Opinions on DIY sound-proofing

paul78

I know there's been some threads on sound-proofing computers. Does anyone have any opinions or ideas about building a diy sound-proof enclosure? I have recently become obsessed with lowering the sound volume of my home office.

I have a Skeletek 28U rack and I was toying with the idea of building a sound isolation booth around it. Although, moving the rack to the basement is more practical, I am concerned about suffering the separation anxiety of not having my equipment within arm's length.

From everything that I've research on the internet - I could probably build the enclosure using MDF and acoustic foam on the interior. I'm still not sure what type of acoustic foam to use, it seems that wedge acoustic foam is better than egg-crate foam but I couldn't find anything specific for computer fan noise.

I've also seen some clever fan exhaust systems with baffles for heat dissipation.

Anyone ever try anything like this? Any advice?

Roguetadhg

foam. Basiclly air-pockets.

You could build a aluminum box, put foam in it. Make sure to provide enough air flow for it - which means you'll need to dampen the fans going into/out of the box.

You could experiment with watercooling. Which means you'll need something beefy. I've been looking into going "under water" for a while. EK, Koolance, DangerDen. They make quality watercooling equipment.

Yes, You can watercool for quietness. Make sure to have a passive radiator, instead of one with fans.

paul78

Thanks Rogue - I'm actually looking to sound-proof an entire rack of gear not just a single computer.

mapletune

remember, foam type material cut down on echo/reflections but do not isolate noise.

mass is what's going to stop sound. (also, airtight)

so, tbh, you could just throw your rack into a walk in closet with heavy heavy doors that have seals/gasket around them. No foam needed.

Without foam, it's going to sound really loud and wild inside the closet. But, when you close the heavy doors, all noise is trapped inside

paul78

Oh. I actually had not considered mass as a factor. I was stuck on sound absorption techniques. That changes my thinking about a solution quite a bit. Thanks very much. An air-tight closet probably isn't a viable solution for me since cooling will be an issue.

I really appreciate the thoughts.

Reseven

You might want to check out Quiet PC USA. They've got loads of stuff dedicated to silencing PCs.

I wanted a quieter machine when I built my current one. I used quality (expensive) fans along with an H100 for the CPU. I replaced the stock fans on the H100 with Cougars. The stock fans were a bit loud.

The GTX570 gets a little loud when I'm gaming but other than that, it's much quieter than my last build.

paul78

Thanks Reseven. I did come across Quiet PC. There were definitely some good ideas. My desktop PC is already pretty quiet. It the 28U rack of gear that I am fussing with.

mapletune

paul78 wrote: »

Oh. I actually had not considered mass as a factor. I was stuck on sound absorption techniques. That changes my thinking about a solution quite a bit. Thanks very much. An air-tight closet probably isn't a viable solution for me since cooling will be an issue.

I really appreciate the thoughts.

No problem. I was once inspired by all the youtube musicians and got into audio recording myself. I bought a crapload of egg crates to line my room just to realize sound from the streets still got inside my room =(

Your solution doesn't need to be "airtight" all around. Just 'as much as possible' along the path to your office. The other side could be completely open and ventilated if that isn't an issue. Or, like Rogue suggested, buffered ventilation.

Take a look at this video: Home Data Center phase 4 (Soon Phase 5 in a dedicated location) - YouTube Just watch the beginning up until he opens the door of the closet. big difference.

Cheers,
Mike

Roguetadhg

Liquid Water Cooling Systems and Kits - Koolance Rack Mounted Units

It's rack mountable! Actually this is what I was going to use so I wouldn't need to worry about the consistant fans. Of course, you'll need to add the plumbing and the like!

crrussell3

I used to do Mechanical (HVAC) design. One of the big complaints with our mechanical rooms was noise. An easy fix that did more than you would think was to put up a double layer of drywall on the finished side, and if needed, line the inside with mdf, plywood or something along those lines.

Like mapletune said, think mass and density. Foam and acoustical tiles cut down on echos, not dampen noise. So I would build a networking closet, double wall drywall the outside, and if you finish the inside, I would line the wall cavity with insulation. Your biggest problem will be supply and exhaust while still keeping the room sound proof.

paul78

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

@Mike - that video just changed my plans again - I like the concept and I think maybe I should just move all the gear someplace else.

@rogue - very nice.