For a number of years now, I had my 2 My Book drives ( one 8TB one 4TB ) lying horizontally because I worried about one or both tipping over and being damaged. Of course, they are designed to be placed vertically for proper ventilation so I was in a quandary because I had an older My Book that DID tip over and was damaged beyond repair. I checked the temps of both and they were running at 50°C or higher and I know that those numbers can mean shortened life of the drives. I recently purchased another MB 8TB and an Elements 6TB so I knew I had to come up with a viable solution for both my concerns and I believe I have. First, I purchased a 5 section file sorter ( $15.00 ). It’s wire mesh on the dividers and bottom and it sits about 1/4 inch off the ground so air can freely pass through the bottom vent on the drives ( better ventilation, in fact than just sitting on a desk or book shelf ). The height and width are a perfect fit with about 1/8th inch of space on either side so the drives just slide right in without being too tight. So the tipping problem is solved, but what about the heat? I’ve spent the last month monitoring the temps and they were running about 5-7°C cooler than before. Then I bought an AC Infinity S7 dual USB fan set ( 200mm size-$15.00 ) which I have running as exhaust ( placed on top ) for two drives each. It’s 3 speed adjustable but even on high, these things are extremely quiet. Also, if you don’t have a spare USB port, you can purchase an AC adapter or perhaps just use an old cellphone charger. After a couple of weeks of monitoring, all four of my drives run consistently between 30-35°C no matter how much I’m using them. For an investment of $30.00 I must say that I’m quite satisfied that I’ve done all I can to protect and also increase the longevity of my equipment. Granted, there are no guarantees. I’ve attached a couple of photos of my setup. I have the drives placed backwards because it makes the short USB cable length less of an issue and besides, there aren’t any LED activity lights for the MB drives anyway! LOL
Anyway, I just thought I’d share. Hope it helps someone who’s having similar issues as I was.
