Dell POWEREDGE 840 User Manual

Installing Your System in an Enclosure

Installing your system in an enclosure can restrict the airflow and impact your
system’s performance, possibly causing it to overheat. Follow these guidelines
when installing your system in an enclosure:

• Leave a 10.2-cm (4-in) minimum clearance on all vented sides of the system
to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.

Non-ventilated sides of the system can be placed close to the sides of the
enclosure. However, for acoustic and vibration optimization, the system sides
should not touch the enclosure unless there are isolating features present.
These isolation features are typically only on the bottom of a system, however,
on some systems, an additional side has these isolation features.

Figure 1. System Enclosure Guidelines

January 2008

• The enclosure should be designed so that the ambient air entering the system
meets the operating temperature requirements of the system. (For details
about your system’s specifications, see "Technical Specifications" in your
system’s

Getting Started Guide

.) The enclosure design should be designed to

minimize the temperature increase of the air entering the system by:

– Implementing enclosure venting that provides at least 60% airflow (front

and back).

– Implementing enclosure ventilation that aligns well with the system

ventilation to allow direct airflow into the system. This is especially
important at the exhaust of the system.

– Ensuring that there is ventilation at the highest point of the enclosure

(such as a gap between the door and top of the enclosure) to allow hot air
to escape.

NOTICE: The room’s ambient temperature needs to be a consideration when installing

your system in an enclosure. For example, if the ambient room temperature is at 25° C
(77° F), depending on your system’s specifications, you may only have 5° to 10° C (9° to
18° F) before you reach your system’s maximum operating temperature.

• If your system is placed in a corner of your workspace on a desktop or under a
desk, but not inside an enclosure, leave at least 5.1 cm (2 in) of clearance from
the back of the system to the wall.

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Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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