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Topic: Suggestions for cooling / air circulating fans? (Read 1422 times)

hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
Looking at your picture I'm guessing that's and overhead door behind your rack. If it is and this room is air controlled, turn that rack around. The unit for circulating air is probably behind you and the intakes on these cards are on the back. Your blowing hot air towards the ac unit which is pushing it back to the cards circulating the 'dirty' air back into the cards. Just a theory and idea.

Good suggestion, but the air handler is actually overhead and blows down.  What I really need is a raised floor!
sr. member
Activity: 476
Merit: 500
Looking at your picture I'm guessing that's and overhead door behind your rack. If it is and this room is air controlled, turn that rack around. The unit for circulating air is probably behind you and the intakes on these cards are on the back. Your blowing hot air towards the ac unit which is pushing it back to the cards circulating the 'dirty' air back into the cards. Just a theory and idea.
hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
I would move the shelves of the rack together as close as they can go while still fitting the rigs in there, turn all the rigs 90 degrees, block off the long front and back of the racks with cardboard or such, and zip tie two or three big box fans to the side to blow air through the shelves and through the cards.

I like the out of the box thinking.  The problem with that (other than the easily flammable cardboard next to all those hot electronics) is that you end up with something like the Human Centipede.  The first rig gets nice clean air. The ones behind it have to eat the output of the one in front.

hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
  I've got a few ideas I will toss around with you when I return from work again... Will just edit here.

  I am also curious to know any others ideas you have, as well as the large fan one. 20" fan for 2 shelves and possibly smaller one for remaining shelf is what you had in mind so far?

Great.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Current ideas:

1)Get one 80 or 120mm fan behind each GPU to blow fresh air directly on/into the GPU (each does about 20-25 CFM).  That would be 4 per rig, or about 60 per fully loaded rack.  I can get them on ebay for about $2.50 each, so somewhere around $10 per machine.  Not sure about power, but I would think it's around 4 watts each, or ~240W for the whole rack.

2) Little Honeywell 9" fans.  ~$14 each with tax.  I would use one per rig.  Puts out about 180CFM, which is double the 120mm fans, but it's more diffuse.  Not sure about power draw.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Heating-Cooling-Air-Quality-Portable-Fans/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbv6f/R-202182997/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

3) 20" box fans.  Somehow stack two wide by two tall.  Then maybe the little Honeywell one's for the top rack?
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1036
I would move the shelves of the rack together as close as they can go while still fitting the rigs in there, turn all the rigs 90 degrees, block off the long front and back of the racks with cardboard or such, and zip tie two or three big box fans to the side to blow air through the shelves and through the cards.
hero member
Activity: 504
Merit: 500
  I've got a few ideas I will toss around with you when I return from work again... Will just edit here.

  I am also curious to know any others ideas you have, as well as the large fan one. 20" fan for 2 shelves and possibly smaller one for remaining shelf is what you had in mind so far?
hero member
Activity: 504
Merit: 500
The ambient temperature around my open air rigs is fairly cool, but the air in the rack (5 shelves of 3 rigs each) isn't circulating well so the cards are running hotter than I want.

I could buy a big industrial fan but I'd rather have something more direct.  20" box fans would span more than one self and are a possibility.  Ideally, I would like an 8-10 inch fan for each rig to ensure the best circulation.  Any ideas on a cheap compact fan?  I'm thinking something in the $5 range.

  Thid would run you about $10 per fan and has temp display; http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PFN41-Cooling-Temperature-Display/dp/B00387OV84   Dimensions: 19'' x 4.3'' x 1.7''

  But, what size are your racks and what type enclosure so we know what will fit them?

Thanks sad panda.  I took a look at the link to the fan thing on Amazon.  I think I might need something wider.  Also, the reviews are pretty bad Sad

The rack is an open air shelf 48" W by 24" D.  Between each shelf is about 12" high.  Here's a (blurry) picture of one of the racks.




  God that's Hot!!! literally.. sexy too. =)
hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
The ambient temperature around my open air rigs is fairly cool, but the air in the rack (5 shelves of 3 rigs each) isn't circulating well so the cards are running hotter than I want.

I could buy a big industrial fan but I'd rather have something more direct.  20" box fans would span more than one self and are a possibility.  Ideally, I would like an 8-10 inch fan for each rig to ensure the best circulation.  Any ideas on a cheap compact fan?  I'm thinking something in the $5 range.

  Thid would run you about $10 per fan and has temp display; http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PFN41-Cooling-Temperature-Display/dp/B00387OV84   Dimensions: 19'' x 4.3'' x 1.7''

  But, what size are your racks and what type enclosure so we know what will fit them?

Thanks sad panda.  I took a look at the link to the fan thing on Amazon.  I think I might need something wider.  Also, the reviews are pretty bad Sad

The rack is an open air shelf 48" W by 24" D.  Between each shelf is about 12" high.  Here's a (blurry) picture of one of the racks.



hero member
Activity: 504
Merit: 500
The ambient temperature around my open air rigs is fairly cool, but the air in the rack (5 shelves of 3 rigs each) isn't circulating well so the cards are running hotter than I want.

I could buy a big industrial fan but I'd rather have something more direct.  20" box fans would span more than one self and are a possibility.  Ideally, I would like an 8-10 inch fan for each rig to ensure the best circulation.  Any ideas on a cheap compact fan?  I'm thinking something in the $5 range.

  This would run you about $10 per fan and has temp display; http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PFN41-Cooling-Temperature-Display/dp/B00387OV84   Dimensions: 19'' x 4.3'' x 1.7''

  But, what size are your racks and what type enclosure so we know what will fit them?
hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
The ambient temperature around my open air rigs is fairly cool, but the air in the rack (5 shelves of 3 rigs each) isn't circulating well so the cards are running hotter than I want.

I could buy a big industrial fan but I'd rather have something more direct.  20" box fans would span more than one self and are a possibility.  Ideally, I would like an 8-10 inch fan for each rig to ensure the best circulation.  Any ideas on a cheap compact fan?  I'm thinking something in the $5 range.
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