Isolating/Blocking Hard Drive Vibration, Especially on a Hardwood Desk or Floor

Hard drives (“spinners”) typically rotation at 7200 rpm, and this generates vibration. Placed on surfaces like concrete flooring, this is of little concern. But placed on a hardwood desktop or floor, those vibrations can resonate into the material in a quite annoying way (a low humming vibration typically). Or not, depending on the material. While the enclosure can eliminate much of the vibration, certain frequencies are not attenuated.

MPG has both a hardwood desk and hardwood floors, so these types of vibrations are very unwelcome, hence a search for a solution.

Sorbotthane stick-on bumpers

Even the best drives have some vibration, and if you have 4 or 8 drives in a RAID, it gets worse. If you have a vibration problem, try 1.25 sorbothane bumpers @AMAZON . They work well to detach any vibrating something from a hardwood floor or wooden desk or similar.

Isolation pads

The Auralex MoPAD Monitor Isolation Pads @AMAZON do the job. While designed for audio monitors (speakers) they do a great job of blocking vibrations from spinning hard drives. The pads include wedges that allow the hard drive(s) enclosure to sit perfectly level on desk or floor.

Auralex MoPAD Monitor Isolation Pads
(leveling inserts not shown; can sit level too)