What would you do with a 250GB drive in this case?

[fmctm1sw]

I broke down and bought a 250GB drive at the BX. A rare good deal. $158 with most of the manufacturer warranty left plus one year on top of that through the BX. My system currently has an 80GB drive I used for caps on the same IDE channel as my PX-708A. The other IDE channel has my O/S drive (a 20GB Maxtor) and another 20GB drive for general junk. I'm debating trashing (well, not really) the 20GB drives and putting my O/S on the 80GB and use the 250GB for caps. I've also considered using both the 80GB and the 250GB drives as cap drives. Putting my Windows 2K O/S on another drive always seems to be a pain in the ass for me. I'd move the DVD writer to the O/S drive's IDE channel. 250GB should give me over 6 hours cap time with the compression I use. I am concerned about heat though, my drives get hot. What are you guys with multiple drives doing?

[guns1inger]

When I'm doing a lot of caps or encodes, and the system is going to be running for 24 hours or more straight, I pull the covers off and let it run. It's a little noisier that way, but stays cool.

[Capmaster]

When I'm doing a lot of caps or encodes, and the system is going to be running for 24 hours or more straight, I pull the covers off and let it run. It's a little noisier that way, but stays cool.

I've heard that with many cases it'll actually run hotter with the covers off. They design the case layout and fan placement assuming you'll have the covers installed. They draw air in through the front and out the rear. The air is supposed to follow a certain path.

By removing the covers the case fans become almost useless, drawing air from the sides instead of passing past the HDs and through the case to the rear.

[cowgoo]

I have the side cover off with a quiet room fan and furnace filter, to collect dust and cat fur, against the side. If I need it cooler I just turn up the fan to level 2 or 3.

[guns1inger]

Mine is a crappy old case, made pre-ergonomics. When I (eventually) upgrade and get a real gfx card (geforce 2 at present), then I'll get something with serious cooling and proper flow through.

[Capmaster]

I have the side cover off with a quiet room fan and furnace filter, to collect dust and cat fur, against the side. If I need it cooler I just turn up the fan to level 2 or 3.

A hard core cooling enthusiast

Whaddaya got in there that needs that kind of cooling?

[vhelp]

In my capturing (and pc setup) experience, I have my unit laying flat on the
floor, with a fan point at the drives. The drives are not even in the bays
any more, because of how the air is not reaching the drives from the fan.
I tell you, this does keep my drives from over heating (in summers months)
and this summer, was pretty hot for my drives. One is a 20g and another is
a 60gig. They are both over two years old now (I think) and they are beginning
to show signs of ware - they are starting to make that familiar "craine sound".
You know.., that sound that is screatching sound that craines make. I think
that is the sound. Ok, I may be off, some of you may know what I'm talking
about here. It means its time to replace the drive. Anyways.

I have a new 80g drive I bought some months ago or so, but unfortunately, I
cannot use it in my OS (doesn't matter what OS version) because it will not
allow my OS (DOS or windows) to boot. The error message is that very RARE
or similar one below, when its booting up.

-------------------
DMI pool...
-------------------

I've tried all the tricks in the book, surfed to all websites that expaines
this in detail, rada rada rada, but this one 80g drive will not allow itself
to be recignized as boot drive or whatever. Basically, its a dead drive.
I went through two of these same one (because of the price) and they both
suffer the same symptoms. I was told that it's my mobo. But, I've also
updated the drivers to this - tried many.., to no avail.
.
FWIW, there is no cure for this one particular brand new drive
Anyways..


