how should I mount my 2.5" SSD?

groovejumper · Post by **groovejumper** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:53 am

The case will be an Apex MI-008. a 120mm fan is going in the side 3.5" drive mount, and an Antec Multimedia Station Basic will go in the front 3.5" mount.

No optical drive needed, so I have a full-size 5.25" bay available, which is where I'm going to put the 2.5" SSD drive. But I have no idea how to mount it. I think it comes with a 3.5" bay adapter, so I suppose I could use a 3.5->5.25 adapter, of which I've seen a few, or a 2.5->5.25 adapter, of which of seen none.

But maybe there's a better way?

g.

LodeHacker · Post by **LodeHacker** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:02 am

Hello and Welcome to SPCR!

Well, you could make it sit flat there without support, or you could cut a foam piece where it will rest on, etcetera.

Or for $9.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811995034

Lawrence Lee · Post by **Lawrence Lee** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:38 pm

Suspension is cheap and easy. Put a few screws in the bottom of the drive to push against the elastic and it should be fairly secure.

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:35 pm

I was thinking about the same problem. However, SSDs don't heat up and they are quite light and robust, so they can go just about anywhere. You could just tape it down to any flat surface. A good idea that I read about the other day is to mount it into a drive bay using only two screws along one side, so it looks like it is "suspended" in mid air. Despite its appearance it is very secure, apparently.

edh · Post by **edh** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:22 am

Some SSD's have screw holes in their undersides. I would rather use those. Most cases have some easily removable piece of light metal that you could drill some extra holes in to screw the drive to so you could probably find an area on yours to do this if the drive has holes in the underside.

nutball · Post by **nutball** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:04 am

Sticky foam pads, or double-sided tape. Stick 'em anywhere

Despite their other shortcomings that is one plus-point of SSDs, mounting and placement is more flexible.

Ksanderash · Post by **Ksanderash** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:26 am

Yeah, fix it with a scotch tape anywhere you want!

It hasn't moving parts!!! You can play football with it!

Capsaicin · Post by **Capsaicin** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:35 am

alleycat wrote:SSDs don't heat up

Benchmark Reviews says otherwise. They can heat up just like your system RAM can heat up.

BillyBuerger · Post by **BillyBuerger** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:34 pm

Capsaicin wrote:Benchmark Reviews says otherwise. They can heat up just like your system RAM can heat up.

Maybe we need heat spreaders on our SSDs just like we *need* them on DDR2-800.

Yes, SSDs generate heat and in a completely enclosed space, that could start to build up over time. But the point to the OT here is that it's small enough not to worry how you mount it in a case. Most laptops have their hard drive completely enclosed in plastic. SSDs generally draw a little less power than laptop hard drives and therefore generate a little less heat. Just about any mounting in a PC case will provide more cooling than a laptop where they were designed to be used in the first place.

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 3:50 pm

I'd never heard any "propaganda" about SSD temperatures before purchasing my own, and was fully expecting some heat. The guy at Benchmark Reviews seems to have conducted a controlled experiment, however my experiences are different. My OCZ Vertex has never felt warmer than ambient, even after being in use all day, whether inside my case or just lying on the carpet beside the PC (ie insulated and no airflow). Really, heat just isn't a factor with these things, as you will find out when you eventually get one.

I saw yet another mounting technique last night. If you have an old floppy drive then you can remove the part of its case with the mounting holes, which then becomes like a tray that you can drill holes into and mount the SSD on that.

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:16 am

Duct tape, anywhere flat in your case. The conduction from the case wall coupled with minimal airflow will be enough to cool it.

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:13 am

It doesn't need cooling.

LodeHacker · Post by **LodeHacker** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:10 am

alleycat wrote:It doesn't need cooling.

Cruel of you, why don't you love your child? That's racist right down, just because she's white doesn't mean you don't need to care for her

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:18 pm

Oh no, you got it all wrong. She's black and she's cool, and she don't need any help from me

frostedflakes · Post by **frostedflakes** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:22 am

Yeah I just used double sided tape to affix mine to the case. You really don't need to worry too much about mounting or cooling with these.