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The installation of the HDD silencer was completely painless. I installed it into my Lian Li PC71 and my Maxtop CSX-147KBF within minutes of eachother. The drive itself fits very snugly in between the metal and rubber spacers which prevents it from falling out while it is being screwed in.
I tested the silencer using my almost inaudible Seagate Barracuda IV 7200 rpm and my Western Digital 120gb SE 7200 rpm. I have no method of scientifically measuring the decibel rating but in reality the only factor that needs to be taken into account is whether there is any noticeable difference in noise output.
Testing was performed while running idle on the Windows desktop and during an Sisoft Sandra storage benchmark. During these tests I listened from directly outside the case. All hardware was installed in my watercooled Lian Li PC71 system.
There was no noticeable difference, when using the Seagate Barracuda, between the regular 3 ½ slot and the HDD silencer. The only time where the drive could be heard at all was during the benchmark test and when powering up after the system was turned on. In a typical fan-based system the HDD would be drowned out.
The Western Digital drive produces a noticeable rumble during operation and the silencer succeeded in reducing this. The silencer has only a truly noticeable effect when the drive is being stressed and when powering up. With that being said, when the system is placed under the desk the silencing effect can no longer be noticed.
The hard drives in a typical system do not produce enough noise or force to make the use of a silencer worthwhile. If you were to invest in a high speed 10,000 to 15,000 rpm SCSI or one of the new Raptor drives then the noticeable effect would be more worth the expenditure. The silencer does not have any effect when the force produced by the drive is near constant because the screws that hold it in place would not be moved about. If the drive is being powered up or the read/write head is moving rapidly then the silencer will prevent the drive bay from rattling.
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