Computer placement question

[JE78]

I'm thinking of getting a new computer desk and the one i'm looking at has a cabnet for the tower. This one to be exact. My question is will this effect my computers airflow and overall temps to a dangrous level? I've got 3 fans in my computer now, 4 if you count the one on the PSU. 1 front intake 1 side intake and 1 rear exust. If I did get this desk would leaving the front door off help? Right now I have my computer set on a table with now air restrictions at all.

 

[sparkey]

nice looking desk but my wife has a desk very similar to that ine with the puter in its little cubby hole and last summer she had 3-4 shut down due to over heating (no a/c),
she took it out of the "hole" and no probs for the rest of the summer
tom

 

[pkme2]

I had this computer desk style for quite a few years until I decided to build my own design.
But, for one system,I recommend this Cuzzi

 

[Zepper]

If it was me (and unless the desk maker had already taken care of ventilation in some way - cool air intake at bottom front, warm air exhaust at upper rear), I'd be cutting out a big section of the floor of the PC compartment near the front (leaving enough wood to hold the PC) and lining it with metal mesh plus maybe a piece of foam AC filter material and cutting a hole or two in the back of the pedestal near the top for a fan(s). Definitely can't run a PC in an enclosed space if you want reliability and longevity out of it. All the fans in the world inside the PC itself won't save it - it would be just like running ducts from your exhaust fans right back into your intake fans.

I like that Cuzzi linked above too - but you can get similar at the big-box stores for less if you like the modern open-air style. But I take it you like (or require for image sake) the more formal style of furniture.

Also (unless the quality of their surface laminate has improved GREATLY recently) be very careful what you set directly on top of the laminated surfaces of that Bush/O'Sullivan type of furniture. Many types of rubbers will leech the plasticizers right out of it and make very ugly messes so protect the laminate surface with felt (or other dense cloth) or cork pads from any type of softer rubber or plastic materials (e.g. the non-slip feet on printers, scanners, other equipment, etc.). Another option is to put laminate over the Bush laminate like Formica or the GE equivalent that isn't so sensitive. Or cut a sheet of 1/4" furniture grade plywood and put a nice polyurethane/stain finish on it to cover the Bush laminate. OTOH, you could get REAL wood furniture to begin with and not have to worry about it. More money, of course... Like your mama taught you - never put anything in direct, long-term contact with "nice" wood surfaces: felt, cork, cloth only.

.bh.

 

[JE78]

Thanks guys. I was thinking if I got a desk like that with the cubby hole for the tower I'd leave the front door off of it and make sure there wasn't anything blocking the back. I think that would allow the air to move around alot more but I just want to make sure its not going to hurt the computer.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Also (unless the quality of their surface laminate has improved GREATLY recently) be very careful what you set directly on top of the laminated surfaces of that Bush/O'Sullivan type of furniture. Many types of rubbers will leech the plasticizers right out of it and make very ugly messes so protect the laminate surface with felt (or other dense cloth) or cork pads from any type of softer rubber or plastic materials (e.g. the non-slip feet on printers, scanners, other equipment, etc.). Another option is to put laminate over the Bush laminate like Formica or the GE equivalent that isn't so sensitive. Or cut a sheet of 1/4" furniture grade plywood and put a nice polyurethane/stain finish on it to cover the Bush laminate. OTOH, you could get REAL wood furniture to begin with and not have to worry about it. More money, of course... Like your mama taught you - never put anything in direct, long-term contact with "nice" wood surfaces: felt, cork, cloth only.

.bh.

IMHO, void-free plywood (of suitable thickness) is definitely sturdy enough for home use.

 

[Zepper]

When I say furniture grade plywood, I mean "cabinet grade", i.e. one side has a special veneer of a furniture hardwood like walnut, etc. When I say "real" wood, I'm including that type of plywood - just not the laminated pressed board/particle board of which the Bush/O'Sullivan stuff is normally made.

.bh.

 

[Luckyboy1]

Even though leaving the front and back panels off of the cabinet in question is far better, it will still help setup a "zone" of air to have it enclosed on four sides (remember, there are 6 sides to a cube!) and as a result, it will run at least somewhat hotter having it in that cabinet than on the floor besides, or not as good, under the desk, which is where most PC's end up. That "zone" of air will localize to a degree the cooling flow and may reduce the total cooling you get.

However, so long as it's not an overclocked product and you take care to clean dust bunnies out every now and then, I say it will be fine in the cabinet as long as the front and back are completely exposed, which in my mind makes it a...

Why bother doing that?

type proposition, but that's me and you'll have to decide what's important to you and yours! My best of luck to you!

 

[JE78]

I do have the CPU overclocked a bit, its AMD64 3200+ 939 Vince core OCed to 2.36. But I do see what your saying, I'd hate to get that desk and have my temps jump 10 degrees and then have shutdowns. I guess i'll keep thinking about it, but thanks for the advice.