On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 07:56:58 +1000, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

Jon D wrote

If I have a hard drive which has a protective sheet of metal
on one side and the circuit board on the other side then
which of these two side should get the most cooling?

Varys with the drive design. The only real way to answer that
question is to try it both ways and monitor the drive SMART temp.



NO, it does not vary per drive design, or rather, all drive
designs are putting the board on the bottom, and a thin
cover on the top, thus need more cooling on the bottom
circuit board than (if any on) the top cover.

In the majority of drives, the top cover is barely (if at
all) even joined to the rest with a reasonably conductive
junction, instead they typically have a silicone or some
other type of flexible gasket. They may feel warm but this
is more a function of heat rising because it wasn't removed
more immediately from the hot areas instead of left to heat
up surrounding areas.

I'm sure you'll argue Rod, but you're quite wrong in general
and offhand I don't recall any hard drive EVER MADE that
needed as much, let alone more cooling on the top metal.

In other words, a drive can be completely cooled with
airflow over the bottom only. It cannot with airflow only
over the top.