Syjeklye

Has anyone ever tried to sound proof a 1u server with an enclosure? My friend and I are going to try and build a box that I can put this HP server in to make it quiet.

1 major obstacle is going to be blocking the sound, but still providing enough cooling to the server. I was thinking about some sort of baffling design so the sound would have to bounce around multiple corners in order for it to escape.

Pics of server:






It would also be cool to make it a generic 19" mount inside the enclosure so I could put a different server in there if I every upgrade.

For sound deadening material i was thinking of a layered approach:
starting from the enclosure's walls:
1. Wooden Box
2. Plastidip on the Wood
3. Dynamat (or generic version) on the plastidip
4. Foam Rubber on the Dynamat

And does anyone know of any alternative to dynamat, I would really like to use a generic copy of the stuff, since dynamat itself is expensive.

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jackeyjoe

it'd probably be easier to just go with silent 120mm fans and some sound proofing materials around anything that vibrates (HDD's, fans ect.).

Its a nice idea but don't expect to be able to get a server silent, its a very hard thing to do.

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Syjeklye

I'm expecting it to be hard, that's part of the fun! I don't think 120mm fans are going to be helpful at all, since it is a 1u server, the fans can't even fit in the case.

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bobfig

if im thinking right, its the fans that make most of the noise next would be the hdd's. at least thats what i think. i have a cisco switch and the fan on the back is like a leaf blower... i wouldn't mess with plastic dip, its messy and it peals off easy. only thing i could say to do is use egg crate foam for dampening and a long vent that is in a "S" shape lined with the foam. stuff like dynomat is for vibrations not so much for sound waves.

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Open1Your1Eyes0

All you need: Apogee 1U Server Waterblock

Along with a few other things of course.....

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Syjeklye

Yeah, the fans are the real killer. The plus to the fans are, if there is an area of cool air infront of the server, it'll take all the air. They are very high pressure and will move a ton of air.

The plastidip and the dynamat are there for density. The only way to get rid of some sound frequencies is to have a dense absorbing material, and dynamat and plastidip are the dense products I was hoping to use.

Your S design is what I have in mind for the intake and exhaust. Only the "S" will be on it's side.

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bobfig

if your using wood i think that would be hard enough yet soft enough to absorb those sound waves.

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Syjeklye

I don't think I'll have to water cool it at all, The server itself is highly optimized for air cooling, The fans have plenty of power to push air through the server, and there will be vents to let cool air in one side and hot air out the other. I might even put slow 120mm fans on the exhaust to ensure movement of air out of the server.

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DuckieHo

Well... what are the components?

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To answer most of your questions: (1) a fridge cannot cool a PC (2) 64-bit OS for over 3.4GB (3) If a PCIe card fits, it should work (4) Resolution, not screen size (5) If you have a question, it is not news (6) Report, not respond to Spam (7) Single-Rail/Non-Modular PSUs are not always better than Multi-Rail/Modular

Syjeklye

Dual 2.8ghz intel xeons, 2 threads each
3gb pc 2100 ecc
2x 34gig scsi U320's in raid 0
4x gigabit ethernet
2x 10/100 ethernet

Windows server 2008 (for now, learning all the active directory and exchange stuff)

I ran orthos on it for a while and really doesn't get hot. Max temp i've seen it at has been 48 celcius, which is less than my sig rig's load temps.

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