Dell PowerEdge server acoustic noise

I'm currently searching for a server to put in my office. The mains specifications for this server is to make the less acoustic noise as possible and be rackable.

I already tried an HP DL360 G3 and it does an infernal noise, and it annoyed all my team even in a closed room.

So I looked at Dell servers but there is no description there about acoustic noise level and everything. Do you have some kind of experience with Dell servers or advice in buying server regarding this particular problem ?

Solution 1:

The first thing you have to realize is that they are going to make noise - they are servers, not meant for offices.

If you have to have one - I would stick with anything under 1U - they tend to have smaller fans and I would aim for non-SCSI drives (SSDs are really quiet but very expensive).

Every major manufacturer has to write a Product Safety, EMC and Environmental Datasheet for their hardware (OSHA, HazMat, etc).

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/values/regulatory_compliance/dec_conform?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

Each section with have Energy and Acoustics Data - Dell r710 - Declared Noise Emissions Measurements are in accordance with ISO 9296 (tested in accordance with ISO 7779).

Sound Power (LWAd, bels) (1 bel=10 decibels, re 10-12 Watts)

5.6

Solution 2:

HP DL360 is a 1U server. You'll probably have better luck with 2U or even 4U servers.

There's a fundamental problem: noise is a function of fan RPM, while air movement is a function of fan RPM times fan radius. And if you have a certain amount of wattage being used, for a given ambient temperature the amount of air you'll have to move through the system will be fairly constant. As an added bonus problem: rack-mount servers just aren't designed to be quiet, generally.

So if you're generating a certain amount of heat and your fan has to fit inside 1U, it'll have to spin twice as fast (or more) as fans that fit in 2U.

Cooler air in the room will help, too (modern servers have variable speed fans that will slow down if there's less need). As will lower wattage CPUs ("high efficiency").

Seriously, an HP DL380 that's otherwise configured about the same (same wattage CPU, same drives, same RAM) will be quieter, and generally costs about the same.