Anyone have their computer in their desk cubby hole?

[Nickrand]

Long time reader, infrequent poster .......

I've always had my computer tower out on top of a table/bookshelf. However, I just got a nice new computer desk yesterday and put the tower into the little cubby hole on the one side and holy crap, the heat radiating out of the space after an hour or two was intense.

Is it possible to add some fans and keep my computer in there? Or do I need to move it outside the desk, perhaps to the side by the wall.

I'm not running anything fancy, no overclocking. A64 3000+, nvidia 6800, standard case with a couple fans on it, etc...

Any tips would be much appreciated.

 

[Zepper]

Generally you have to open the back of the cubby, either cut vent holes near the top of the back and/or add a fan in a hole back there. It's like putting a PC inside a second case and airflow has to be considered all over again. A PC won't be happy in an enclosed space.

.bh.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Zepper
A PC won't be happy in an enclosed space.

That's true!

Computers need to breathe, and so do TVs - don't put either in a cabinet...

 

[Paperdoc]

I realised this problem in designing my new system. So, how do you create an open space for air flow at the back of the cubbyhole and still maintain desk strength? Remember that the fiberboard sheet that usually is nailed over the back of the cubbyhole is important for desk structure, particularly for preventing distortion from a rectangle to a parallelogram. To remove that panel, or even to cut a lot of holes in it, weakens it.

My solution was to find a sturdy metal gridwork. I removed the fiberboard panel and replaced it with the metal gridwork (firmly and rigidly attached), hoping that it is stiff enough to provide the desk mechanical properties while also giving large open area for air flow. And of course, the desk must not be pushed up against a wall, so the air actually has a place to go once it makes it out through the gridwork.

As a side benefit, this design provides lots of places for cables to enter the back of the cubbyhole to reach the computer's connectors.

 

[Geomagick]

My desk has a cupboard which was fine for housing my computer initially, however that all stopped some years ago when my Athlon 1333 system just kicked out too much heat and became quite unstable. Ever since then my PC has been by itself on the floor and is all the better for it.

 

[VinDSL]

Let's put it this way...

My web host maintains 1000's of servers at their NOC. They spend more on electricity than bandwidth - $30,000 a month. Why?

The owner told me if the servers get above 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31C) they start losing equipment!

Free Willy!

If you want to 'hide' your computer, stick it another room and run it across a LAN - don't put it in a 'cubby'!