[sf-lug] sf-lug site & hardware

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Michael Paoli (Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu):

> That system that was in the colo - 1U unit, is comparatively noisy
> (I've gotten a bit spoiled mostly not listening to fan noise of such
> volume - even though it uses a fan and airflow design that mostly
> avoids tiny 1U high-RPM fan(s) - it's still noisier than most typical
> desktop systems - but less noisy than many typical 1U servers). 

Man, yes, that noise is horrible.  It's bad enough with typical 2U
units.  

Until 2000, I had my 2U server in the upstairs vestibule area outside my
apartment in SOMA (CoffeeNet Internet cafe building, Harrison nr. 3rd),
and I could ignore the noise because it wasn't in my living space.
However, when my wife and I moved down to Menlo Park in 2000, and
suddenly I had the 2U in my living room, I slowly realised that I'd
started unconsciously avoiding that side of the room.  So, when we moved
a few blocks to my old family house in 2006, servers got banished to
utility space where it wouldn't drive us crazy.  And that's with 2U 
form factor.  1U is _way_ worse.

About the only thing one can do, if the hardware cannot be banished to
outside of living space, is replace the original fans with better
aftermarket fans.  Original equipment fans, even from manufacturers you
would expect to skew towards quality, tend to be abysmal:  They tend to
not only have poor airflow design (creating turbulence, hence noise) but
also to be built with cheap sleeve bearings that are noisy throughout
their service life and kill the fans young.  A seized-up case fan is
worse than useless, because it not only fails to vent heat but also adds
to the heat load.

Anyway, I'd not want to put up with that banshee wail, either.

-- 
Cheers,                               "I don't need to test my programs. 
Rick Moen                             I have an error-correcting modem."
rick at linuxmafia.com                                         -- Om I. Baud
McQ! (4x80)                           https://thc.org/root/phun/unmaintain.html