The original post: /r/homelab by /u/LazyOx199 on 2025-03-11 17:39:27.
I found a dirt-cheap Dell R630 on eBay complete but without drives and I just couldn’t resist. All the possibilities, right? But oh boy, I had no idea it would be this loud! I knew people said servers were noisy, but how loud could it really be? Turns out, very loud.
So, I decided to build a rack enclosure on a budget!
The first thing I did was check my garage for any leftover plywood to make a rack frame or whatever I could put together. I used SketchUp to design the frame, and then just went with whatever worked. The main goal: put it somewhere and make it quiet.
Heres what i got.
- Dell r630 (e5-2690v3 & 32Gb Ram) R*: 116€ (40€ shipping) = 156€
- Dell 1,8 TB 2,5" 12G SAS HDD 10k R* (x2): 89€ (12€ shipping) = 101€
- Dell PowerConnect 5424 (Used) (Got lost in the shipping)
- HP 2530-48 J9781A 48-Port R*: 31€ (17€ shipping) = 48€
- TP-LINK TL-SG108E = 30€
- Intel Xeon E5-2630L v4 = 47€
- MDF (Hard Wood): 40€
- Rack Power Strip: 27€
- Rack L Bars 24U: 30€
- 24 Port Rack Patch Panel: 24€
- 8 Port Pass Through RJ45 panel: 11€
- RJ45 Cable, Connectors, Caps, Tools etc: Aprox 35€
- Car Sound Proofing/Damping Mats: 6€
- Hardware: Aprox 30€
- PLY Wood (Scrap): 0€
- Plastic Vents (Scrap): 0€
R* = Refurbished
When I bought the HP 2530-48, I saw “1Gbps” in the title and assumed all ports were gigabit. but it’s actually a 100 Mbps switch, with only four 1Gbps ports two of which require an extension module. I was frustrated, so I just went out and bought a TP-LINK TL-SG108E locally because I had already had enough. Now, the HP 2530-48 is basically just there for the cool lights.
It all started with a €156 bargain server, but in the end, it cost me €585. Was it worth it? Hell yeah! I’d do it again! (The Rack Cabinet by it self, might costed about 150€ - 200€)
Sound
Replacing the CPUs made a noticeable difference in noise. The fans now run at lower speeds, and the server is much quieter. This is because the new CPUs run at lower temperatures compared to the E5-2690v3. It’s quieter than a console or a laptop running at full fan speed but still louder than a desktop in a good quite case at idle.
Power Consumption (Idle): 140W
Temps: Around 40°C to 50°C
Use Case:
I run it only when I need it, mainly for version control and file backups. I connect the server’s 10Gbps port directly to my computer’s 10Gbps card (without a switch in between) to transfer files at maximum speed. The other port and the idrac port are connected to the local network throught a switch.
I also use it for other tasks, such as running a Minecraft server, Docker, and more. After all, it’s an open platform you can do almost anything with it.
Thank you for reading. That’s it.
Pictures:
