ventilating a server cupboard

[elgringo]

Howdy Everybody

Not sure if i'm posting this in the right place - it's a kind of heating/electrics/carpentry problem..

I'm building a cupboard to contain a computer/server in a small alcove left under the stairs by a recent loft conversion

My main concerns are to keep the computer cool while minimising the noise

I've knocked up a rough picture of what i'm planning, does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions about whether this will work or not?

Untitled

• elgringo
• 29 Jul 2008
• 1

On a couple of more specific points:

Can anyone recommend a nice quiet extractor fan? - possibly thermostatically controlled...
Would lining the walls with foam/polystyrene be a good idea (to dampen any noise) or would I just be building an oven?

Thanks

 

[c128]

A general point on noise... With a decent PSU containing a large fan you may not need to have to worry about noise at all. I recently bought one of these:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-034-EN

...and it really is near silent. In addition, the large fan does draw a far amount of the heat anyway, and I've since been able to turn off the two additional case fans I already had, leaving just the PSU's fan and the one for the CPU (a stock Intel Core 2 Duo cooler - very quiet too). I can barely hear anything from this, and I am fussy on such things...

The above does relate to my desktop machine though. I do have a server in the loft, and obviously that does get quite warm on hot days. Either way though, if I were you I'd be tempted by a good, quiet, PSU such as the above and would then monitor the temperature in your cupboard using either motherboard manufacturer supplied tools (e.g. Intel Desktop Utilites) or Speedfan. It may be that you don't need an extractor at all...

 

[breezer]

i once saw an office converted into a server room, all they did was put lots of ordainiry fans in there, not too noisey either.

landlord would not let them make a hole in the wall for a vent, so they leave the window open. bloke said its been there for 6 years, no problem

 

[AMEdinburgh]

I have a networked PC and an occasioanlly used colour laser in quite a small cupboard constructed of MDF under a worksurface in a consulting room where noise would be an issue. I sat the items on bits of sorbothane rubber and the door shuts tightly. I put a 4" diameter passive vent through the wall at the bottom of the cupboard and one at the top into an adjacent hallway. No fans and no problems in 11 years. You might put in a bit of ducting and see how hot it gets before adding the fan as you may not need it.

 

[elgringo]

Good point on the sound - there is no point in putting effort into sound proofing a cupboard if your PC sounds like a jet engine - I think it might be time to strip it down and give it a good clean with a compressed air spray...

AMEdinburgh - sounds like you've got the set up i'm trying to do - glad it's worked out for you
BTW good tip on the Sorbitothane - i've ordered some foot pads

 

[ColJack]

I would almost certainly not bother putting a vent into the underfloor void..
the air will likely be damp, and it provides an entry point for vermin and pests..

if you absolutely want silence, then think about watercooling.. the radiator could be put under the floor void in the cold space, just don't forget to put antifreeze in the pipes..