MDF Server/miner cabinet

[The Koolio]

In a weak attempt in order not to annoy my parents Ill need to bang my new 5870 quad system in a cabinet of sorts. Ive looked at server racks, simply too expensive, and all my pennies have gone on hardware so i was thinking, making a cabinet, or modifying a current cabinet so that they can house my systems with less noise.

Now issues im facing, wood is flammable, although its been a while sinc Ive even heard of a pc setting on fire, will this be an issue? Of course ventilation will be taken care of by strategically placed fans, both input and output, but do you think my quad system and my current single 5870 system will be too much heat for one cabinet? The 1250w ocz psu might get extremely hot too. I might line the inside with foil in order to prevent direct burning or ignition.... but i could do with some ideas here... thanks!

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[The Koolio]

*Bump*

[bcpokey]

Fire hazards are real but unlikely. Depends on the type of wood used, so use a type with higher ignition point. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but ignition temperature for most common woods is around 300F? Unless you take off the heatsink and lay your cards directly on the wood and place some insulator around it I don't see that as very likely. It can cause off-gassing though, so be aware of that.

Is your cabinet for sound proofing or simply to take up less space? If it's simply a space issue running open air with some fans should be fine. If it's sound as well and you are enclosing it, make sure that you have proper risers for airflow and reduced contact and maybe some window fans to keep air moving through the enclosure.

[LegitBit]

You could rig up an old cabinet to one of these.. http://www.walmart.com/ip/5-000-BTU-Frigidaire-Energy-Star-Window-Air-Conditioner-with-Remote/14321336

If you don't have an aesthetic bone in your body.

[RyNinDaCleM]

You could rig up an old cabinet to one of these.. http://www.walmart.com/ip/5-000-BTU-Frigidaire-Energy-Star-Window-Air-Conditioner-with-Remote/14321336

If you don't have an aesthetic bone in your body.

If you're going to buy one of those, you might as well build a phase change cooler!

[Ethic]

You could rig up an old cabinet to one of these.. http://www.walmart.com/ip/5-000-BTU-Frigidaire-Energy-Star-Window-Air-Conditioner-with-Remote/14321336

If you don't have an aesthetic bone in your body.

Horrible idea. Moisture is extremely bad for computers & electronics in general.

[LegitBit]

AC units pull the moisture out of the air as long as you make sure to pan it properly.

Dehumidifiers are basically AC units specifically designed to remove the moisture by heating the air before cooling the air. If you live in the deep south like me, this happens with any window ac and I've had to buy humidifiers to specifically add moisture to the air because the index gets so low.

As long as you make sure the AC unit has a good flow to the outside air (ie don't have the exhaust in the room..) then there is little to no risk.

I've never had a component go bad in the 5 years I've done this, but I guess it is sort of a gamble. Then again it was a jest.

[RyNinDaCleM]

^yup!
It's warm air and cold surfaces that condenses water, not cold air and warm surfaces!