It shouldn't be. Admittedly I was thinking of drastically reducing embedded components in favour of having a single interface, a network/bus channel a la the mainframe, and distributing functionality around a set of semi-autonomous components. Then one could design the mainboard as a small CPU+local memory board and design cases to suit. Graphics was always going to be a problem as long as one had the bulk of the CRT, but once one gets to the LCD or electroluminescent display, it gets a bit simpler. The GPU+local memory board would fit quite nicely in the back of a LCD case, and you can use the LCD elements as part of the cooler. ;)
I could design such a case for the ATX motherboard. The major problem with ATX - both normal and mini - is the CPU's often here-there-and-almost-anywhere. It has to be in a predictable position for the airflow. And then you get the graghics cards, pumping out more heat than your average Pentium I ... The power supply's another part of the problem. For rackmounts I'm surprised they don't sell rackmounts in sets and the power supplies as separate entities supplying one or two or four or whatever ... uninterruptible, of course. Just my 0.02c worth - runaway inflation of course! ;) Wesley Parish Quoting Jamie Dobbs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > And would the cost of such a design be prohibatively expensive? Would > it > be able to use standard components, or woould it need yet another > motherboard design? > I believe that the new BTX standard addresses the issue of heat quite > effectively but haven't been able to get my hands on one to verify that > yet. > > On 2/12/2006, "Wesley Parish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >It seems to come down to this, doesn't it? There's precious little most > PC > >manufacturers are doing to adhere voluntarily to the laws of > thermodynamics and > >fluid dynamics. > > > >If I was allowed to design cases for a server sort of box, I'd put the > hottest > >components at one end of a venturi tube and let the natural > pressure/temperature > >differentials drive the cooling. Bernoulli's Principle, pure and > simple. So > >it'd be some sort of static ram jet. > > > >Wesley Parish > > > >Quoting Chris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > >> "passive thermal chimney" was the search term i found most > effective. > >> I found nothing about using the technique for food storage, but > there > >> was some > >> hippy stuff about using it to cool dwellings. Most info suggested > using > >> the > >> whole building, some suggested a pipe running from a low point to > above > >> the > >> roof. > >> > >> An obvious variation is to run a metal flue from basement to above > roof > >> line. > >> This will move cool air up and out, and provide a nice cold metal > object > >> > >> right by your servers that could act as an efficiant heatsink > >> > >> As the idea is too basic for anyone to make real money from, there > is > >> predictably little on the web about it other than the above. > >> > >> > >> > >> On Monday 13 February 2006 08:27, Craig FALCONER wrote: > >> > Interesting idea - but it's a skyline-type garage with a concrete > >> floor :-\ > >> > > >> > Do you have any more info on this passive cooling? > >> > > >> > hdtemp was telling me that some drives were over 50 degrees - not > >> good. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > -----Original Message----- > >> > From: Chris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > Sent: Monday, 13 February 2006 8:19 a.m. > >> > To: [email protected] > >> > Subject: Re: Horse down > >> > > >> > On Monday 13 February 2006 06:56, Robert Fisher wrote: > >> > > On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 7:55 pm, Craig FALCONER wrote: > >> > > > I'm thinking of ducting a big-arse tube in from outside and > >> forcing > >> > > > air through the four cases. > >> > > > >> > > That might not have been very helpful yesterday though. > >> > > >> > If its pulling air from UNDER the building through to the part(s) > >> needing > >> > cooling it will probably help. Air in a basement is generaly a lot > >> cooler > >> > than air pulled in from the side of the house. - I'm assuming this > is > >> in a > >> > house or similar structure, i'm also assuming the basement or > >> underfloor > >> > area > >> > is dry. > >> > > >> > There is a passive refridgeration system where one can build a > cold > >> box > >> > sorrounded by a tube running floor to ceiling. DOC have used this > in > >> some > >> > of > >> > > >> > thier buildings that will never have electricity. Food lasts a lot > >> longer > >> > here than on the bench in the warm room. I'm considering trying > this @ > >> home > >> > for when the fridge finally dies. > >> > > >> > Perhaps the IT world can also benefit from such a low tech partial > >> solution > >> > as > >> > a hole in the floor? > >> > >> -- > >> :D > >> > > > > > > > >"Sharpened hands are happy hands. > >"Brim the tinfall with mirthful bands" > >- A Deepness in the Sky, Vernor Vinge > > > >"I me. Shape middled me. I would come out into hot!" > >I from the spicy that day was overcasked mockingly - it's a symbol of > the > >other horizon. - emacs : meta x dissociated-press > > > > > "Sharpened hands are happy hands. "Brim the tinfall with mirthful bands" - A Deepness in the Sky, Vernor Vinge "I me. Shape middled me. I would come out into hot!" I from the spicy that day was overcasked mockingly - it's a symbol of the other horizon. - emacs : meta x dissociated-press
