DIY enclosure for PC tower lined with 703 fire hazard?

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ThaArtist

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I'm planning on building an enclosure for my computer tower. Basically a box with a open front and back lined with 1 inch 703 on the top and sides (wrapped in cloth) with a 1 inch GAP between 703 and the tower all around. Now my concern is that it could possibly be a fire hazard? The outside of my tower hasnt gotten hot but who knows...

Does this sound ok as far as safety with fire hazards are concerned? How hot does 703 have to get in order to ignite (if anyone knows that)?

An inch between the computer and the 703/cloth seems like enough breathing room to me but I just figured I'd ask you guys in case anyone knows or has done similar.

Thanks!
 
Probably well before the 703 gets hot enough to ignite your CPU will fry.

In general building an isolation box for a PC is not the best strategy. Better strategies are:

1. Use long cables to move the system unit out of the room entirely.

2. Use low noise cooling fans and chip coolers. Generally these use large fins to increase the radiative area and larger slow fans to move the air with less noise. Water cooling is a subset of this because it allows a radiator and fan larger than can be fit in the case.
 
I build alot of pc's and have never had an issue of noise. Sure Ive had a fan go bad and become noisey but thats normal. I always use Antec or Enlight products because of the price and quality. The latest pc I put together using Antec case and power supply is very quiet. You have to physically put your ear up close to it to hear it running. EMF noise is also not an issue either. I use a large case and quality stuff when building. Store bought pc's leave alot to be desired.
 
BushmasterM4 said:
I build alot of pc's and have never had an issue of noise. Sure Ive had a fan go bad and become noisey but thats normal. I always use Antec or Enlight products because of the price and quality. The latest pc I put together using Antec case and power supply is very quiet. You have to physically put your ear up close to it to hear it running. EMF noise is also not an issue either. I use a large case and quality stuff when building. Store bought pc's leave alot to be desired.


i agree. going from a store bought PC to one i put together myself was a night and day difference in terms of performance, less clutter, and less noise. i'm using Scythe 120mm case fans that turn 800rpm and are almost completely silent.
 
I can back up that quiet fans make a world of differnce, good hard drives tend to be quieter too.

Daav
 
Innovations said:
Probably well before the 703 gets hot enough to ignite your CPU will fry.

In general building an isolation box for a PC is not the best strategy. Better strategies are:

1. Use long cables to move the system unit out of the room entirely.

2. Use low noise cooling fans and chip coolers. Generally these use large fins to increase the radiative area and larger slow fans to move the air with less noise. Water cooling is a subset of this because it allows a radiator and fan larger than can be fit in the case.

I'm in camp #1. My studio is quiet enough that I have to turn off my Casio CZ-1 when I'm not using it, because I can hear it's power supply humming when I use omni mikes. It's much easier just to move the box out of the studio with a few extension cables and clever placement choices, at least in my case.

Cheers,

Otto
 
703 is fiberglass, I don't think it burns. It might melt, but the inside of the computer would have to be some kind of raging inferno for that to happen.
 
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