Will Hard Drive Short Out with This?

Computer Hardware SSDs, Hard Drives and NAS
#1

I want to mount my next hard drive on the outside of my case. I’m thinking of drilling 4 holes thru the right side of the case (the one that covers the back side of the motherboard) and then mount the hard drive flat to that. I’m thinking the sheet metal will act as a heat sink pretty well but I notice the mounting side of the hard drive does have all the circuit boards with some copper contacts exposed and I’m afraid contact with metal will short something out?

  1. Some drives I have seem to have all such contact points “inset” a thirtyseconds of an inch from the outside edge of the drive but metal could flex to make contact and such air gap defeats the purpose of the heat sink?

  2. All the other flat mountings I have seen are to removable disks or usb shells that are all plastic. I’m thinking there is a reason why!!

thanks. ((My case is full and there is no more room and I don’t like external usb)) //// bobbo.

#2

Get rubber washers to seperate the drive from the case or get an old tire tube cut it to cover the whole base of the HDD. I think plan #2 is the better and safer choice.

#3

i agree with you, but I think the OPs point was that any insulation would eliminate contact between the drive and the metal on the case thus eliminating the heatsink effect he was hoping to achieve.

that being said, with the drive outside the case you don’t have to worry about it being stuffed up inside a hot computer. as long as you keep the room reasonably cool you’ll probably be ok (note that my opinion here is definitely not “recommended useage” but I don’t think you’d damage anything although if i were asked point blank, i’d officially advise against this! haha)

#4

another suggestion is possible purchasing an aluminum cage or mounting and mount THAT to the side of the case then mount the hard drive inside the cage using the regular mounting screw holes on the hard drive. if you’re unsure of what I’m suggestion i can sketch a diagram if you want (I know I probably didn’t explain it very well)

this would have an aluminum housing for the drive achieving the heatsink effect you were going for (although I’m not sure how effective it will actualyl be in wicking away the heat if it’s attached to the side of the case anyway) without having ot worry about exposed copper on the drive itself.

#5

Thanks Guys. What I take away is that putting the bottom of the drive right up against metal is NOT a good idea (and I assume that is because of some electrical issues given the exposed contact points.).

I think the rubber gromet idea is the cheapest, cleanest, least space idea. I also think the available airflow will be sufficient to keep it cool. Plus, being on the outside of the case, I can monitor that and add a fan if needed.

Thanks Much!! /// Bobbo.

#6

Yo-

Looked at the bottom of several HD’s - and it looks like you would be ok in mounting direct to the outside of the case - would however be curious as to how you are going to penetrate the case for the power and 80 wire cables-eh!

#7

Details…Details…

Nothing Just Works…

#8

Why not just get one of these? :confused:

#9

Yo Bryan S-

Been into Big D’s stach again I see-eh!

#10

LOL! I read why he wanted to put it on the outside but it didn’t register (brain fart). :o I was thinking he could go with a firewire 1394 card and an External 1394 HD since he didn’t want to go USB, just a thought.

#11

Might as well use some of this too…


#12

Yo Bryan S-

Big D’s smoke will do that to you - it is the special filtered water he uses - and the altitude and attitude-eh!

#13

My whole life I have relied upon people being nicer than me…I’ve never been disappointed…

So this dyslexic walks into a bra…

#14

Glad this thread was fun for some–add a few weeks on to counteract those unknown viruses!

I have already drilled holes in my right side case to install an air filter and fan to cool the 6 hard drives I installed vertically at the front bottom of my case. The only space left for another drive would be on the botton flat mounted underneath the motherboard space–but the metal issue is there too and it would be harder to access. With a filter and fan alread mounted on the outside right side, I figured there is easy space and cooling and would further “morph” my overloaded system. (smile). So it would be easy enough after drilling 4 holes to mount the drive I could drill four more in a row to provide entry for the sata cable and power cable?

I have 6 different models of hard drives and they all have at least one spot where copper contacts are at or very near to the plane of the bottom of the hard drive. I’m sure their are models that avoid this but it would be pure luck if it did? My next drive will be a Sata II from newegg as they are about the cheapest (before rebates which I don’t use) and I just read they ARE backward compatible with Sata I.

Well, back to the thread on installing a second psu, and I guess that will need more cooling now. No more room for that either!!! //// Bobbo.

(PS - One should never joke about Duct Tape. I’ll sick Red/Green on you!)

#15

Yo-

Do you happen to have any more 5 1/4 slots?

If so then you could use one of those slide in tray HD holders w/fans-eh!

Just a thought-

#16

NO open space at all in my machine–except on the floor right below the motherboard. The stock 4 bays have my dvd burner, mobile tray, soundblaster front panel and one Sata drive already in place. There is raw space at the top of the box between the psu and the mobile rack but I don’t want to move the wires out of the way. My gigabyte motherboard has a few capacitors that stick up and tend to catch my power wires. If they get bent back and forth a few more times, there gonna break off. Been going to hot glue them in place but don’t get around to it. Was thinking about using some <<duct tape>> for temporary protection but don’t want “certain people” to laugh at me.