Pro/Forums - View Single Post - Fileserver cases that are good for watercooling?

stevecs · 07-29-2006, 05:39 AM

Shoebox: interesting case pictures for the drives.

Yes, I completely agree that HDs are not 100% silent and when at spin up/down, accessing (seek/read/write) they do make noise. I work at a datacenter and some of the frames that we have with >500 drives in them you can here it above some of the 20ton coolers that we have.

HammerSandwich: I've used numerous fans though not specifically the one you mentioned. The _ONLY_ reason I'm using 80's in the current environment is that they are built-in to the external raid5 towers (8fans per tower). That's all going away. My personal systems (ie, not the 'server') uses 120 & 160mm fans (mechantronics, comairrotron, papst, ystech, sunon, and sinwan to name a few, but generally the quietest that I've played with is probably around ~20db(a) but also run some of the louder fans at 7volts so they are much quieter than rated). Mainly I try to use 38mm fans so I can use them as spares for water cooling et al for the higher static presure ratings that they have, though they are louder than the 20mm fans.

My first goal here is to find a case that can handle 24-32 drives and (hopefully) remove all fans from it or at least all but say one fan (and that I have no problem getting a 180mm or 240mm slow-rotation fan for). The drive access sounds is not a concern for this particular environment as they would have a sound level much lower than current. Plus if I can get the fans out of the case that would allow me to baffle the entire rack.

As for water cooling, yes the pump does make some noise which is why I submerge them and vibration isolate them w/ gromets. Once that's done you can put your ear on it and hear a small 'hum' being transmitted through the water but even 1' away you can't hear anything. sound meter doesn't pick it up over background at all. (remember this is 100% passive radiator no fans.)

07-29-2006, 05:39 AM	#16
stevecs Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: US Posts: 9	Re: Fileserver cases that are good for watercooling? Shoebox: interesting case pictures for the drives. Yes, I completely agree that HDs are not 100% silent and when at spin up/down, accessing (seek/read/write) they do make noise. I work at a datacenter and some of the frames that we have with >500 drives in them you can here it above some of the 20ton coolers that we have. HammerSandwich: I've used numerous fans though not specifically the one you mentioned. The _ONLY_ reason I'm using 80's in the current environment is that they are built-in to the external raid5 towers (8fans per tower). That's all going away. My personal systems (ie, not the 'server') uses 120 & 160mm fans (mechantronics, comairrotron, papst, ystech, sunon, and sinwan to name a few, but generally the quietest that I've played with is probably around ~20db(a) but also run some of the louder fans at 7volts so they are much quieter than rated). Mainly I try to use 38mm fans so I can use them as spares for water cooling et al for the higher static presure ratings that they have, though they are louder than the 20mm fans. My first goal here is to find a case that can handle 24-32 drives and (hopefully) remove all fans from it or at least all but say one fan (and that I have no problem getting a 180mm or 240mm slow-rotation fan for). The drive access sounds is not a concern for this particular environment as they would have a sound level much lower than current. Plus if I can get the fans out of the case that would allow me to baffle the entire rack. As for water cooling, yes the pump does make some noise which is why I submerge them and vibration isolate them w/ gromets. Once that's done you can put your ear on it and hear a small 'hum' being transmitted through the water but even 1' away you can't hear anything. sound meter doesn't pick it up over background at all. (remember this is 100% passive radiator no fans.)