Bumpy road + carputer =?

ComradeJew · 03-07-2007, 01:59 PM

hi all,

I am about to install my carputer this coming weekend, but was wondered - how much does car ride shock affect the carputer? I have a 40 GB 2.5" Hitachi 5400 RPM drive in the for reference. Am I prone to seeing the HD become toast in a while? Should i do multiple images of it?

Thanks

GiODi · 03-07-2007, 02:03 PM

There are tons of threads on this, but I have had my carputer in for about 2 weeks and have experienced some rough encounters with no music interruptions. I've also ran a check disk last night and there were no bad sectors or anything.

Also, the HDD's specifications should list how much shock it can handle...

ComradeJew · 03-07-2007, 02:16 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by GiODi

There are tons of threads on this, but I have had my carputer in for about 2 weeks and have experienced some rough encounters with no music interruptions. I've also ran a check disk last night and there were no bad sectors or anything.

Also, the HDD's specifications should list how much shock it can handle...

Well you are running a desktop HD so it is prone to shock on a whole higher level...

Hrm I also have memory foam between the HD and the case... hopefully that will help as well.

DarquePervert · 03-07-2007, 02:34 PM

There have beemn many, many threads on this very topic.

The general consensus is that the shocks that are required to kill a HDD will kill you as well.

Foam and other shock absorption techniques/materials have their own pros & cons.

In short: worrying about it is pointless, for the most part.

Emo · 03-07-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by DarquePervert

The general consensus is that the shocks that are required to kill a HDD will kill you as well.

If i go by that, I must be dead 3 times already lol

I've lost 2 3.5 HDDs and a 2.5 HDD... all the same problem..

I haven't had a carPC since November.. lost my job so I'm trying to figure out a way to get money for a decent CF card and go that way..

v8 scimitar · 03-07-2007, 04:44 PM

Over a year with my install which is a standard desktop drive screwed in solid to the case and the case is screwed to the floor of the car. My car is also running 45 profile tyres so it isn't the smoothest ride. Not one problem with the drive and about 20000 miles driven. I wouldn't use foam personally, it doesn't let the drive cool properly (bigger killer of drives than shock) and the drive just ends up bouncing in the foam because it isn't damped which cant be a good idea.

TruckinMP3 · 03-07-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by ComradeJew

Well you are running a desktop HD so it is prone to shock on a whole higher level...

Hrm I also have memory foam between the HD and the case... hopefully that will help as well.

Do not needlessly scare the OP or mis-state, Some differance in shock rating between desktop and laptop drives is true.

Mount the drive (and rest of the hardware) firmly.

Opinions differ but no prof at all exists that the motion of a car is the failure point for any of the drives that have failed in a car.

Other possible failure condition could include:
bad power
defects from the drive maker
poor install

Many sucess stories (which include mine) of desktop drives working for years.

turbocad6 · 03-07-2007, 06:16 PM

yeah, heat kills way more drives than impact.. impacts usually worse case is head crashes can cause bad sectors... even that's not common really...

david69leonard · 03-15-2007, 12:08 PM

Ive been using desktop HD's since way back in the day, they only HD i ever had problems with as far as G-shock was WD, but that was when i lived in Okinawa and drifted every weekend and it only happened once... Just make sure your PC is secure and you shouldnt have any problems.

TruckinMP3 · 03-15-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by david69leonard

Ive been using desktop HD's since way back in the day, they only HD i ever had problems with as far as G-shock was WD, but that was when i lived in Okinawa and drifted every weekend and it only happened once... Just make sure your PC is secure and you shouldnt have any problems.

How do you "know" the issue was caused by motion or G-shock?

How much force is involved in Drifting?

scott_fx · 03-15-2007, 02:41 PM

just another useless post since it's been discussed ad-nausium but... i also have ultra low profile tires, a stiff sway bar, mounted the hd horizontally, and solidly to the car and i have yet to have an issue.

silicoon · 03-16-2007, 12:14 AM

if your really couldnt be bothered loosing ur OS install and vital files, just do an IDE - CF conversion... easy and solid state... bumps wont do much, unless the card gets shredded :P and in that case i dont think your going to be worrying to much about loosing some data or the functionality of your hd

FYI if you do, disable the pagefile -

2k1Toaster · 03-16-2007, 12:34 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by silicoon

if your really couldnt be bothered loosing ur OS install and vital files, just do an IDE - CF conversion... easy and solid state... bumps wont do much, unless the card gets shredded :P and in that case i dont think your going to be worrying to much about loosing some data or the functionality of your hd

FYI if you do, disable the pagefile -

and increase your patience. CF booting and running is slow and only to be used as a last resort. And the CF card will self destruct because it can only take so many read/writes. Disabling the pagefile helps, but it wont prevent the inevitable.

And I have a 3.5" HD, only 1 problem that I am not sure if it was HD related, but I could not rule that out as an option. Other than that, all good.

AMC 96 TE Magna · 03-16-2007, 12:58 AM

you could always wrap it up in bubble wrap.

then again i had my HD mounted solidly in the boot of my car and never had any problems with it.

i really wouldnt worry about it to be honest, maybe put a little bit 5-10mm of foam underneath it secure it down nice and tight and it would be fine.

Hdd's are cheap.

silicoon · 03-16-2007, 01:29 AM

well 15 seconds from pressing the power button to complete load isnt exactly slow... and @ 150x its not going to impact what you do in the car much... but each to their own! i have just got a 40 gig drive externally connected works for me!

ps, hd's have shock sensing - once a certain shock threshold has been met, its marked and that drive is warranty void... just another "FYI" :P - 5 years of warranty void in the first day of use :P