If you have a SCSI hard drive, you'll probably know that they run quite hot because of their 7200 or 10000 RPM spindle speeds.  Just think, your car engine doesn't even go that fast and look how hot it gets!  Anyway, the point is that SCSI hard drives and even the new 7200 RPM Ultra ATA/66 drives get quite hot.  Heat is the worst enemy of all electronic devices and can cause data loss and/or instability, not to mention significant slow-downs due to excessive heat.  So if you fit into this category and have a 7200+ RPM drive, then you should definitely look into cooling it by using something like the BayCooler II.  If you have an 5400 RPM drive, well the choice is up to you, the BayCooler II isn't necessary but its a welcome addition to any system.

Here are the specs, courtesy of the InClose web site:

US Patent number 5673029 For use in 5.25" computer bays or 5.25" bay SCSI external units Extends hard drive life and reliability Dual hi-efficiency ultra quiet cooling fans Long life ball bearing fans EMI shielding Easy access air filter Comes pre-assembled! Supports up to THREE cooling fans. Sturdy, all-metal construction

What I especially like about this kit, is that you just pull it out of the box and its ready to go, there's no installing of any brackets or anything.  All you have to do is screw in the hard drive and put it in the bay and connect the power cables.  Also, the quality of the construction of the BayCooler II is outstanding.  All high quality metal (not the flimsy type).

There are a lot more nice features to this kit also.  For instance, it has 2 ball bearing fans that are extremely quiet, an hard drive LED on the front to monitor activity and room for a third fan should you feel the need.  

The only downside to the BayCooler II is that instead of using a 3 1/2 inch bay for your hard drive, you will have to use the full size 5 1/4 inch bay.  So, if you have a mini tower case, then you might have trouble finding a free bay, or even if you do, it may restrict you from adding a CD-Rewritable or DVD drive later on. 

Here is a more detailed picture of what it looks like and all the components it has:

Because the BayCooler II comes pre-assembled, there's nothing much you really have to do.  All you have to do is screw in the hard drive, slide it in the bay and attach the power cable (and the HD LED if you want).  Simple as that.  The face plate is easily removed, so you should take it off and clean out the filter every once and a while to keep it running efficiently. 

To test the performance of the BayCooler II we did a couple simple tests (with the case closed).  The first test was without the BayCooler II, we ran a full Scandisk which took about half and hour and then quickly opened the case and using our hard (great temperature probe) we touched the top of the drive and the chips on the underside.  Since this is a 5400 RPM we were dealing with, the drive was definitely warm and a bit hot in a few places but not too bad.  We then installed the BayCooler II, ran the same test (Scandisk for 30 mins) and then touched the hard drive again.  With the two fans blowing on either side and above and below the hard drive, it was significantly cooler.  If I were to guess, I would say there was at least a 5 degrees Celsius difference if not more.  Keep in mind this was only a 5400 RPM IDE drive, where you are bound to see the biggest difference is with the very hot 7200, 10000 RPM SCSI hard drives.

 

Area

Score

Price	93
Performance	98
Fan/Heatsink Quality	99
Installation	99
Noise Level	95
Overall	96.8

 

This is the best hard drive cooling kit we've ever seen.  It's quality and construction are second to none and its 2 ball bearing fans do a great job of keeping your hard drive cool (not to mention increasing airflow throughout the entire case).  There is even a precut place to add a third fan! Expandability on a cooling device, now that is something which we liked very much!  It also comes with a good filter to keep dust out of your computer and a Hard Drive LED to monitor activity on the drive.  What more could you want in a hard drive cooling kit?

Click here to buy this cooler from CoolerGuys.com

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