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Quiet external HDD

b0redom said:
Hi All,
I've got a MacMini with one of these external drives:

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=94672ACB&nplm=TG236

I use it as a media centre, and although it works very well, when the drive and fans spin up (in the HDD enclosure) it's a little loud. Can anyone recommend something similar, but silent?

Thanks....
Click to expand...

All of the models I've seen that are similar to this (ie, Mac Mini form factor) use fans for cooling, so having something completely silent is not really possible if you want this shape. This was my dilemma too, so I abandoned this style and simply went for a MacPower Pleiades enclosure which is aluminium and doesn't use fans for cooling. However it has to sit next to a Mac Mini rather than underneath it, and it doesn't have the nifty feature of switching on at the same time as the Mac.
 
For my mac mini I use the matching (size and shape) La Cie hard drive, it is very quiet.
I also have a maxtor 300 Gb external drive that's quiet as well.

As they say "All quiet on the western front"

FJ
 
Father Jack said:
For my mac mini I use the matching (size and shape) La Cie hard drive, it is very quiet.
Click to expand...

I was about to recommend the LaCie mini-shaped one as well - it's specifically designed to allow for additional air cooling, which should reduce the reliance on the fan ...

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?find=lacie+320

FWIW, this model also comes in a 500Gb version which is better value for money, but which isn't sold through the Apple store and appears to be out of stock with LaCie themselves ... :(

Cheers

Jim
 
Jim Campbell said:
I was about to recommend the LaCie mini-shaped one as well - it's specifically designed to allow for additional air cooling, which should reduce the reliance on the fan ...
Click to expand...

The Mini and La Cie drive are so quiet that sometimes I worry :(

But it's the nature of the beasts, they are just so quiet. If it wasn't for the little lights on the front, you wouldn't know they were running. :)

FJ
 
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