A system for cooling hard disk drives (HDDs) includes: an enclosure having a lower volume within which a cooling liquid is heated to a boiling point temperature to cause some of the cooling liquid to evaporate into a plume of rising vapor; a HDD cooling area with at least one HDD placed in the direct path of the rising vapor, which cools the at least one HDD during functional operation of the at least one HDD; and a heat source that dissipates heat into the lower volume of the enclosure, sufficient to heat the cooling liquid to the boiling point temperature. The system can also include a condenser located above both the HDD cooling area. A substantial portion of the rising vapor that passes through the HDD cooling area and cools the at least one HDD is condensed back into liquid phase on contact with the condenser.