SCSI hard drive cooling. Suggested case configuration?

[Sundog]

Hi,
I'm going to be building a new system within the next two weeks and decided to go SCSI w/10,000 rpm drives. Having built one in the past, I had used an Ultimate Hard Drive cooler/heatsink w/thermal grease.

OK--Here's the question. If faster spinning hard drives (10k and up) need good active cooling (ie fresh air vs recirculated), then I think O.K. let's mount them in 5 1/4" bays with active fans etc.

BUT unless I want to get an absolutely monster case (I need height to be 590.55mm/23 1/4" or less), most cases have minimal 5 1/4 bays (mostly 4 and under) and quite a few internal 3 1/2 bays.

This is not a problem yet.
Drive slot:
1. CD-RW
2. DVD
3. ZIP
4. Hard drive w/heatsink and small fans

NOW comes the problem.:| I want to add another 10K spinning hard drive. I either have to take something out of the 5 1/4 drive bays or mount the new drive in an internal 3 1/2 bay (with warmer air). This is the case on all mid-tower and even quite a few "full tower" cases.

What are your experiences with fast drives like Cheetahs and cooling needs.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Sundog]

^

 

[kyoshozx]

I have 2 Cheetah's the second generation drives and the fourth generation. The second generation drives generates more heat than the fourth. I have them in a Coolermaster ATC 200 case. The case has 2 80mm fans blowing on the drives. Whenever I open my case the drives are barely warm to the touch.

Well if you mount your zip drive in a 3 1/2 inch bay you have 3 5 1/4 bays left which will allow you to mount your cheetah and cooler, dvd and cdrw drive with no problem.

 

[Sundog]

I agree that mounting a the zip in a 3 1/2 would be a viable solution, except I only have one 3 1/2 slot external.

I do think I have found a solution though. Elav Vital (Asus) makes a case a little bigger than a mid-tower, but smaller than a full tower eveb though they call it a full tower. It has 7 external slots: one 3 1/2 and six 5 1/4.

And its under 22"--WOW here's the link. T-15 Case

I found it late last night, and thought I was seeing things.

Mike

 

[zuffy]

Sorry, but that case is kind of ugly.

 

[Losty]

i don't like the way it looks either...

 

[Zipperhead]

some pics


pics are sh!tty but behind the small fan in front is a x15.
best of all it only cost me 5$, for the fan.

Zip