HP DAT 160 SCSI External Tape Drive Q1574A#AC3 Prospecto

Q9. Is the DAT160 drive suitable for an office environment?  

HP has thought of everything with the DAT160 drive. When we launched the latest versions of the 

DAT72 drive—especially the DAT72 USB—some customers considered the fan too loud for typical 

office environments. We have re-engineered the solution and the DAT160 drive will benefit from this. 
The original fan in the DAT72 enclosure ran at 8200 rpm and generated noise of 28.0 dBA. 
The new fan in the DAT160 enclosure is larger than in the previous DAT72 enclosures and hence 

gives more airflow at a lower noise level. The fan runs at 3700 rpm and generates noise of 22 dBA, 

which is now much more “office friendly.” 
Some other engineering adjustments also enabled the slower fan to provide the effective cooling 
required by the DAT160 drive: 
• 

Improved stability of air flowing into the fan by increasing the length of the enclosure (so more 

space behind drive) 

• 

Improved air exhaust efficiency by increasing the size of the vent holes at the rear of the enclosure 

• 

Minimized impeller cavitations by ”dishing” the fan vent, so creating a space between the rear 

panel and the fan  

 

Figure 13. New DAT enclosure with quieter fan 

 

 

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