We often get questions from our customers, especially those that are planning to utilize their server as a personal lab or run out of a home, "How loud will this server be?” 

This is essential to consider if you plan on keeping your server in or near a living space. We took the guesswork out of it and recorded the server noise levels in dB (decibels), measuring some of our most popular servers in Peak and Idle performance, and compared them to noise levels of things you probably hear daily.

The models we tested were across-the-board were all 8-bay rack server models from HP and Dell – 2.60Ghz 8 Core Processors, 96GB of RAM, and 8TB of SAS HDD storage – since they reflect mid-level specs.  While a device will never always be Idle or Peak, you can use these guides to make the most informed decision depending on your anticipated usage.  

Dell & HP 2U Rack Servers

Dell & HP 1U Rack Servers

Curious if there is anything you can do to keep your server quiet?  Read our blog post here on Sound Tips for Keeping Your Server Quiet. 

Have a question?  Want to see other guides?  Leave your comments below to let know what you think and what else you’d like for us to measure!