Although I like how quiet it is in here now that the Pro is turned off.
Yeah, the Mac Pro can be loud at times, but still not as loud as my PM G5.
With my setup, I rarely hear it, unless it is transcoding video for Plex.
I try to set everything up for direct play, so the computer doesn't have to transcode, but if the remote viewer has slow internet or if the streaming settings isn't set up correctly on the remote device, the Mac Pro starts working hard to transcode the video.
Maybe we can hide it in the living room by the router..
I bought a cheap, but nice, large entertainment center, like the older ones designed for huge tube TVs. I put it in my living room in a corner.
I haven't finished the top, but I plan on building shelfs for it.
The bottom are two cabinets, one on each side, and I have my Mac Pro in one of them. I installed a filtered intake and exhaust system using case-fans, scrap wood and I around, and a 10x10x1 air filter.
I am using slightly positive pressure using two 120mm case fans pulling in air through the filter, and a single 120mm case fan for the exhaust. I designed the cabinet to be split in two side, one for the intake, and one for the Mac Pro and Exhaust. The sides are separated by a sheet of wood.
The intake side is empty and open incase I need to clean the Air filter. The exhaust side is smaller and kind of creates a tunnel which I hope helps directs fresh, clean air into the intake side of the Mac Pro. The exhaust case fan is behind the Mac Pro and pushes the hot air out of the cabinet.
I keep an external temp sensor on top of the Mac Pro that I monitor the temperature of the inside of the cabinet. Before doing anything to the cabinet, the temps were always in the mid 90's. After doing all the work, adding everything except the exhaust fan, the temps drop to about 85°F. After adding the exhaust fan, the temps drop more to about 75°-80°F on average.
For noise, I actually hear the three case fans more than I hear the Mac Pro. Like I said before, I only ever hear the Mac Pro if Plex is transcoding video.
It does a pretty good job keeping dust out. The Mac Pro has been the dustiest computer I have ever owned, and I like to blow it out about every 1-2 years, or when ever I have it opened. I suspect that next time I open it, the dust won't be nearly as bad.
