Why are hard drives open at the bottom?

[3D Jed]

Why are HDDs open to the elements on one side? There's got to be a reason. You'd think it'd be a recipe for disaster.



must get out more . . .

 

[UsernameIssues]

Just guessing:
...it cost more to enclose that part
...it would be harder to swap the controller board
...the manufacturers win when you have to buy a new one

Heat dissipation is probably the main reason.

 

[UsernameIssues]

...
must get out more . . .

Doing so might cause you to lose your membership in the vitamin D deficiency club!

...and we would all miss you

 

[strollin]

Just the card is exposed because there is no reason to cover it. As long as it installed properly nothing can short against it just like any other card or even the mobo In your PC.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Just the card is exposed because there is no reason to cover it. As long as it installed properly nothing can short against it just like any other card or even the mobo In your PC.

I would think (yeah, I know, a dangerous thing for me to do) the danger would come when handling the drive before installation or when using internal drives in docks for backups, etc. (like I do; I'm so paranoid, I handle mine while wearing anti-static gloves).

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm thinking cooling and lack of a need to cover it up.

 

[LMiller7]

This situation is hardly unique in computers. The motherboard and expansion cards are also fully exposed. About the only case where circuitry is enclosed is in the PSU and that is necessary for safety reasons. Outside of the PSU the highest voltage will be about 12 volts so safety is no concern. Completely enclosing the hard drive is unnecessary and would make cooling more difficult. As it is the HD platters and other sensitive components are protected.

 

[strollin]

I would think (yeah, I know, a dangerous thing for me to do) the danger would come when handling the drive before installation or when using internal drives in docks for backups, etc. (like I do; I'm so paranoid, I handle mine while wearing anti-static gloves).

I doubt hdd manufacturer's would consider putting a drive in a dock "proper" installation. The mfr designed the drive to be installed properly by properly trained people that know how to handle the drive. If someone that doesn't know the proper way to handle the drive handles or installs it incorrectly, it isn't the drive mfr's concern.

I've handled hundreds, if not thousands of cards and drives with exposed circuitry over my 30 year career and (to my knowledge) never had one fail because I handled it improperly.

There's no doubt that covering it up would protect it better but it isn't deemed necessary and would drive up the cost needlessly.

 

[AddRAM]

Just the card is exposed because there is no reason to cover it. As long as it installed properly nothing can short against it just like any other card or even the mobo In your PC.

Exactly. A hard drive is fully enclosed.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I would think (yeah, I know, a dangerous thing for me to do) the danger would come when handling the drive before installation or when using internal drives in docks for backups, etc. (like I do; I'm so paranoid, I handle mine while wearing anti-static gloves).

I doubt hdd manufacturer's would consider putting a drive in a dock "proper" installation. The mfr designed the drive to be installed properly by properly trained people that know how to handle the drive. If someone that doesn't know the proper way to handle the drive handles or installs it incorrectly, it isn't the drive mfr's concern.

I've handled hundreds, if not thousands of cards and drives with exposed circuitry over my 30 year career and (to my knowledge) never had one fail because I handled it improperly.

There's no doubt that covering it up would protect it better but it isn't deemed necessary and would drive up the cost needlessly.

Never said they needed the circuit board covered up. I was just pointing out what could be a concern. In the dry climate I live in, ESD is a huge concern year round.

 

[AddRAM]

There is no reason to worry about a hard drive in your area, I should be so lucky, I got off the plane there on a job once, and I was like WOW

There or Texas is where I`d like to move, but I gotta be near the Ocean to fish.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

There is no reason to worry about a hard drive in your area, I should be so lucky, I got off the plane there on a job once, and I was like WOW

There or Texas is where I`d like to move, but I gotta be near the Ocean to fish.

I got out of my Issuzu at work one night and raised a spark so big and bright, someone over 50 feet away saw it. I get zapped almost every day at home, some days worse than others. Winter is worst.

 

[AddRAM]

Wear rubber shoes all the time. :roflmao:


You raised a spark because you are just so Electric. :tip:

 

[linnemeyerhere]

LF, it's just your electric personality !

 

[Gary]

If you look real close, you can see 4 holes where the heat sink fan to cool the hard drive goes.

 

[Britton30]

Here's a nice article concerning hard drives. HDD from inside: Main parts

 

[logicearth]

If you look real close, you can see 4 holes where the heat sink fan to cool the hard drive goes.

Those holes are not for mounting a fan. They are for mounting the HDD from the bottom instead of the side.

 

[AddRAM]

I was gonna say that, as I`ve never seen a hard drive come with a cooling fan, that`s a custom thing, but didn`t want to offend anyone.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Y'all beat me to the punch.

 

[3D Jed]

Well I'm still no wiser.

My original question re possible damage by touching the exposed pcb came to me whilst swapping out a hdd (something I seem to do all the time - repairs, tinkering etc). I seem to handle hdds much more than ram or motherboards, so there's a slightly greater risk of static problems.

In normal use a hdd (like mobo, ram etc) would be installed once and never touched again, so the chance of static damage is the same as ram and mobo, although I think someone installing a hdd for the first time would expect the case to go all the way round and could accidently touch the circuitry just taking the hdd out of the box.

I guess the answer to the exposed hdd pcb is ease of manufacture.

Jed, unused anti static wrist strap hanging on hook on wall . . .