Can i safetly run a harddrive mounted to a case at a 45 degree angle?
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Can i safetly run a harddrive mounted to a case at a 45 degree angle?
Yes. You can even mount it sideways if you want. Or, you could turn your PC case on the side...they will work just fine.
Good Luck!
I would say no, but I can't prove any of the reasons with documentation. With the centrifugal force of the drive spinning, and the close proximity of the heads (.000005 of an inch if I recall) you are more likely to have a head crash a disk platter if you didn’t mount them perpendicular or parallel to the surface of the earth. That said, I have seen drives sideways, hanging by a power or IDE cable for days with no problems.
I would certainly say no for the 10k RPM and above drives, because the odds get worse the faster the drive runs, I would presume.
A side note, years ago, I recall the old schoolers that I worked with time from time always told me that when LL formatting a drive, you should position the drive the same as it will be when it goes back to production. I still don't know if they were pulling my leg, or if that was required years ago with older technologies...
the drive in question is an ibm tavelstar 20gig ,4200rpm i think....IC25N020ATDA04-0...
further input is required...
For a laptop drive like the travelstar, I'd be inclined to say they would be a little more happy than a normal drive at strange angles. However, I personally always try to keep drives as flat as possible.
Packard Hells often ship with the hard disk mounted so that is stands on end, I've never known these drives fail more than any other, but, to be honest, I don't like it.
Hey, don't take my word for it...I don't know what I'm talking about. Just because I have done it on many different units for several years doesn't count for anything...
Check out what Seagate says about their drives:
"Drive orientation:
The balanced rotary arm actuator design of the drive allows it to be mounted in any orientation. All drive performance
characterization, however, has been done with the drive in horizontal (discs level) and vertical (drive on
its side) orientations, and these are the two preferred mounting orientations."
The above info was taken from http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/.../75789517d.pdf
Scroll down to page 54...read up on Drive Orientation.
The following info came from Hitachi's website (they have taken over for IBM:)
"Mounting orientation:
The drive will operate in all axes (6 directions) and will stay within the specified error rates when tilted
±5 degrees from these positions.
Performance and error rate will stay within specification limits if the drive is operated in the other
permissible orientations from which it was formatted. Thus a drive formatted in a horizontal orientation will
be able to run vertically and vice versa."
This came from http://ssddom01.hgst.com/tech/techli...56A7700677048/$file/djsa_sp40.pdf
Scroll down to section 6.5.4...
edited by NooNooQuote:
Originally posted by DonJ
Hey, don't take my word for it...I don't know what I'm talking about. Just because I have done it on many different units for several years doesn't count for anything...
i've used drives flat, upside down, standing up, all with no ill affects. i heard a long time ago that you shouldnt change a drives orientation after it has been used for a time. however, i have changed a drive from flat to standing up and it never gave any problems. i really dont think it matters.
Personally I wouldn't use a drive at any angle other than horizontal unless there was no other choice. I even keep them held horizontal when handling them. Then again I'm probably set in my ways doing things how they were done 8 years ago. However, I have come across computers where they have had them vertically and at 45degree angle and they worked fine until they were replaced, so I don't think it makes much difference, in fact, if you found an angle that reduces the vibration the drive is exposed to, then it could probably be a good thing. As long as you don't keep moving it about from one week to the next I'm sure it will be fine.
I am still trying to work out what case would allow you to mount a hard driver at 45 degrees... unless the drive bay was a hammock!
Not having a poke Don ... but doesn't your first link & quote say yeah put it anyway you like ... then the second says any of six (why six???) directions but leave it there ....
I like you have years of experience, but I still get it wrong !- though I get the joke ! :D honest gu'vnor https://forums.windrivers.com/
I can't imagine that all these different drive manufacturers spend all day long turning drives at every conceivable angle to see if they work ... that sounds like a real dumb job but hey-ho who am I to argue with honest to goodness quotes !!
Strikes me a little common sense is in order ... if you get say a bike wheel & hold it by the axle and try and move it through various angles you can feel it pull 'off' at any angles other than 90 or 180 ... that's because the centrafugal force becomes unbalanced because of the effect of gravity (one edge is higher and the other so the effect of gravity on either edge is different) surely that's what happens with any drive ?
So I'm saying flat or upright & nothing else .... http://www.pregnancy.org/phpBB/image...s/dontknow.gif
FOR THE ATTENTION OF NOO NOO...
The case in question is one of my own design....
looks like a truncated sloping roof:)made from stainless steel and perspex.
i could email you a photo of it if you want??
Be better if you can serve it to the thread, then we can all look!
Some helpful information here:
http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs....es/hd_A_16.asp
Basically:
" virtually all modern drives can be mounted in any position, which is why you can't find any info from WD for example, it isn't an issue. However there were some older drives for which specifically mounting on end (tail up or tail down) was prohibited"
i have no web page and my pc is not set up as ftp /http server sorry.. is there any other way to attach a piccy to a post here?
You can only attach 1 byte files so not much use for images. Send me the file at [email protected] and I'll host it for you on my site.
pm me and find out.
I would`nt have thought the angle mattered as it a lot like a gyro the effect of the centrifugal force would overcome anything that gravity could cause.
my .02 worth of input is this,most of the Compaqs I have worked on have the HDD mounted vertically. :)Quote:
Originally posted by dr_jones
Can i safetly run a harddrive mounted to a case at a 45 degree angle?
emr thanks ive posted you pics..
go here:------->
http://www.tecttrade.com/images/prototype_002.jpg
for case