[TriLUG] Slightly OT: Are there Really Quiet Computer Case Fans?

[Jim Ray]

Yes, quite fans exist.  Watch the air flow rating (CFM, cubic feet per
minute) and noise rating (dBA, decibels A weighted).  I had used Sunon for
the manufacturer and specified model# KDE1204PKS3 for my 1U 19" rack mount
unit.  You might have to get specifications from the manufacturer and parts
from electronics distribution like Avent.  I got tired of listening to that
Compaq Proliant that sounded like a helicopter taking off.

Now, other principals analogous to proper HVAC design come into play that
will allow you to *remove* fans: laminar air flow and air flow control.
Because most PC have more than one component with a fan, one must consider
all inlets and outlets.  By changing the direction of air flow on all
components to maximize air flow over the microprocessor, one may take
advantage of the other fans and completely remove the fan on the
microprocessor.

I bought a Fluke meter with a thermal probe to measure my results and have
some pictures at the bottom of the document that show what I did with my
unit.  Pardon the formal nature of the text.  It had been written as a
patent yet was never submitted.  I had rather spend $400 on a ski trip and
don't think I'll be going into PC design any time soon.  It was a lot of
fun, though.  Enjoy!

http://www.neuse.net/thermochannel.htm

BTW, polyethylene phthalate is simply a fancy name for a piece of Mylar
(DuPont Teijin Films).  The prototype is available for view if anybody is
interested.

Hth,

Jim


-----Original Message-----
From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org] On Behalf
Of Scott Chilcote
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 9:48 PM
To: trilug at trilug.org
Subject: [TriLUG] Slightly OT: Are there Really Quiet Computer Case Fans?


Hi Folks,

My job has me working within a six feet of a dual Xeon server.  It has 
at least five noisy fans, and sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

I'm considering a ways to quiet this box, and one of them is to buy some 
   fans that claim to be quiet to replace the current ones.  I have no 
idea how much this would help - for all I know, it has them already.

Does anyone know whether truly quiet fans exist, or is this just an 
advertising ploy?

Another possibility is to buy some ethernet KVM tranceivers and move the 
machine elsewhere.  Besides the $$$ these cost, I'm short on alternative 
space.

If you've had a good experience with quieter fans, or have come up with 
a better solution for this, please let me know.  Replacing the system 
isn't an option, but I've thought about putting it in a quieter box.

I can't scrape up enough for one of these:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20040115/index.html

But it sure would be sweet!

--
Scott C.


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