Norco SS-500 + Noctua NF-R8 = Hot Drives?

[musicmann]

I apologize in advance because this topic has been discussed a number of time, but I couldn't really zero in on how I should proceed...

 

After years and years of incremental upgrades to my unRAID server, I've finally decided to rebuild (mostly) from scratch to take advantage of v6 and VMs/Dockers.  I'm pulling my server out of a hot closet and into a main living area, so I need to get it a lot quieter. 

 

I had been using the Norco SS-500 5-in-3 bays without a problem, but in my rebuild, I've replaced the noisy stock fan with the Noctua NF-R8.  I'm using new Toshiba 5TB drives (7200 RPM).  I thought it would be a good idea to start with a preclear of the drives for testing, and during the pre-read, after about 30 minutes, the drives are showing temps in the high 40s and low 50s (48c - 51c).

 

Is this normal since the bay is full and I was attempting to preclear all at the same time?  Should I look at less dense bays, say a 4-in-3?  Should I test something else?

 

I know the answers may be buried somewhere in another thread, but any help would be appreciated.

[gfjardim]

Norco SS-500 cages are too restrictive, so you need high static pressure fans.

 

 

[Squid]

Norco SS-500 cages are too restrictive, so you need high static pressure fans.

To expand a bit further, high static pressure does not necessarily mean high CFM.  They are two different things.

[gulo]

Norco SS-500 cages are too restrictive, so you need high static pressure fans.

To expand a bit further, high static pressure does not necessarily mean high CFM.  They are two different things.

 

Any specific recommendations? I also have SS-500 and I am using stock fan. My temps are low 30s C but the fan is definitely noisey and I wouldn't mind swapping for some quieter while retaining the temps.

[garycase]

... I wouldn't mind swapping for some quieter while retaining the temps.

 

The problem is simple:  In general, for a given size fan, the faster it spins, the higher the CFM ... thus the better they'll cool your drives.    But as the rpm's increase, so does the noise.    The most common way to make a fan quiet is to simply run it at a slower speed -- which, of course, also reduces the airflow and thus lets your drives run hotter.

 

The blade design influences how well the fan maintains static pressure -- which can be important when their are notable airflow restrictions.    Look for a high-static-pressure unit like the Corsair SP series for these applications (like the SS-500 cages).    But note that speed vs. noise still applies ... the "quiet" version of Corsair's SP series is quieter because it spins at 1450 rpm, whereas the "high performance" versions spins at 2350rpm => with a 67% increase in airflow (and cooling capability).

 

It'd be easy to make your fans quieter -- just add a fan speed control to it and reduce the speed.  But this will NOT achieve the goal of "... retaining the temps."