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Introduction

Computer Silencing has gotten quite serious in recent years. Low dBA Fans, Heat Pipe CPU Coolers and Sound Proofing are the main products a Silent PC would contain. However, there is one area that should probably be tackled first, this is, Hard Drive Silencing. The churning of Hard Disks is quite possibly the most annoying sound for most enthusiasts, this is why NoiseBlocker have created the ‘NB-X-Swing’ – a Dual Hard Disk Drive Noise Reducer.

About Noiseblocker

Noiseblocker are a German company who specialize in computer hardware which aims to silence your PC. They are a fairly new company with a small line-up of products, however many of their case fans and CPU coolers have recieved a lot of praise by computer enthusiasts and have won a number of awards at top review websites.

Features

• 100% Compatibility – Fits all 5.25″ Drive Bays
• Extended HDD Durability
• Mounts one or two Hard Disk Drives
• Decouples your Hard Disk Drives off the case
• Reduces noise from Hard Disks up to 7dbA
• Protects Hard Drives from shocks

Packaging

The NB-X-Swing arrives in a cardboard box with two rectangular ‘windows’ allowing you to see the snazzy blue Noiseblocker. Plastered all over the packaging are the specifications and features of the HDD noise reducer- in both German and English.

On the back of the box are some more features and specifications which are written in German. The address of Noiseblocker, the website address and email address are all displayed at the bottom of the box.

Inside the box are eight hard drive screws, a short manual and the NBX Swing- which is seated in a thick piece of packing foam.

Noiseblocker’s NB-X-Swing

The NBX Swings are blue anodised aluminium, 3mm or so thick. They are an odd angular shape which have all the necessary holes in them for different drive positions. Looking closely at the swings, they could be a more simple shape, however I think that the rather odd shape adds to the effect and makes them look pretty cool.

Printed in white along side the arms of the swings are a Noiseblocker logo and the words ‘X-Swing’. These white decals look very nice mixed with the blue anodised aluminium.

Sticking up from the Noiseblocker are rubber cylinders. These are the main parts of the NB-X-Swing which are supposed to dampen noise. The rubber cylinders are flush with where the screws would go to secure the NBX to your drive bays – this ensures a tight fit. When you screw into the caps on the dampeners, the rubber compresses, this ensures that all noise is then dampened.

Installation

The installation for the X-Swing is pretty simple. Simply screw the metal sided arms of the Swing to the sides of your hard drives, pop it into a 5.25” drive bay and then screw into the rubber dampeners to secure it in place. Fortunately, the Noiseblocker can also be used with cases that have ‘posh’ drive mounting systems.

Testing

Unfortunately I don’t have any sound equipment to measure the decibels at this low dbA so you’ll have to go on the verdict from my human ears.

I mounted one 80GB SATA hard drive to the Noiseblocker NB-X-Swing. This hard drive normally makes a horrible churning, vibrating noise when seeking for a lot of data. However, when I mounted the disk drive on the Noiseblocker, most of this churning noise was dampened to virtually inaudible.

Although I did notice one thing, that is, when you use more than one hard drive, the vibrations can sometimes ‘tingle’ between the screws and the metal arms. Even though this noise is very light, it can still be heard. I found this odd, as when I reverted back to using just one HDD, the noise vanished again.

After having another look at it, it turned out some of the screws weren’t tight enough. When I reinstalled the two hard drives with the tighter screws, the noise was dead again.

Conclusion

The Noiseblocker NB-X-Swing is a classic example of a simple product that works. Its neat looks, simple construction and thick aluminium mean that the X-Swings have a great sense of quality.

This product retails at around £10, quite expensive for two bits of aluminium and a bit of rubber; however you are paying for a product which really works and feels of great quality. Personally, if I wanted to silence my computer, then the NB-X-Swing would be top of my list.

Pros

• Simple and Effective
• Easy to Install
• Looks Great

Cons

• A little Pricey

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1. Noiseblocker FanSpeed Controller