The Noise Chronicles: Sun's Noise Ratings for Entry-Level Rackmount ServersThe Noise Chronicles: Sun's Noise Ratings for Entry-Level Rackmount Servers

In a small office, everyone can hear the server. The question is: can they hear anything else? In previous noise-related postings we looked at acoustic specs for Fujitsu and Dell and Hewlett-Packard. This time we'll look at the acoustic specifications of entry-level rackmount servers from Sun Microsystems.The last two postings looked at mini-towers. Sun evidently does not sell servers in the mini configurationits towers live up to the name. At Sun, the same entry-level niche is taken up by rackmount servers starting at about $1,500 and peaking well over $60,000. As for noise, they emit a lot more. Of course, with rack units there is less chassis to absorb noise, and there is more functionality packed into the unit.

Of the 18 models examined in Sun's Entry Rackmount Servers category, all but two listed an acoustic rating for L-pAm, the noise a bystander would hear one meter away, and which is probably the best method of comparison.

The least loud was the Sun Fire X4140 (also one of the less expensive units) clocking in at 51 decibels. That's equivalent to a quiet conversation in a living room, so it at least would not be over-powering.

But the other units typically were rated in the 60-decibel range, which is the equivalent of a face-to-face conversation on the street. The Sun Fire X4500 (a higher-end 4U unit) was given a range of 65 to 75 decibels. The upper range is like living next to a busy freeway with the windows open.

The figures show the importance of having some kind of closet, enclosure, or solid-walled rack, to keep the rackmount servers from dominating the environment. Of course, given the higher price ranges represented by most rack units, the buyer should be able to justify the additional expenseor seriously consider not going that route.

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