The lazy home sysadmin's more hardcore dust-free solution

[Ranko Kohime]

In this thread, I shared my results from my offsite backup server being stored in a plastic bin with no ventilation, and the results were quite tolerable as far as temperatures go.

My main server had to be moved into a basement lately, so I've been experimenting with using it in a plastic bin as well for a while, and the results are equally impressive. The main server has a larger container, but also more powerful components, doing more work.

In addition to this, I started adding my DVD/Blu-Ray library to Emby, with some of the encoding being done in a 4-core VM on the server itself. In addition to the CPU chart, I picked the 2 hottest disks out of a tight stack of 8.

Because this is an uninhabited basement, AND it's in a tub that drowns some of the noise, I have no issues running the fans at 100% full time, which contributes to the relatively low temperatures; moving the heat away from the components is the most important thing, where it's exhausted to less so, as the plastic of the bin is nowhere near a perfect insulator.

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Hopefully this gives some of you bad ideas.

 

[HoneyBadger]

This is the kind of bad idea I can get behind. Or seal into a box and cook with.

Have you considered using a Peltier device (thermoelectric cooler) or similar, if noise isn't a concern? I'm having a crazy idea of putting a tiny box inside a camp cooler I have and see what the thermal end result is.

 

[Ranko Kohime]

This is the kind of bad idea I can get behind. Or seal into a box and cook with.

Have you considered using a Peltier device (thermoelectric cooler) or similar, if noise isn't a concern? I'm having a crazy idea of putting a tiny box inside a camp cooler I have and see what the thermal end result is.

I think the key here is to not have insulation. The bin I'm using is the standard Rubbermaid variety, I would imagine that a camp cooler would nuke even my more modest backup server from the previous thread.

As for peltier, not really needed (unless you're cooking with it). I did forget to mention that the bin for the larger server is 40 gallons in size, and so has a good bit of air to circulate around compared to the backup server.

ETA: There is heat dissipation going on, the side of the bin towards the rear of the case is noticeably warmer than ambient, hence my comment on insulation.