On 10/01/2009 02:53 PM, Christopher Glaeser wrote:
That isn't a desktop computer, it is a server, or should be.

It's a desktop computer for video editing.

Silly me, I thought if I posted to the woodworking forum, someone would
suggest a solution that would use one of those tools with a round wheel with
sharp teeth, um, I think they are called table saws.

Actually, from an overall perspective his post is a good one. A sound
absorbing enclosure would kill the sound somewhat, but it's going to be
big and bulky. Better to move the noise elsewhere to start with.

Here's what I'd do, starting with free and moving progressively more
expensive.

1) Move as much noise as possible out of the room completely. This
includes things like your NAS and your gigabit switch.

2) Reduce the power requirements on the computer as much as possible.
Without changing the hardware this basically means move stuff from your
10TB of local disks to the NAS. Ideally you want to get rid of entire
drives from your desktop machine. Reduce the number of case fans and/or
run them as slowly as possible without causing too much heat buildup.

3) Enclose the tower in a sound absorbing enclosure. I'd go with a
large box made of MDF or particleboard (solid wood resonates more), with
sound absorbing panels on the inside and mass-loaded acoustic barrier
sheets on the outside, with baffled air intake and exit. You want the
air to have to travel in a zigzag pattern so that there is no direct
path for sound to escape.

4) Reduce the noise on the remaining components. This starts to cost
money. Use quieter/fewer fans, more efficient cpus, quieter heatsinks,
quieter video cards, quieter power supplies, cases designed for cooling
and sound absorption, quieter/cooler hard drives, etc. Basically go and
read www.silentpcreview.com.

Chris