29th August 2002
Question: Is a hard drive supposed to be loud and if so, is there a way that I can make mine quieter?
Answer: Hard drives can be a little loud, but there is a point where that loudness could be showing a possible problem. The question I would ask myself is: does my machine sound louder than my friends machine and how much louder does it sound? You need to keep in mind that add-ons like fans will increase overall system noise, but if your computer still seems excessively loud, you may want the hard drive looked at by a technician or at least do regular backups so you don't lose any data. As for quieting the hard drive, there are hard drive sound shells available. Just be careful when using these sound shells, as you don't want the hard drive to over heat. I would look for a sound shell with a little fan on it or some other way to draw away heat. Remember, although computers can be loud, if it is obnoxiously loud then you may want it checked out, just to make sure you aren't seeing the signs of a possible hardware problem.