Moving Computers Away From Users

[Josiah92]

Hi All! I'm looking for some help looking over my plan and parts list as a sanity check (because this is driving me crazy)!

 

Background

I have a second floor office that can heat up a little from the sun. I then filled this room with 2 gaming computers, 2 "servers" (old computers), 2 mini computers, 9 monitors, networking equipment, 4 humans, and a dog. This causes the room to heat up a lot. The servers and gaming PCs aren't the quietest either. I then took the time to build sit-stand desks for the family and doled out specific spaces for each person. Only after building the desks and installing everything did I realize that my spacing calculation was off and to use secondary monitors, me and my wife needed our computers moved. We don't have enough leg room to mount under the desks. Que my dreams off purchasing and setting up a server rack for everything in a separate room (Thank you Linus for the seed planted in my head)! Reality set in and the computers have to stay in the room, I can't re-purchase all of my computers as rack mountable, I can't have any of the fun new routers, network controllers, switches, internet speeds, no UPSs (for the moment), and cost is a factor (Reality bites). It's also key to note that one gaming machine is Intel and the other is AMD and I'm looking to implement the same solution for both computers for "simplicity". I'm also trying to run the gaming monitors at 1440p @144hz at 8bit depth without HDR with RGB color space (but would like 4:4:4 to reach the monitors).

 

Problem Statement

Find a way to reduce the heat generation and noise in the room, in a space conscience and financially responsible way.

Financially responsible in this context meaning not buying the cheapest junk, but instead purchasing the lowest price freely available for good products from brands that will support issues. (I know, I had to throw the hardball in!)

 

Plan

Rack: Purchase a server rack, install two shelves with each shelf holding two computers, and install a shelf to hold networking equipment. Purchase/ 3D print a vent shroud to attach to the top of the rack and funnel the hot air through rigid/flexible ducting to a window insert. Install fans and panels on the front of the rack to control air entering and not exiting the rack through the front.

Video: Run active display port cables to where each gaming machine was and then use an MST hub to split the signal for extended desktop.

Data: Run active USB 3 to where each gaming computer was, then adapt from USB-A to USB-C, and then attach a USB dock/hub to connect [keyboard, mouse, USB headphones, microphone, flash drives, and 3.5mm speakers].

 

Issues

Some things I've run into already include:

• AMD CPU is said to not be compatible with readily available Thunderbolt 3/4 add-in cards
• Motherboards don't have USB-C with DisplayPort alt mode
• USB-C native cables are multitudes more expensive
• Running the cables in a wife approved manner requires about 40'ish feet cables (would like extra to in sure a good reach).

 

Parts

Server Rack: https://www.newegg.com/sysracks-srf-42-6-9-g-rack-enclosure/p/2BA-004S-000B7?Item=9SIB8H8GWZ8035&quicklink=true
Long Active DisplayPort Cable(s): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1664717-REG/iogear_gdp14aoc20_8k_displayport_optical_cable.html/overview
DisplayPort MST Splitter: https://www.newegg.com/p/183-00HU-00028?Item=9SIBFMPJ5K9654&Description=displayport 1.4 mst&cm_re=displayport_1.4 mst-_-9SIBFMPJ5K9654-_-Product&cm_sp=SP-_-1579026-_-0-_-2-_-9SIBFMPJ5K9654-_-displayport 1.4 mst-_-1.4|displayport-_-17
Long Active USB 3 Cable: https://www.newegg.com/black-tripp-lite-65-ft-usb-3-0/p/N82E16812329608?Item=9SIAFJ86WS5360&quicklink=true
USB Dock/Hub: https://www.newegg.com/wavlink-wl-umd501-gray/p/1DN-0023-00062?Item=9SIA6PFDAV1885
USB-C to USB-A: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1642996-REG/crucial_ctusbcfusbamad_crucial_x6_and_x8.html

[UnknownWalls]

Usb4 is the equivalent of thunderbolt four. Since thunderbolt is a Intel product, Amd cannot use it.

[L583]

No matter how much you plan a project like this ahead of time, you have to be prepared for potentially a big amount of trouble shooting and maybe issues that need an entirely new plan. The support for something like this is limited at best.

 

The Easiest way I can think of would be to just undervolt your hardware in the summer. Fixed heat and noise problems for me.

But if you want to pour your heart into a tech project like this, go for it. I have never built something like it, so you'll need someone else for that.

[RollyShed]

Put semi-transparent metal foil on the windows to reflect sun heat from entering the room.

 

Line the ceiling with sound absorbing tiles. We are about to do it in a tea-room and workshops. Tiles are about 50 mm thick and are glued to the ceiling and walls if you want to add more.

 

USB-A to USB-C cables here are $6 or up to about $30. We obviously buy the $6 ones

[The 8-Bit Time Traveller]

Depending on how you game, and how crucial latency is, I have had very good experience with streaming. This means that you can set up your noisy and hot equipment in a place where it does not cause any bother, and then stream your games to low powered devices.

 

I use it exclusively for couch gaming, streaming steam to my Shield TV at 1080p. 

