Re: [LUG] Noisy External Hard Disk

[Simon Avery <digdilem@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Roland

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Could anyone suggest a way to investigate this further please?

Y'know, I don't think I'd bother.Â

BA mentions hdparm which helps turn off drives for some good reasons (but beware over-use as much of the lifespan is reduced on startup), but the basic fact is that some hard drives are noisier than others. If your quiet WD is a lower RPM (5400) or has some fancy eco stuff that reduces power/heat/noise that might explain it - or the Seagate might be a server/high performance model. Or it might just be noisier.Â

Noise (other than clicks of death) isn't any indicator of wear or fault or performance. It just is what it is.

Focus instead on isolating vibration using rubber mounts (I once strung hdd's up by bungee cord for a really effective silent cupboard-build), but soft rubber to sit on can help. If the enclosure allows it, noise-insulating foam.

Or just put the whole lot somewhere where it doesn't matter. (I keep my server in the loft for this very reason)Â

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