Silent hard disk - is it possible ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter roman modic
  • Start date Start date
R

roman modic

Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.

There are Windows Defender and AVG AV installed.
I've scanned the disk and IMHO there is no spyware/virus
installed. I've checked it also with HijackThis and AutoRuns
and there is nothing suspicious (no Google Desktop or
similar, for example)

Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1322
Friend's PC motherboard is ASUS P5B (Intel P965)
OS is XP SP2 Home Edition with latest kernel (5.1.2600.3023)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-8240-4934-BBD8-34FB8A0FCE3B

Is it better to disable write cache?

One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...

Any other ideas ???

Thank you, ROman
 
roman said:
Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.
Click to expand...

That's how computers work. A modern OS has plenty to do just managing the
shop even if there isn't a customer sitting at the keyboard.
Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1322
Click to expand...

Well I would say WD's advice is pretty clear. The tool they mention can work
but if it trashes the disk instead they don't want to hear about it. I'm
sure someone will be along soon to mention a utility that worked for them
and it'll probably work for your friend too but you are essentially betting
against WD on how WD's own products behave. Just a thought, but I'm willing
to bet they know how their own tables are rigged better than anyone else.
Is it better to disable write cache?
Click to expand...

I would say not, as this is aimed at _reducing_ disk access, which is what
you are trying to do.
One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...
Click to expand...

Yes.

How are the disks mounted? You can get rubber 'grommets' to mount hard disks
in a case to reduce the amount of mechanical vibration that gets translated
into the case itself as noise, these might be worth some investigation. At
the end of the day though, if silence is important then it might be worth
remembering two things

i. total silence is impossible due to the way mechanical devices behave
ii. there are other drives out there that _are_ designed to work in as quiet
a manner as possible, and which do support tools to adjust their behaviour,
and if noise management is that important then these really should be on the
shopping list.
 
roman said:
Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.

There are Windows Defender and AVG AV installed.
I've scanned the disk and IMHO there is no spyware/virus
installed. I've checked it also with HijackThis and AutoRuns
and there is nothing suspicious (no Google Desktop or
similar, for example)

Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1322
Friend's PC motherboard is ASUS P5B (Intel P965)
OS is XP SP2 Home Edition with latest kernel (5.1.2600.3023)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-8240-4934-BBD8-34FB8A0FCE3B

Is it better to disable write cache?

One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...

Any other ideas ???

Thank you, ROman
Click to expand...

For the silence that your friend wants, how much would he
want to invest for a solid state hard drive? They do exist.
But there is so much ambient noise that occur naturally that
your friend might want to consider a "noise neutralizer",
that are advertized occasionally over the radio, television.
 
roman said:
Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.

There are Windows Defender and AVG AV installed.
I've scanned the disk and IMHO there is no spyware/virus
installed. I've checked it also with HijackThis and AutoRuns
and there is nothing suspicious (no Google Desktop or
similar, for example)

Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1322
Friend's PC motherboard is ASUS P5B (Intel P965)
OS is XP SP2 Home Edition with latest kernel (5.1.2600.3023)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-8240-4934-BBD8-34FB8A0FCE3B

Is it better to disable write cache?

One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...

Any other ideas ???

Thank you, ROman
Click to expand...

There is an article here, on building an enclosure
for the drive. But I don't know what that material
is that they are using - I've never heard of
"block print carving rubber" before.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article67-page1.html

Just be careful not to overheat the drive by insulating
it.

Paul
 
Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.

There are Windows Defender and AVG AV installed.
I've scanned the disk and IMHO there is no spyware/virus
installed. I've checked it also with HijackThis and AutoRuns
and there is nothing suspicious (no Google Desktop or
similar, for example)

Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1322
Friend's PC motherboard is ASUS P5B (Intel P965)
OS is XP SP2 Home Edition with latest kernel (5.1.2600.3023)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-8240-4934-BBD8-34FB8A0FCE3B

Is it better to disable write cache?

One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...

Any other ideas ???

Thank you, ROman
Click to expand...


You have got to be kidding me. He is bitching about a noise that is
most likely one of the quietest background noises in his house? Is
his hearing that sensitive?

If his hearing is that sensitive, then I bet the refrigerator running
drives him almost insane.
 
Hello!

My friend has new (almost) silent PC.
It has silent AKASE case and VGA graphics
card with no fan. The problem is that now he
hears noise from hard disk. For example, even
if he does not work on computer, there are
ocassionally some random writes/reads going on
endlessly that are really annoying.

There are Windows Defender and AVG AV installed.
I've scanned the disk and IMHO there is no spyware/virus
installed. I've checked it also with HijackThis and AutoRuns
and there is nothing suspicious (no Google Desktop or
similar, for example)

Does anyone know how to silence the disk
(this is >300GB Western Digital) ?
There is for example "acoustic management"
feature, but I don't know what tool to use that
is reliable with WDC disk drives:http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faq...
Friend's PC motherboard is ASUS P5B (Intel P965)
OS is XP SP2 Home Edition with latest kernel (5.1.2600.3023)http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-824...

Is it better to disable write cache?

One option is to also to put disks to power sleep
after short period of inactivity ...

Any other ideas ???

Thank you, ROman
Click to expand...

There are commercial products available.

http://www.overclockers.com/articles1177/
 
Back
Top