Will a music server get hot enough to fry its CPU ?

[fredster]

It has been suggested to me that a PC based music server being managed with an Android remote control screen and therefore just processing windows 7 and J River for example and outputting via a USB dac will not generate enough heat in the cpu to warrant needing a fan. To me this means that you could use any laptop, or desktop with a non fan based PSU, install a small SSD, a couple of TB of external USB HDD, disconnect the fan and turn off the screen and have clean, pure, RFI free playback.

 

Sounds too simple to be true ! Does anyone have any experience / opinions here ?

 

 

 

[Quest]

This depends on what CPU and casing you choose. It is very possible, but not so simple as just taking out the fan as you'd need a good heatsink. How big depends on the CPU you choose.

 

Running a fanless PSU also means choosing a good casing with decent ventilation, unless you go external PSU.

 

Personally I'm running a fanless i5 PC and no issues. It's based on a hfx classic casing, and works well with a full fledged PC so I don't have to give up any functionality.

 

Getting rid of RFI is a separate issue as I believe it exists all over inside the casing from the motherboard and various chipset.

 

[fredster]

Thanks Quest

 

So from the sounds of it, if i took a normal laptop and disabled its fan I would very soon have a burnt out CPU. Adding a heatsink to a laptop is not the easiest thing in the world due to the compact nature ! So that means a desktop with heatsink added and fanless PSU may work but only for a relatively cool running CPU. Think I had better shelve that idea. It just seems very costly to build a dedicated server type PC when the processing power of an old laptop should suffice.