Looking for a quieter RAID 1 Enclosure....

[jmdeegan]

I have a 1TB x 2 setup in a Guardian Maximus enclosure, which i like, but it is noisy. Per OWC support, the noise levels i have are pretty normal.

The noise is not server room noisy, I will admit that

However, this setup is connected to my Mac Mini, always on and serving up my iTunes content to 2 apple TVs. Previously, I had been using 500gb and 750gb external drives, no RAID. Both previous drives (Seagate free agents) ran perfectly quiet enough.

The big thing is, in my apartment the setup is on my TV center, and that is close to our bed. the Seagate drives were inaudible, the only thing noticed was the orange light if i didnt shut the light off in the config. But you couldn't hear the drive noise otherwise.Not so with the Maximus. Its a constant hum, and the wife has now commented about it. Which means i need to either
a-quiet the maximus
or
b-replace it with something quieter.

so I wanted to see if anyone had experience with the maximus, alongside something like the WD Mirrored options, the Lacie RAID1 options or anything else. $250 is about my budget for this.....but now i am wondering if i shouldn't just get a 1tb solo drive, use that for the main iTunes drive and then fire up the RAID1 enclosure once a week and back up the media (my main reason for the RAID was getting concerned about losing all my ripped content).

So....any input on a quieter option?

and right now, relocating the gear is not an option....

 

[ChrisA]

I have a 1TB x 2 setup in a Guardian Maximus enclosure, which i like, but it is noisy. Per OWC support, the noise levels i have are pretty normal.

The noise is not server room noisy, I will admit that

However, this setup is connected to my Mac Mini, always on and serving up my iTunes content to 2 apple TVs. Previously, I had been using 500gb and 750gb external drives, no RAID. Both previous drives (Seagate free agents) ran perfectly quiet enough.

The big thing is, in my apartment the setup is on my TV center, and that is close to our bed. the Seagate drives were inaudible, the only thing noticed was the orange light if i didnt shut the light off in the config. But you couldn't hear the drive noise otherwise.Not so with the Maximus. Its a constant hum, and the wife has now commented about it. Which means i need to either
a-quiet the maximus
or
b-replace it with something quieter.

so I wanted to see if anyone had experience with the maximus, alongside something like the WD Mirrored options, the Lacie RAID1 options or anything else. $250 is about my budget for this.....but now i am wondering if i shouldn't just get a 1tb solo drive, use that for the main iTunes drive and then fire up the RAID1 enclosure once a week and back up the media (my main reason for the RAID was getting concerned about losing all my ripped content).

So....any input on a quieter option?

and right now, relocating the gear is not an option....

Soe cheap ideas.....

I bought a raid from OWC also. Sounded like an airplane engine. So I bought a replacment fan that was advertized as "silent" for about $6.00 on-line. Well the fan was silent bet still the airflow through the enclosure make noise even if the fan itself is silent. I was able to cut the noise in half this way but not to zero. It was well worth the $6.00. Airflow was also reduced but the old fan was gross overkill.

My next plan is to built a small shelf under my computer table and relocate the disk box. I'll try a sound baffle made with ceiling tile.

 

[jmdeegan]

where did you get the fan?

half is better than what it is....and 6 bucks, the price is right...

im really leaning toward grabbing a 1tb external and trying that out. either getting 2 and doing software raid 1, or just having the 1 live with the OWC unit serving as a backup, kept offline except for that one or two day span per week when data is synched. that way i minimize the new expenses, but also maintain the raid safety net, albeit a little less of a safety net (though this data is just my itunes library, and i may add a handful of things per week, so it isnt like its constantly changing by the hour)

 

[maestrokev]

Don't use OS X 10.5's software RAID

I'm still looking for a quiet RAID1 solution ... I have a WD MyBook Pro RAID 0/1 1TB and a OWC Mercury Elite-Al Pro RAID 0/1 1TB. Both are way too loud when in operation but at least the WD is quieter when not being accessed. I too have not found a quiet fan-equipped RAID 0/1 solution.

I also tried buying 2x1TB MyBook Home FW400 drives and trying soft RAID under OS X but it's horrible. Even with minimal data on the drives, say 500MB, if you turn off one drive and then reconnect later, the "degraded" drive still takes a day to resync.

 

[Fiddler70]

Upgraded the fan in my MAXimus to a Scythe 40mm Mini Kaze. 5.20£

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/40mmfans/mini-kaze

Had to cut a bit off the connector, but it fitted. Removing the bolts is a chore. Best to unscrew the back off the internal slide for easier access to the bolts.

Now when the HD have spun down the unit is super silent. Much more than 1/2 as quiet. Only thing you hear is HDs spinning. Really, if you disconnect the drive from the desktop, but keep the power on the fan continues spinning, but cannot be heard.

Cannot believe that OCW cannot include such a fan in the enclosure :-(

For the rest this Raid 1 is a very sturdy and seemingly reliable piece of kit! Looks cool too!

 

[theKiwi]

Where to get the fan

Thanks for this thread!!!

My Guardian Maximus sounds like a jet plane at times - it's not only the noise of the fan, but the fact that at times the speed of the fan varies between flat out and idle every few seconds. OWC replaced the whole thing once already but the replacement is the same.

I've just now purchased the Scythe Mini Kaze, 40mm x 10mm Quiet Cooling Fan from a seller on Ebay for $6.95 with free shipping - QuitePCUSA wanted $12.39 for UPS Ground shipping!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380335670436#ht_1493wt_1018

Cheers

Roger