Conclusion
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Installation of the hard drive cooler is very straightforward.First, you place the hard drive inside the cooler and secure the two together using screws.
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Then, adjust the spring-loaded set screws to ensure the hard drive makes good contact with the cooler.Next, four vibration dampers are installed to the outside of the cooler; they simple screw into place.Also, a grounding cable is attached to one of the dampers; this allows the hard drive to be grounded since the rubber vibration dampers isolate the hard drive from the case.Very thoughtful (I wonder if they figured this out the hard way).
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Finally, the entire assembly is installed into the computer.Because of the added thickness of the cooler and the dampers, the hard drive now is installed in a 5.25� drive bay, instead of the standard 3.5� bay.Don�t forget to attach the ground cable to the case.
Testing:
To test the performance of the cooler, temperatures of the hard drive were taken using both a thermal probe and with the SmartFan program. Temperatures were taken running Windows and full loads were taken while running 3dmark2005.
For both load conditions, I found that the hard drive temperatures were reduced from 2-4 degrees Celsius, which is a notable reduction in temperature.I�m sure the temperatures could be reduced further if my computer case had a nice fan on the front side to dissipate heat.
Another side benefit of the hard drive cooler is the vibration dampers; they reduce hard drive noise and also will likely improve the hard drive�s life by reducing the amount of vibration the drive sees.
Conclusion:
The Ultra Aluminum Hard Drive Cooler is a solidly designed and easy-to-install component that will surely improve the life of your drive.With hard drive speeds increasing constantly, this cooler will help mitigate the unwanted heat and vibration that comes with it.At ~$43 USD, the cooler isn�t cheap, but if you�re looking to improve the life of your hard drive and the important data on it, consider picking up one of these coolers as well.
And when you compare it to the price of recovering lost data, you�ll likely be glad you did.
Pros:
+ Easy to install
+ Reduces temperatures and vibration on hard drive considerably
+ Solid design with nice blue color
+ Adjustable for improved heat conduction
Cons:
- Not cheap
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