Are you a FAN boy? Fan-less vs. forced air music server / transport (passive vs. active cooling)

[renaudrenaud]

Some pics from my huge audio server (cost around 30$, this is the 4Go Orange Pi Zero 3).

I wrote some code. When it starts there is some info about the current player:

For each new track in play mode, some technical info:

Then Artist and title, few seconds

Then the classic duration and X/Y

Size relative to the X16:

Ha yes, there is also some info for system monitoring.

RAM info, total, used and %used

Some info about the sd card:

And CPU load (and frequency for each core), right now the temp is not read (some new code to write for this new card):

Anyway the temp is around 48°.

And everything is containerized:
- lcd_monitor is some code for the lcd
- LMS is the open source audio server
- Squeezelite is the audio player
- portainer is the web tool for Docker management.

If I was not so lazy... I have to design a 3D box for this mega audio server. Consumption is less than 2W.

 

[amadeogt]

This might be of interest (first mini PC with solid state cooling):

First mini-PC with solid-state active cooling system launches

Back in late 2022, a company called Frore Systems emerged from stealth with two solid-state active cooling chips for computers called the AirJet Pro and AirJet Mini. Now Chinese multinational Zotac has announced the rollout of the first mini-PC built around the latter.

newatlas.com

 

[benanders]

Some pics from my huge audio server (cost around 30$, this is the 4Go Orange Pi Zero 3).

I wrote some code. When it starts there is some info about the current player:
View attachment 320105

For each new track in play mode, some technical info:
View attachment 320104

Then Artist and title, few seconds
View attachment 320106

Then the classic duration and X/Y
View attachment 320107

Size relative to the X16:
View attachment 320108

Ha yes, there is also some info for system monitoring.

RAM info, total, used and %used
View attachment 320109

Some info about the sd card:
View attachment 320110

And CPU load (and frequency for each core), right now the temp is not read (some new code to write for this new card):
View attachment 320111

Anyway the temp is around 48°.

And everything is containerized:
- lcd_monitor is some code for the lcd
- LMS is the open source audio server
- Squeezelite is the audio player
- portainer is the web tool for Docker management.

View attachment 320113

If I was not so lazy... I have to design a 3D box for this mega audio server. Consumption is less than 2W.

Reminds me of the system status screen on a giant water filter system I maintained as part of my first company job. Some serious sentimentality being stirred by this one!

Once you quit being lazy and get around to that 3D box, I’m guessing you’ll go 200mm Noctua? A 140mm off-brand would probably handle it, but why not splurge on an already-absurdly-over budgeted piece of kit, eh?

Curious - how much storage does that server have to manage?

 

[benanders]

This might be of interest (first mini PC with solid state cooling):

First mini-PC with solid-state active cooling system launches

Back in late 2022, a company called Frore Systems emerged from stealth with two solid-state active cooling chips for computers called the AirJet Pro and AirJet Mini. Now Chinese multinational Zotac has announced the rollout of the first mini-PC built around the latter.

newatlas.com

I’d heard mention of that tech but hadn’t looked up the computer. Neat - thanks.
Implementation of the power button looks questionable for a portable device; wonder how “portable” the power brick will be.
The chassis looks like an aesthetic match for this 2.5” drive RAID case:

Acasis 2.5” drive RAID case
Acasis 2.5” drive RAID case specs

 

[renaudrenaud]

Reminds me of the system status screen on a giant water filter system I maintained as part of my first company job. Some serious sentimentality being stirred by this one!

Once you quit being lazy and get around to that 3D box, I’m guessing you’ll go 200mm Noctua? A 140mm off-brand would probably handle it, but why not splurge on an already-absurdly-over budgeted piece of kit, eh?

Curious - how much storage does that server have to manage?

There is a 4To disk to manage: 1.5To (a bit more) of music, the other files are for 3D models we build and some personal documents.

Since few weeks there is also a Orange Pi 5+ with nvme connector PCIe 3.0 x4 lanes etc... Not expansive, very powerful, I use one as my internet router (OpenWRT) and another one as workstation.