Just wondering, as single case (high-end) PCs are starting to get noisy and
hot, can you build a PC like a HIFI separates system?
e.g. one box for Mboard, RAM and GPUs (max 4 as in Gigabyte's Quad GPU
board), one box for disks, one for sound (probably OTT) and one for power
(probably OTT but nice to have it separate from the mboard). Is this
crazy?
"Crazy" is relative.
There is no reason to believe separating parts will help
with noise or heat (that is, not both).
DIfferent enclosure designs could reduce noise, but so could
similar strategies for an "all in one", the traditional
system.
By separating components you'd mostly limit the available
space for the most optimal flow-rate/noise fans and
heatsinks, that by their larger (and particular) dimensions,
integrated into a traditional system because that system was
designed to accomodate their dimensions.
There is no reason to separate the power from the mainboard.
The potential for longer cable lengths and more mechanical
connectors in itself are further concerns. A power supply
exhausts, it does not add heat to a case but rather helps
remove heat from other components.
It is true that with modern systems the PSU's small exhaust
area is beginning to look aged (small) and yet it isn't a
problem in itself as the PSU is modular and designed to be
self-sufficient. IE- it intakes the air it needs so if your
system produces a lot of heat, that system has sufficient
intake and exahaust _case_ fans too. Sufficient doesn't
necessarily mean loud, but the fact is that a given amount
of heat requres a certain amount of airlfow to maintain a
target rise over ambient temp- and separating the parts
doesn't reduce this flow rate as heat generation was still
the same. Instead separating them just makes parts
selections fewer and causes redundancy where it's arguably
not necessary- one could have redundancy in a typical system
too if desired.