 

My gaming rig for that was initially a VM running on an 11th gen intel NUC running unRaid, but I had trouble sharing the GPU between a PLEX container and the VM. I now have a dedicated machine, and old i5 3330 with an RX550, which I use to stream couch-co-op games as well as emulation using STEAM/Retroarch. I went as far as putting the gaming machine in a server rack at work, which has a 100mbps wireless link to my house, and the lag is barely noticeable, though YMMV.

 

You can take things further by building a maxed out a gaming system with PROXMOX. It allows you to use Virtual GPU's thereby sharing one powerful GPU between multiple VMs.

 

You can then use any old laptop / SFF PC as a sort of "Thin Client" for your gaming

 

 

[insufferable_pedant]

So I know that it's not really the feedback you're looking for, but if you want the simplest, most cost effective solution, have you considered installing an AC unit? Based on all the hardware you're running, I'm assuming that electricity costs aren't really a concern, and a window AC unit can be had relatively affordably. It may not entirely eliminate your heat issues, but it'll definitely help. Even if a window unit isn't an option, I can say from personal experience that one of those "portable" units is better than nothing, especially if you supplement it with a fan to help blow the cold air around the room. 

 

Obviously this doesn't help the sound issue, but it definitely addresses the heat. 

[Josiah92]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:38 PM, UnknownWallsTwitch said:

Usb4 is the equivalent of thunderbolt four. Since thunderbolt is a Intel product, Amd cannot use it.

Yeah, I believe Thunderbolt 3 was included in the USB4 spec, so they are probably pretty comparable. I didn't see any USB4 add-on cards though and my motherboards aren't equipped with USB4.

[Josiah92]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:16 PM, Caroline said:

This man's room is bigger than my entire house lmao

 

The rack idea is fine but you'll need fast fans to get rid of all of the heat, and since the rack uses small turbines they're gonna be noisy, if you care about noise those are a no-no. There's a rack at work and I assure you those fans are noisy asf.

 

What would work better for you are larger fans, since I'm a performance nut and really don't care about looks I'd put all of that equipment on a normal rack, put plastic cover on the sides and top and blow air using box fans. I have no need for 6 computers so I might be overestimating the power of box fans.

 

The plan, though as someone else stated will probably change as I'm ordering and working on , is to cover the front mesh with some good fans and some 3D printed panels. I'll was thinking I could replace the top fans if they are too noise as well.

 

I won't doubt the power of the box fan, but to meet the wife approval factor I'm using the nicely constructed and painted rack. I've already talked for years about janky cobbled together setups. She supports me in those, but asks for them to be out of sight and at the new house that leaves me with hard to reach spots. I'm old enough not to want to put janky stuff in hard to reach spots anymore.

[Josiah92]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:27 PM, RollyShed said:

Put semi-transparent metal foil on the windows to reflect sun heat from entering the room.

 

Line the ceiling with sound absorbing tiles. We are about to do it in a tea-room and workshops. Tiles are about 50 mm thick and are glued to the ceiling and walls if you want to add more.

 

USB-A to USB-C cables here are $6 or up to about $30. We obviously buy the $6 ones

 

On 3/28/2023 at 9:37 PM, TechlessBro said:

Call a commercial window tinting company.

they should have 95% or higher thermal rejection tint.

Its almost clear and can stay in place for a decade.

or get mirrored stuff so no one can see the computers.

 

Bonus it stops windows being smashed in, but will allow the windows to be smashed outwards. It works for storms as well a burglar which is nice.
Double bonus it keeps the glass together and safer escaping in a fire etc.

 

I REALLY like these ideas! I'll definitely be talking with the wife and looking up some local companies to help with the summer sun.

 

Now it's just the heat from thousands of watts of power in the room to deal with

[Josiah92]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:16 PM, The 8-Bit Time Traveller said:

Depending on how you game, and how crucial latency is, I have had very good experience with streaming. This means that you can set up your noisy and hot equipment in a place where it does not cause any bother, and then stream your games to low powered devices.

 

I use it exclusively for couch gaming, streaming steam to my Shield TV at 1080p. 

 

My gaming rig for that was initially a VM running on an 11th gen intel NUC running unRaid, but I had trouble sharing the GPU between a PLEX container and the VM. I now have a dedicated machine, and old i5 3330 with an RX550, which I use to stream couch-co-op games as well as emulation using STEAM/Retroarch. I went as far as putting the gaming machine in a server rack at work, which has a 100mbps wireless link to my house, and the lag is barely noticeable, though YMMV.

 

You can take things further by building a maxed out a gaming system with PROXMOX. It allows you to use Virtual GPU's thereby sharing one powerful GPU between multiple VMs.

 

You can then use any old laptop / SFF PC as a sort of "Thin Client" for your gaming

 

 

I use Parsec for the couch gaming setup. I really like it as a cheap and easy enough solution, but I'm looking to get that low latency, high refresh rate, and rock solid reliable solution for this one. (I do realize that this is adding hardware which is more points of failure, but in the middle of gaming it SHOULD be "fairly" rock solid...I'm hoping).