Who'd have thought? My Seagate drives have only 4 screw holes

[kcbob_2000]

I just started by build using a Fractal Design case, and the hard drive cage has 4 screw holes about 3 inches apart but the Seagate Ironwolf drives I bought have only 4 screw holes and they are about 6 inches apart. I see the WD drives have 6 screw holes apparently for this purpose. Any idea how I can stabalize these drives? I can only use 2 of the screw holes... wtf. Here is what my cage looks like:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Fra...sAQIPA&biw=1376&bih=931#imgrc=f3Yjv_BnBi-rgM:

They are apparently using a WD hard drive here or something.

 

[Inxsible]

I had the same issue. I bought 2x6TB Ironwolfs and had to put in just 2 screws instead of 4 that I had in the Samsung Spinpoint drive and the WD Black drive I had in there. Funny thing is, that the Seagate Constellation and the Seagate Barracudas that I have all have 6 screw holes.

I believe you have the Node 804 which uses the side screws, but even for Node 304 where it uses the bottom screw holes, it is the same issue.

 

[Chris Moore]

Take a look at these photos: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aIk2mKaj0gDF5GRmnHSH5zzA&ust=1505595634631712

I had the same issue. I bought 2x6TB Ironwolfs and had to put in just 2 screws instead of 4 that I had in the Samsung Spinpoint drive and the WD Black drive I had in there. Funny thing is, that the Seagate Constellation and the Seagate Barracudas that I have all have 6 screw holes.

Yet another reason to NOT buy the Iron Wolf drives. You should complain to Seagate. I have had zero problem with my Seagate Desktop and Seagate Barracuda drives and I use all six side screw holes.

 

[Inxsible]

Take a look at these photos: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwinmvb_iqjWAhVK04MKHSkeCpQQjRwIBw&url=http://www.legitreviews.com/fractal-design-node-804-micro-atx-case-review_139179/5&psig=AFQjCNEhi_aIk2mKaj0gDF5GRmnHSH5zzA&ust=1505595634631712



Yet another reason to NOT buy the Iron Wolf drives. You should complain to Seagate. I have had zero problem with my Seagate Desktop and Seagate Barracuda drives and I use all six side screw holes.

If I had known before buying, maybe. But the deal I got on those Ironwolfs was great, so I don't mind as much. Eventually, I plan on getting rid of my Node 304 and putting everything in a 2U/3U chassis, then the stability of the drive won't matter as much as in the Nodes since the drives won't be hanging from the drive cage, they would be sitting flat in the rackmount chassis.

 

[Stux]

but even for Node 304 where it uses the bottom screw holes, it is the same issue.

I don't recall it being a problem, and I have 8TB IronWolfs. In my photos you can see the middle screw holes are indeed missing

 

[Inxsible]

I don't recall it being a problem, and I have 8TB IronWolfs. In my photos you can see the middle screw holes are indeed missing

Yup, no problem as such. I just thought it was weird that the new Ironwolfs had less screw holes than the Seagate Barracuda it replaced. I just ended up using 2 screws per drive instead of 4 that were in the older drives.

 

[Chris Moore]

Yup, no problem as such. I just thought it was weird that the new Ironwolfs had less screw holes than the Seagate Barracuda it replaced. I just ended up using 2 screws per drive instead of 4 that were in the older drives.

Got a tap and die set, you could always make some holes. How bad could it be? ;)

 

[Ericloewe]

Got a tap and die set, you could always make some holes. How bad could it be? ;)

Very bad. LinusTechTips forums bad.

Edited to remove weird-ass remnants from a cancelled message.

 

[MrToddsFriends]

The problem of shifted bottom screw holes (center to rear) and omitted side screw holes (center missing) is present for several years now and seems to have occurred with 6 TB HDDs at first.
http://www.storagereview.com/6tb_hdds_causing_problems_for_system_vendors_but_not_the_way_you_think

 

[danb35]

How bad could it be?

That's right up there with "what could possibly go wrong" and "how could it be worse" as a herald of disaster.

 

[Ericloewe]

For anyone who didn't get my reference above:

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/561041-980ti-darwin-awards-help/

 

[danb35]

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/561041-980ti-darwin-awards-help/

Wow. That guy makes Linus look almost competent.

 

[Ericloewe]

My favorite bit is the "I tried to jam a screwdriver in there to restore continuity" part.

 

[Chris Moore]

I hope everyone realized from the wink that it was supposed to be funny, not serious.

 

[Stux]

Well I giggled, as I imagined puncturing the drive and the helium oozing out like a shriveling balloon ;)

 

[MrToddsFriends]

I don't recall it being a problem, and I have 8TB IronWolfs. In my photos you can see the middle screw holes are indeed missing

I just ended up using 2 screws per drive instead of 4 that were in the older drives.

To help resolve this discrepancy pertaining to the Fractal Design Node 304 HDD cages and just in case someone else but me was surprised about Stux' statement (and maybe also about the pictures in this posting from Stux' build report, at least on second glance):

As the Fractal Design Support confirmed on my request, a modified revision of the Node 304 (starting with production week 51/2014, serial number begins with 5114 or higher) exists and has the following changed properties

• HDD Cages which are also suitable for the new HDD bottom screw hole positions
• three instead of two recesses on the side braces to fit the new HDD cages

Old ("not extended") Node 304 HDD cages, suitable for legacy HDD bottom screw holes:
http://www.fractal-design.com/media/8e32e77c-2d0a-40a7-b7c1-c24f7ea3d66f

New ("extended") Node 304 HDD cages, also suitable for "alternate" HDD bottom screw holes:

 

[Chris Moore]

My favorite bit is the "I tried to jam a screwdriver in there to restore continuity" part.

It is like Linus Tech Tips when he tried to build a router and killed 3 system boards in a row.

 

[Ericloewe]

It is like Linus Tech Tips when he tried to build a router and killed 3 system boards in a row.

"Oops, this doesn't fit. So, we're going to dremel the piezo speaker into oblivion."

 

[Z300M]

The ST6000DX000 drives I got a couple of years ago have just the four mounting holes as well. I think that's because the diameter of the platters is greater and there is no possibility of having a mounting hole in that intermediate location. Originally I mounted them with just two screws. Later versions of the iStarUSA drive trays had the extra holes, and I drilled extra holes in some of my old trays, so now all those 6TB drives are secured by four screws.

Correction/clarification: both the older and the newer drives had only four holes on the bottom, but one pair of holes is now in a different location on the ST6000DX000. The ST6000DX000 drives have only two holes on each side, unlike the older drives.

I have just ordered a 6TB HGST NAS drive to keep as a spare; it'll be interesting to see what mounting holes it has.

 

[Stux]

"Oops, this doesn't fit. So, we're going to dremel the piezo speaker into oblivion."

A large part of his draw is schadenfreude I think