Comparison
Cool Drive 2
|
Cool Drive 3
|
|
Inner Fan: |
40 x 40 x 20 (mm) |
40 x 40 x 20 (mm) |
Rated Voltage: |
12VDC |
12VDC |
Rated Speed: |
4500 RPM |
4500 RPM |
Air Flow: |
9.21 CFM |
9.21 CFM |
Noise Level: |
29 dB(A) |
29 dB(A) |
Features: |
|
|
At first there doesn’t appear to be much difference over the older DCD-4002 hard drive cooler apart from the new attractive aluminium bezel and LED’s. I remember a few years back when the DCD-4002 hard drive cooler was all the rage – people loved them, but the small 40mm fan was very noisy. The airflow was sufficient but it used to whistle through the front bezel. The Cool Drive 3 has a new bezel. Its aluminium this time so it matches the front of the aluminium cases which seem to be the new standard of computer cases. Behind the easily removable aluminium bezel is a small filter which helps keep any unwanted dust out of the computer system. This should be cleaned every so often to keep the airflow efficient.
The fan within the Cool Drive 3 is a Cooler Master A4020-40RB-4DN-P1.This is a rifle bearing fan that are usually quite quiet. Unfortunately due to the size and speed of the fan, it still produces around 29dBA at 4500rpm, which is louder than most standard 80mm fans. Wired to the side of the fan are the LED’s that illuminate the front bezel. These shine through a semi transparent plastic that diffuses the glow nicely around the front bezel of the Cool Drive 3. Airflow from the fan is sufficient for its purpose, to keep the large heat sink surround cool and also blow cool air around the hard disk drive. The fan produces 9.21 CFM which isn’t a lot for a fan that is spinning at 4500rpm. We have to remember though that this is a 40mm fan.
