Recommendations to cool my 4 hard drives stacked on each other?

[CrewXp]

I have 4 hard drives screwed in a 3.5 bay holder, with LITERALLY about 1-2mm space between them. Barely any room at all. What would you say is the most effective way to cool them without spending a lot? Out of my entire system, I think that generates the most heat. There's a fan in front, but it is pushing air away from the drives, not TO them.

Is there a accessory/fan made that you can recommend that can help cool my drives? Should the air be blowing ON the drives or away?

I tried putting a fan behind the 3.5" bay, but theres nothing that I can put my fan on to rest on. so that failed.

Thanks

 

[CrewXp]

Speed Fan shows HD2 and HD3 temps only. HD2 is 44 C, HD3 is 40 C. The temps haven't moved since I opened SpeedFan... so I dont know if its accurate. Since I have no temp probes on them, and I dont think the hard drives have an internal thermometer, I dont think SpeedFan knows. 'Shrug'

But if I move my hand around in my case, most of the heat DEFINITELY comes from the Hard drive area.

Here're pics.

Front of my case:
http://img233.imageshack.us/i/img0522.jpg/

Side of my case. Showing as of right now I am just sitting a fan behind my drives. Because of this, I cant put my side on my case on. That bad?
http://img269.imageshack.us/i/img0523x.jpg/]


Hard Drive Picture Showing 4 Drives:
http://img269.imageshack.us/i/img0528t.jpg/]

 

[yh125d]

Can't look at the pics at work, but the front fan should be intake, blowing on your HDs

 

[AmberClad]

I'm thinking he has a top mounted radiator and probably has the fans on those set to intake, and he's currently using the front fan as an exhaust, instead of the more typical arrangement to have that fan as an intake.

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

Those pictures are too blurry and dark for me to gain any insight. But, regarding putting a fan behind the drives, if there's nothing to rest it on you can always go the rubber band/zip tie route and attach it to the drive bay. Not the most elegant solution, but it should work.

 

[CrewXp]

Yikes, maybe my setup is just.. weird.

I haev my triple rad at the bottom because in the stacker t01, I can't really find any other place to put it. the 3 fans are intake fans drawing cool air away from the rad (sitting on top of the rad), and actually.. damn, I only have one exhaust 120mm fan at the back of the case, the hard drive fan is actually.... an exhaust fan, which is weird. I'm going to have to flip it around.

Should the fan fans be out-take than in-take?

THX

 

[bloodugly]

I tend to believe you should have more out than in as far as airflow. You don't want air that's been warmed by components having a chance to sit idle in the case. You can always suck in extra air as the outtake fans need it, plenty of grills/mesh/gaps in every case. I'm sure there are people more technically inclined than me here that may be able to give a more educated opinion, this is just what seems to make sense to me. I think ideally you want them to be about the same, but I'd go with more out than in if I had to choose. Don't forget that your PSU is exhausting some as well. Of course, you can always use a 200+ CFM 120x38mm Delta as an intake and force air out every single gap in your case. I've done it...great cooling, just LOUD!!!! 🙂

 

[elconejito]

I have a similar arrangement with 5 drives sitting on top of each other. I didn't measure, but there's not much room in between the drives. SMART said the temps were in the 40s. I put a single low-speed 120mm fan in the front of the case blowing air IN the case (intake). There is only one fan at the rear as exhaust. SMART says the temps are now in the 30s.

I didn't think putting a fan in front would help much since there isn't really anywhere for the air to go, but in reality it has helped a lot. I don't know that 40 is dangerous for a drive, but mid 30s seems much better to me.