Netgate 8200 - Thermals
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Are folks seeing high temps on the latest generation of devices (big heat sink on the bottom) running them in a horizontal position? Basically flat on your desk, heat sink on the bottom? If so, have you tried flipping it upside down so the metal plate is facing up?
My reason for asking: Heat rises. So having the plate on the bottom, even if it's doing the right thing pulling heat away also means the heat it's trying to dissipate get conducted to the flat surface the unit is sitting on, raising the ambient temperature of the area under the unit. Makes it harder to transfer heat because you want a differential. You need to "move the heat away".
Try putting the unit upside down or better yet, vertically with the ports up. My setup I mount them vertically, there is about 1cm between the plate and the vertical surface which makes a chimney effect.
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@mer the thing is it’s not even very hot, the metal part is slightly warm at best, I did try setting it vertically but the situation is about the same as now with 2in spacers in the horizontal position. I’d have no problem if it were noisy under moderate to heavy load or I was in a very hot room but, this is idle conditions at relatively normal room temps. I will try restarting again after getting home like Stephen suggested.
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@aivxtla Ahh so the 8200 actually has a fan inside? I was not sure if folks were goofing or not. I've just been using the passively cooled devices for my home stuff.
So if it has a fan inside, is the fan pulling or pushing air relative to the inside of the unit? Looking at the pictures, the fan is on the bottom, I'm assuming it's pushing air out. If it is, see what happens if you flip it upside down, heat sink on top.Horizontal, heat sink on the bottom, fan pushing out, may still create a bubble around the unit, with very little differential so everything gets to a "nominal" temp.
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Mmm, without any reference sound to compare it with it's hard to say from that video quite how loud it is. I can say it sounds about the same as the one I have, the fan/bearing doesn't sound like it's misaligned etc.
What microcontroller code version is it running? Check the suffix shown in System > Netgate Firmware Upgrade.
It is a rackmount device though, it was never intended to be silent.Steve
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@stephenw10 said in Netgate 8200 - Thermals:
It is a rackmount device though, it was never intended to be silent.
That is actually an important point. For most people "rackmount" is off in another room, another building, with closed door and standalone power and cooling.
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Yup, but I would say for most it would also be fine as a desktop style appliance. It's quieter than my workstation. But that can be very subjective.
Steve
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Run's around 30c, 100% silent, zero warranty. (the 4 bolts are temporary legs)
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@tsmialek Bigger fan, pulling air out of the unit, bigger standoffs?
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@tsmialek is that a Noctua NFA12x15 seems thinner than the x25.
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I have it blowing in on the heat sink.
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Yep, it's a Noctua 15mm.
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@tsmialek Interesting. Is that the same direction as stock? I wonder where all that exhausts. I would be inclined to "pull" air from the heat sink and make sure the intake side of equation has enough holes.
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@tsmialek stock or with the included low noise adapter? I’m deciding between doing this or returning and eating a 25% restocking fee.
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@aivxtla Stock. The unit seems to adjust the speed just fine with a 4 pin fan. I tried it both ways.
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@mer It is.
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@tsmialek If you have the unit horizontal, what do the temps do if you put it "turtle position" or "heatsink up with nothing above it"? In my mind (which I admit can be warped or not normal) heatsink up, fan pulling from the heatsink would be the optimal orientation. Heat rises, the components generating heat pass it to the heat sink, the fan pulls air away from heat sink. That should give a temperature gradient from the heat sink to ambient air.
Anyway, just my opinions.
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@stephenw10 I restarted the unit no difference. Definitely louder than my PC that's close by.
Here is the requested firmware info.
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OK, that's the current microcontroller code, which controls the fan.
The actual fan volume is very subjective but it seems as though yours is louder than expected. I'm not sure what we can do about that though. The only thing might be to improve the air flow by spacing it off the surface so it runs cooler and hence quieter.
Steve
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@stephenw10 with room temp lowered cpu temps are at 36C and fan is slightly quieter but now sounds like it’s vibrating slightly. Still sitting on 2in spacers. I take it exchanging for a 6100 would incur a restocking fee?
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If it's actually louder than expected because of a fault then I wouldn't expect a fee. But I don't make those decisions.
Ask on the ticket for options.
