NEC and Hitachi roll out water-cooled hard drives

Modders, you'd better watch your backs, because NEC and Hitachi are creeping up from the backside with some funky-fresh new hard drive cooling technology that will make you feel embarrassed and / or insignificant. The two Japanese powerhouses have developed a technology which knocks down the temperature of standard hard drives using a water-cooled plating, and also reduces noise levels of the storage devices to five decibels quieter than a whisper. The new technique employs noise absorbing, heat conducting plates which surround the drive, and a low-speed radiator fan to keep air moving. The companies say that the material used for the housing is the most efficient ever for conduction of heat, and that the drives are cooled more quickly and with less power. PCs will soon be made available with the drives (at least in Japan) for around ¥20,000 more than standard models -- no word on when or if this technology is coming Stateside. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]