AV rack vs Server rack?

Psittac · November 3

What's the difference between an AV rack and a server rack? I just bought a nice AV rack from FB marketplace for my upcoming surround system but was contemplating putting my servers in it too. The only difference I can come up with is air flow. I'm going to set it up tonight and try two old arse dell servers in it and see if they overheat. Just wanted to see if there is some insight I'm missing.

Blue4130 · November 3

7 minutes ago, Psittac said:

What's the difference between an AV rack and a server rack? I just bought a nice AV rack from FB marketplace for my upcoming surround system but was contemplating putting my servers in it too. The only difference I can come up with is air flow. I'm going to set it up tonight and try two old arse dell servers in it and see if they overheat. Just wanted to see if there is some insight I'm missing.

There is no difference other than name. There are multiple kinds of each rack. 4 post, two post, open, enclosed. All can be A/V or server racks.

Needfuldoer · November 3

I've been in the TV industry for 15 years, and we've installed plenty of servers in "AV" racks and AV equipment in server racks. The line between "AV" and "IT" has gotten extremely blurry in that time, but here are the main practical differences nowadays:

AV equipment is usually designed to hang off its rack ears, so AV racks have threaded holes to directly accept 10-32 screws. (Older racks may have 12-24 threaded screw holes.) Most of them are too shallow to fully enclose servers, so server rails are adjustable to make the back of the chassis poke out of the rack. The manufacturers also tend to put more effort into making them look nice, since some will end up in recording studios near a workstation.

Servers live in rails installed in four post racks that are (typically) at least 36 inches deep. The uprights have square holes that server rails just click into. (Old racks have round holes.) Equipment that needs threaded inserts will require installing cage nuts so the screws have something to thread into.

As long as the servers have unimpeded airflow from front to back, they'll be fine. Some AV equipment vents side to side, but servers and network infrastructure devices are almost universally vented end-to-end with the intake on the front. (You can get fans for switches and routers that blow back-to-front, in case you install them facing the hot side of a hot-aisle cold-aisle room.)

Psittac · November 3

Thank you very much!

Psittac · November 3

I got to mess around with it a little tonight and got my stereo equipment in, and when I decided to test the servers fitment I realized that the rack mounts I have require the square holes and not threaded holes. I looked a little at the rack and it appears that if I were to rotate the bars which have threads on them to a different orientation it might allow for servers to be installed? (let me try and get a picture of what I'm talking about..... The more I look at it the more I'm thinking this isn't a thing.... more like that's just what the metal they used looks like.

ok well I went to link the product and found the manual which doesn't mention anything of this. It's a 27U AV Rack Audio Component Rack and Home Theater

Are there rack mounts that utilize the threaded holes? I might just put the server on a shelf to test it out. I ran out of enthusiasm and energy to work on it anymore, this is just temporary.