FAO: Bluefront ---- Just got my hands on an old server case

[DanW]

And need to make it quiet. I'll need to transfer the contents from my old server (which was just a full tower) to this one.

Currently my old server is effectivly silent thanks to really really messy ducting and a BE Quiet! PSU with built in fan controller.

For a star I plan on getting rid of the front facia and drilling many many holes (or just some large ones in the front) in the case to allow for better air flow.

After that I'm not sure. The case has got some holes in the main structure to allow for some degree of cable management but I might change that.

I'm not sure whether to go into bluefront teritory and start playing with wood. I might have to after I've removed the front facia.

Anyone got any ideas on air flow design? Especially on the rear of the case, there doesn't look to be too manay places to drill into and mount a fan(s).

I might draw up some more ideas tonight when I'm back home.

I'll need some sort of multi-HDD silencing going on. As I might pop my SATA disks from my current PC into there as they're getting too noisy for my current P180.



Any ideas greatfully accepted (even if they are, throw it out the windows! )

[J. Sparrow]

I have a similar (empty) case, there is not enough space to mount a silent exhaust fan in the lower chamber, and the PSU hangs just over the CPU making things even worse.

With some DIY you might manage to fix those issues, but it's too much work IMO

[DanW]

I have a similar (empty) case, there is not enough space to mount a silent exhaust fan in the lower chamber, and the PSU hangs just over the CPU making things even worse.

With some DIY you might manage to fix those issues, but it's too much work IMO

I think I might give it a go when I've got my bro to respray the case and take out some of the metal.

Maybe get the air flow to go upwards through the hole in the middle might be interesting option even if I'm passing warm air past the PSU...

[J. Sparrow]

With some drilling and dremel-ing you could move the PSU up. If you limit air exchange between the two chambers, you could also put the exhaust on the front and reverse the heatsink. Don't know how quiet that setup could be, though...

[DanW]

Right, this is what I've got so far. A rough Google Sketch-up drawing of the case. I plan on having it this darker black like the dark side case.
I can say one thing for Sketch-up considering I've only just gone through the quick tutorials, it's a whole lot easier to use than AutoCad 2007.

[ronrem]

I got a similar old beast,seriously thought about installing 2 systems in one box-but I'll instead mod it up for silence. Put some wheels on that big dude,like 5" wagon tires,that gives the bottom clearance to open much of the floor for a big filtered inlet. I believe Bluefront has a project where he used a K & N automotive air filter.

Then decide if it's max silence or a semi-quiet game rig. How many HDD's?

I had another scrap cage so I cut it up,saved the rear -Mobo tray as a unit. Then I could cut open the rear of my server box,as needed and install the aligned mobo platform at any level. My PSU is mounted in the bottom. I made a HD case of the casing of a dead car stereo amp,finned cast aluminum,and the HD's,PSU share the bottom. I had room then at the top rear for a 140 mm fan. I'll be getting an Enermax Green fan,600 rpm at 12 v. Stick a Ninja on a Sempron 3000 and it's easy to get cool + quiet.

I'll use some backpacker foam internally and I have some rubber backed carpet I'll do the outside with. I painted the front plastic black,did the front up in gloss finished oak and some perforated stainless steel. Attached shaped oak to the DVD door. Looks good so far. I still need much of the internals-beyond what's getting moved over from this puter.

My case held a 486 powered server with a pair of SCSI HDs the size of a CD drive (each) with 5" platters...but less than 200 MB capacity


someday I'll finish....