As I was saying, I keep a fan pointing at the drive and they are slightly
warm to the touch.
.
But, when I close the case up (as the specs/design follows) the unit overheats,
and my system locks up. Every time, give or take how hard I'm working on it.
Capturing seems to really work the drives, so my guess is that the over heating
of the drivs, are out-weiging the "enclosures design system" for air flow.
.
So, I keep my case open as indicated above, and I can capture all day long
every day, w/out a hint of lock up (from over heatings, that is) I have other
lock ups, but those are due to my useless experimenting that continues to
this day

-vhelp

[TBoneit]

LIan-Li Aluminum case here. It can hold 12 drives. There are two cooling fans blowing filtered air over the bottom slide out drive bay that can hold five drives. 3 speed settings. The three 3.5 removable bays & the 4 5.25 bays are not cooled. Another fan in the back blowing out + PS Fan. I just used my Digital probe (finger IOW) and the drives run slightly warm and the 3ghz cpu to the is cool to the touch. Nice case if pricy. 4 front usb, Hard drive & floppy bays slide out, MB tray slides out, PS mounts to a remvable plate, precision fit. All thumb screws from the factory. We used to sell it for $199 w/no PS.

Since I'm always adding & removing things I generally run with the left side off. It can run 48 hours straight encoding and be solid.

Now we have a steel case three fans plus room for a large one on top of case, window on the side & PS, door over drive bays etc. $79

Capmaster. I agree some cases need the sides on. Depends on the design.

[lordsmurf]

I have fans that suck in the front, blow out the back. The airs coming from the back is warm, but the inside remains cool. This means the setup is working. Out with the bad, in with the new.

One system has 5 HDDs, 600GB, almost complete video.

[redwudz]

I just installed a new MB (Asus A7N8X-E) in my computer. The leads for the front intake fan that blows over the HDs was too short, so I left it off for a while. I was surprised on how hot they were after and hour. (3 X 80G Maxtors)

I went ahead and lengthened the fan leads, plugged it in, and an hour later checked again. Major difference. I am definitely impressed on how much one small fan will do directly in front of the HDs. My case also has two 80MM exhaust fans to the rear and case temps are not a problem.

[budz]

On my newest pc I have (2) 200 gb hard drives, one of the 200 gb is a SATA hd attached to a vantec hd cooler the other one is in a hard drive removeable rack with a fan that sits in one of my 5.25 drive bay. I had to remove the floppy drive to house the 20 gb hd that has windows 2000 Pro. Because of the vantec hd cooler I could not attach another hd in the hd cage in this antec slk1650 case. I have 3 fans in this case, (1) 120 mm, & (2) 80 mm. I have no cooling problems.

[cowgoo]

Hey Capmaster
I have a poorly designed case with no openings for air to get in or out. So I decided on a poor mans cooling upgrade

[Capmaster]

Hey Capmaster
I have a poorly designed case with no openings for air to get in or out. So I decided on a poor mans cooling upgrade

Gotcha. You might consider an Antec case when you get tired of that cooling setup But ...the important thing is to get the heat out of there doing whatever it takes

[BogieV]

Hmm... nice - just can't see anybody answering the questions.
fmctm1sw, I would put that new drive as a system - partitioned in 2-3 partitions.
If you have image backup software (like Acronis or Ghost, etc.) you can skip the fresh instal step. If you are more skilfull you can upgrade even using some of the drive's utilities (all makers have - Maxtor, Seagate, WD - free) - but you have to boot from DOS for that to work.

I recomend you use the new drive for OS/app + whatever because it's much faster than anything else you have right now. You can still use the 80GB for capture, the 20GB for backups, etc.

Read around the web for ways to cool down your drives - common sence is to have fan taking air from the lower front and putting it out with fan/fans on the upper back.
Hope that helps!

[Capmaster]

I would recommend having your OS drive on one IDE channel on one partition, and your video drive on the other IDE channel, with one partition. The two drives can transfer faster when they're not on the same IDE channel

As far as heat, you've gotten plenty of input here about that

[fmctm1sw]

Thanks, I ended up leaving my O/S on a 20GB drive and using the 250GB for captures. So I have on IDE 0 my 20GB and 80GB, and on the IDE 1 I have 250GB and my DCD writer. 250GB should give me about 6 hours, the most I should need for my VHS SLP stuff....

[Capmaster]

Thanks, I ended up leaving my O/S on a 20GB drive and using the 250GB for captures. So I have on IDE 0 my 20GB and 80GB, and on the IDE 1 I have 250GB and my DCD writer. 250GB should give me about 6 hours, the most I should need for my VHS SLP stuff....

Sounds like a sensible setup