets stronger with heat.

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Fri May 23, 2003 5:50 am

gah still no piccies

timc3 · Post by **timc3** » Thu May 29, 2003 7:57 am

I have an external RAID array with 8 IBM drives. Never ever had the problems that you incountered, but then it is a manufacturer made unit (then you put the drives in).

But I wouldn't recommend it for a silent system as it has about 10 60mm fans on the back - its on my work workstation.

Less moving parts are the way to go from what I have read!

MichaelS · Post by **MichaelS** » Thu May 29, 2003 1:33 pm

Which power supply do you use with 11 drives?

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Fri May 30, 2003 10:22 am

maybe a amusing amount of y leads?:)

rally · Post by **rally** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 5:02 pm

Those pics seem to be taking their time

DryFire · Post by **DryFire** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 5:43 pm

*drool* a quiet 1.1 terabyte array *drool*

that would have to be teh second biggest harddrive i've heard one person have. (the first ia lovly sata 2 terabyte array with raid!)

Gandalf · Post by **Gandalf** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 2:57 am

Lol, we have 80terrabytes at work (the hospital)

. Isotope, CAT, MRI and x-ray scans (as well as ultrasounds and lots of other thins) tend to eat away some of precious disk space.

. It's far from quiet though. Then again, I don't care about the noise there. The room is completely sealed off, which makes my office 100% silent.

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 5:53 am

nice

sclawson · Post by **sclawson** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 2:42 pm

Probably a dumb question, but where is a good place online and/or off to get J-B Weld? Sounds like it might be handy to keep in my toolbox...

pingu666 · Post by **pingu666** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 11:32 am

plumbers places
maybe www.screwfix.com at a guess

fmah · Post by **fmah** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 8:48 am

Home depot. I got some I never used.

MGP · Post by **MGP** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 9:50 am

Using bungees from home despot ($4.99 for 10)

did i miss something or did home depot buy some country and consolidate all of the OSH's and Lowe's into a monopoly?

DryFire · Post by **DryFire** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 10:09 am

MGP I think your right on that one.

shunx · Post by **shunx** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 3:55 pm

How many people around here are running a [quiet] terrabyte array nowadays?

Before I would think 1tb is overkill, but as I started to store and serve DVDs, 1tb is getting smaller and smaller, in fact it will only fit a few dozen or so of multi-disc movies like LOTR.

Silencing a Terabyte array of 11 drives.

Silencing a Terabyte array of 11 drives.

Pics

Defrag and heat