Motherboard Rack??

[elamigosam]

hey everyone, I wanted to get some comments on putting together 4 computers that I use as headless servers good or bad idea?

http://easycomputertutorial.com/motherboard-rack/

any comments or concerns?

thanks

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Part of the function of a properly designed case is to channel airflow around the system and help cooling. I'd also worry about cats, water, excess dust, ESD, etc.

If your motherboards are standard sizes (and not oddballs like the guy in that link) you're probably better off with an appropriately sized standard or rackmount case.

 

[elamigosam]

Part of the function of a properly designed case is to channel airflow around the system and help cooling. I'd also worry about cats, water, excess dust, ESD, etc.

If your motherboards are standard sizes (and not oddballs like the guy in that link) you're probably better off with an appropriately sized standard or rackmount case.

I think that placed in a designated area, away from pets and people and adding a decent fan to get some air flow might be a good idea. After all its just to not have several cases stacked up using more space, and they are headless servers.

Specialy if u cant afford a well designed rack

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think that placed in a designated area, away from pets and people and adding a decent fan to get some air flow might be a good idea. After all its just to not have several cases stacked up using more space, and they are headless servers.

Specialy if u cant afford a well designed rack

The thing you linked to is 1) big (a water bottle rack) and 2) not well designed. There's a LOT of wasted space there.

It depends on the hardware your "servers" are going to be made from, four slim or desktop style cases stacked one atop the other are going to be quite a bit smaller. And quite possibly cheaper too.

 

[elamigosam]

The thing you linked to is 1) big (a water bottle rack) and 2) not well designed. There's a LOT of wasted space there.

It depends on the hardware your "servers" are going to be made from, four slim or desktop style cases stacked one atop the other are going to be quite a bit smaller. And quite possibly cheaper too.

Yea but those small server are really loud, and i had to leave room for the psu fan to have some airflow.
Also i had several types of hardware and i keept it as cheap as i could.
Had to work with what i had

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yea but those small server are really loud, and i had to leave room for the psu fan to have some airflow.
Also i had several types of hardware and i keept it as cheap as i could.
Had to work with what i had

You seem to be talking 1u servers, I am not.

I misunderstood - that's your stuff in the link? Grotesque, but I guess if it works, it works. For now.

Is WAF (wife approval factor) not a problem for you?

 

[elamigosam]

You seem to be talking 1u servers, I am not.

I misunderstood - that's your stuff in the link? Grotesque, but I guess if it works, it works. For now.

Is WAF (wife approval factor) not a problem for you?

Yea thats my stuff, WAF is no problem, as long as it is out of the way it works ok.
I had 3 cases stacked in the corner and well when i needed acces to them i had issues getting around i thought about this, so i could condence it a bit more,
Jajajaja
It does look bad i know

I am thinking of putting some acrylic trays and remove the cardboard conners and get something smaller. Then put some lights on the acrylic trays to make it look better.

 

[Valantar]

Then put some lights on the acrylic trays to make it look better.

I was having trouble formulating my thoughts on this until I read this sentence. Please, please don't. Sticking LEDs onto cobbled-together, unplanned and semi-thoughtless crud does not make it look better. At all. Also, MDF is a very decent material - sturdy, easy to work with, relatively inert. If you want to make it look better, paint it or cover it with a vinyl wrap. Acrylic is brittle, scratches easily, and doesn't carry loads well.

What I would do: plan this out more. Where are you going to add fans? How is air supposed to flow? How are you keeping dust out? Where are your cables going to connect?

Your current layout has essentially zero airflow, and no natural place for fans to be added. It's open-air, so hot air will eventually leave, but that adds dust as a problem. Your PSU is taking in air from the (quite small) gap between it and the board above, and its exit is partially blocked by the cardboard rails. It will also (partially) be taking in hot air from the CPU cooler, which (due to no airflow) will also be recycling its own heated air). The connectors on the laptop motherboard and the desktop motherboard are on different sides of the case.

Also, as you're using MDF(?) plates, that means your motherboard mounting points are ungrounded. I'd do something about that, just to be sure. Perhaps wire them to the PSU casing? Be careful you don't short anything out, of course.

Also, you mentioned four computers, so far we've only seen to. Are the remaining two desktops?

Are your base plates held in place in any way? Or would, say, walking by and stumbling into the case cause them to flop around and kill your hardware?


I would at the very least add a 120mm fan blowing air across each board, and make sure the PSUs have clear intake pathways (drilling a properly placed hole in the board above should fix that).

 

[elamigosam]

I was having trouble formulating my thoughts on this until I read this sentence. Please, please don't. Sticking LEDs onto cobbled-together, unplanned and semi-thoughtless crud does not make it look better. At all. Also, MDF is a very decent material - sturdy, easy to work with, relatively inert. If you want to make it look better, paint it or cover it with a vinyl wrap. Acrylic is brittle, scratches easily, and doesn't carry loads well.

What I would do: plan this out more. Where are you going to add fans? How is air supposed to flow? How are you keeping dust out? Where are your cables going to connect?

Your current layout has essentially zero airflow, and no natural place for fans to be added. It's open-air, so hot air will eventually leave, but that adds dust as a problem. Your PSU is taking in air from the (quite small) gap between it and the board above, and its exit is partially blocked by the cardboard rails. It will also (partially) be taking in hot air from the CPU cooler, which (due to no airflow) will also be recycling its own heated air). The connectors on the laptop motherboard and the desktop motherboard are on different sides of the case.

Also, as you're using MDF(?) plates, that means your motherboard mounting points are ungrounded. I'd do something about that, just to be sure. Perhaps wire them to the PSU casing? Be careful you don't short anything out, of course.

Also, you mentioned four computers, so far we've only seen to. Are the remaining two desktops?

Are your base plates held in place in any way? Or would, say, walking by and stumbling into the case cause them to flop around and kill your hardware?


I would at the very least add a 120mm fan blowing air across each board, and make sure the PSUs have clear intake pathways (drilling a properly placed hole in the board above should fix that).

For some reason I posted a reply from my phone and it didnt worked, but here I go again.
I went and added a 120mm fan on the front of the rack so it would push air from the front to the back. then I went and added another motherboard, do it has no power since I have no use for it now. The PSU has plenty of air flow, there is about 90% of the back vent open. There wasnt much heat over the motherboard, but the 120 mm fan removes any heat generated by the smaller components and the cpu
I am looking to see if i can do something about the grounding of the motherboard to the PSU maybe a cable betwen the screw holes to the PSU metal case.
About the 4th computer, I have a pci expansion card, and trying to setup a motherboard on the rack with a pci card, is just asking for trouble, so I was unable to remove the last motherboard from the regular case, maybe I will get another motherboard with a dual nic build in.
About the rack being week, its not. This rack is meant to carry 5 gallon water jug, so its solid, and the trays are just place there, but they dont move. I am looking to see if i can make them more secure, just in case.