Computers in next room: case open or case closed?

[undertone]

I finally did it: I put my computers in another room. After years of trying to quiet down my computers with special fans, heatsinks, etc, etc, I finally got a space where I could conveniently put a hole in the wall to run wires and get the damn noise and heat generators out of my workspace. What a difference. I actually find my printer's transformer makes too much noise now...

My question is actually this: since noise isn't an issue anymore, should I just leave my case sides open? Isn't that better for component ventilation? I have a couple of Sonata II cases: will my front mounted drives suffer because the air isn't being pulled front to back?

TIA.

[ckreon]

the cases are actually designed to ventilate properly entirely enclosed.

this always through me for a loop, but after learning a bit about circulation and general engineering, it made perfect sense.

i would recommend keeping the sidings on - unless you want to add another fan into the equation (to blow on or horizontally with the comp), which is unnecessary, and probably won't cool as well as having it closed up anyways.

[timbreman]

Depends on the case you have....some places are more than willing to sell you a quad core cpu that runs hot and slap it into a poorly ventilated case. Get an app for checking temperatures on cpu, hd, etc. If neccessary get a better case by someone like Thermaltake and transfer everything over to the new case. Cpu getting too hot can even cause your PC to completely reboot. Dont want that in the middle of a session right?
Then again if your computer is too loud then just keep it in the same room and take out the fans and replace with a liquid cooling system. Pure silence there.

[ckreon]

Originally Posted by timbreman

Depends on the case you have....some places are more than willing to sell you a quad core cpu that runs hot and slap it into a poorly ventilated case. Get an app for checking temperatures on cpu, hd, etc. If neccessary get a better case by someone like Thermaltake and transfer everything over to the new case. Cpu getting too hot can even cause your PC to completely reboot. Dont want that in the middle of a session right?
Then again if your computer is too loud then just keep it in the same room and take out the fans and replace with a liquid cooling system. Pure silence there.

Pure silence until a leak spills fluid onto your motherboard and fries it!

In all likelihood that wouldn't happen, but my friend had a liquid cooled system do that on him. Since then I've never even considered them an option.

[DSD_Mastering]

All our computers are in the closet and we use the extra fans that the vendors place inside the rack cases. They're loud as hell, but who cares!

Regards,

[fastonkeys]

Congrats on your move! I think moving computers into a closet or something equivalent is really the only solution for dealing with the noise - and to that end (due to space limitations) I opted for an IsoBox from Sound Construction and Design. This is basically a mini closet on wheels, but with the added (and very important) element of ventilation.

I agree with the previous reply- ventilation into the enclosed area is much more the issue than heat dissipation from within the computer(s). The key is not letting hot air build up or increase the operating temperature of the enclosed environment.

I found the IsoBox very sufficient in terms of bringing cooler room temp air (from the floor) - btw, it really helps if you have this on a wooden floor vs. carpet - BUT, I was having problems getting the air out of the unit, so I hired a professional AC contractor and they installed an "extraction system" which pulls air out of the unit via ducting. Kind of hard to explain, and EVEN if I was using a closet, the same factors would apply.

The advantage of a closet, albeit limited, is that you probably have more cubic feet to deal with, but regardless, you need to ensure airflow. Replacing warm air with cool air is the key, and natural convection only works to the extent that the air has some place to go.

For what it's worth, I took the top off my primary rack mounted computer in the IsoBox... didn't make that much of a diff.

Here's a picture:



Hope this helps!

Adrian Sakashita's Music

[plexisys]

I manage several hundred computers. Always keep the case sealed it's how it's designed to cool best. Make a habit of going in every other month and blow the inside of the machine out with canned air. Put a thermometer in the space where you have your computer, As long as it stays at 80 degrees or below in the space you should be fine.

[Old Goat]

I put my computer in the closet next to the room. I leave the case closed, but I find I need to leave the closet door open when I'm working. There are pictures in this thread about my tracking/mixing room--

The room is done!

My ASUS mobo has a temp and performance display, and I haven't even gotten really warm yet! And it's quiet!

[alyricalmind]

Computers cool better with the case closed due to the way they are designed. Case open equals more dirt, more sound and more heat...

[undertone]

Thanks to all for the shared experiences. I've been running the cases closed and while I don't have a thermometer for in case measurement, the CPU cores (a dual and a quad 6600) never go beyond 49 C even at sustained full throttle (induced 100%) and the air coming out of the back of the cases is only mildly warm.

The front mounted drives are reading 39 C according to the SMART data, which is fine and I did a kleenex test which clearly shows air is being pulled in from the front vents where it cools the drives first. These Sonata II cases seem well designed.

Fortunately the room the computers are in is more the size of a bathroom than a closet, and it opens into another smaller room which in turn connects to a corridor, so there's plenty of heat dissipation.

I'm still getting used to the silence and the absence of heat buildup. After bass traps, this is the best thing I've done for my humble studio.

Case closed! thumbsup

[aussie_techie]

Originally Posted by ckreon

the cases are actually designed to ventilate properly entirely enclosed.

yes but they are also designed to take in cool air and put out hot air but if the room temperature is hotter than desired or they are in a small space where there air air is just circulating through then the sealed case doesnt work as it should.

Originally Posted by timbreman

Then again if your computer is too loud then just keep it in the same room and take out the fans and replace with a liquid cooling system. Pure silence there.

not the ones that use fans to disparate the heat after its been pulled after from the cpu or if the fluid pump is noisy.

Originally Posted by ckreon

Pure silence until a leak spills fluid onto your motherboard and fries it!

In all likelihood that wouldn't happen, but my friend had a liquid cooled system do that on him. Since then I've never even considered them an option.

if your serious about fluid cooling then you use fluorinert sprayed directly on the cpu and mobo, hell just put the entire system in a bath of fluorinert, just as long as lighting never hits it. water cooling is not only unsafe but its not nearly as efficient, so imo why bother with it.