I had this problem before but today I decided to dig deeper. Most people generally prefer installing hard disk horizontally meaning the bottom side is facing down and while some users prefer the vertical approach, 90 degree angle.
Example:
Vertical
Horizontal
Now, I had a problem understanding this but after some quick searches I finally got the answer. I thought if I placed my hard disk vertically it will increase the load on the motor and may cause problems for me in the long run.
As it turns out, a modern HDD acts as a
Gyroscope when it's moving. Which basically means the gravity forces won't affect it in any way and my drives will run fine regardless of the position I install them in.
There are other advantages of vertical installation, one of them is better cooling. Since the drives are vertical they can easily be cooled and the heat will not build up like in the horizontal placement. I haven't tested this in my current system but I hope it's true.
So, in short you can easily place HDD's horizontally or vertically without having any problems.
For more info check this out :
http://superuser.com/questions/50413/does-vertical-position-affect-hard-driveBlog LinK: http://dfg.tekgoblin.com/2010/07/19/installing-hard-disk-drives-vertical-or-horizontal/
Comments
Pity my case only allows for horizontal installations, haha.
Also, this is were my front fans are:
My four HDD's are where the screws are.
I don't think the effort is worth the, maybe non existent, gain.
Mine doesn't allow vertical installations as well, but some times you're forced to use the vertical method. I think this picture will explain everything.
Lol I'm pretty sure I used the same case for my build
WTF happened there? Is that pile of bits and pieces on electricity?
oh dear god wtf
PSU failure along with HOT fucking weather. It's a temp solution until I get a decent motherboard or processor. I usually have them all in casing and well ventilated.
I already have enough fans. You didn't see the gaint fan next to the casing. It's blowing air at the motherboard. It's a 16" fan btw.
Thats what i was learned anyway, not sure if it still applies to modern drives.
I think the theory was that a harddrive mounted in 90° angles will wear down bearings the same on all sides while a drive mounted at lets say 45° angle could increase the load on one side.
_ or l = ok
\ or /= not so great
Like i said, dont know if this is still true on modern drives.