Under stairs cupboard - AV Equipment and cooling

McDaniel

McDaniel

McDaniel

Soldato
Joined
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Posts
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Location
Essex
Hello,

I am wanting to move my AV stuff from under the TV into the cupboard under the stairs, it's only a metre or so away from the TV so distance isn't too much of an issue. My concern is over cooling - the space under the stairs is fairly big - but it will have:

- Denon AV (x2300W)
- Xbox One X
- PS4
- nVidia Shield
- NAS (already there)
- Switch
- Router
- Hubs (smarthings, hue, harmony)
- Electric Box
- Alarm Box / Panel

Potentially a UHD player at some point, but currently media is on the NAS and Shield streaming device.

Under Stairs:

8gMh5Rd.jpg


as you can see a fair bit of room, and i can remove the shelf thing that's there and put something in more custom to hold all the equipment

Distance from TV:

rnndRJq.jpg


(sorry for crap pic, only one to hand but it's the door on the left)

Question is given the space and equipment do you think cooling would be needed, it's an external wall so I do have some options.

/edit

found an old pic to give better idea of size:

9q3Zdsp.jpg
 
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My uncle had a denon receiver installed in his cupboard under the stairs in his previous house & I dont think he had a problem. The main heat makers would be the NAS & the games consoles (apart from the denon) If in doubt put a desktop fan in there & leave the door slightly ajar while in use.
 
Grimley said:
My uncle had a denon receiver installed in his cupboard under the stairs in his previous house & I dont think he had a problem. The main heat makers would be the NAS & the games consoles (apart from the denon) If in doubt put a desktop fan in there & leave the door slightly ajar while in use.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

The NAS has always been in there and never had a problem - it's just adding all the extra stuff.
 
If you're looking for inexpensive and easy to modify AV racking I recommend Ikea Ivar 50cm frames with the 50x42 shelves. Sideways on they are the exact width to take 19" equipment. Completely open apart from the shelves, cut the frame to fit the height/angle of the space. I've got a Pioneer SCLX86 amp, various CD/MD units, PS3, 1U server, stereo amp, networking kit and my old Logitech z5500 sub in the base.
 
Steeps said:
If you're looking for inexpensive and easy to modify AV racking I recommend Ikea Ivar 50cm frames with the 50x42 shelves. Sideways on they are the exact width to take 19" equipment. Completely open apart from the shelves, cut the frame to fit the height/angle of the space. I've got a Pioneer SCLX86 amp, various CD/MD units, PS3, 1U server, stereo amp, networking kit and my old Logitech z5500 sub in the base.
Click to expand...

Very useful. Will consider this for my devices.
 
barmyllama said:
I use one of these on the same AVR you have. Even on an open shelf it gets hot.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071CL82G9/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It will run off the front USB of the AVR. It's a touch noisy, but you won't hear it in that cupboard.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks.

Steeps said:
If you're looking for inexpensive and easy to modify AV racking I recommend Ikea Ivar 50cm frames with the 50x42 shelves. Sideways on they are the exact width to take 19" equipment. Completely open apart from the shelves, cut the frame to fit the height/angle of the space. I've got a Pioneer SCLX86 amp, various CD/MD units, PS3, 1U server, stereo amp, networking kit and my old Logitech z5500 sub in the base.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks!
 
I have a load of stuff under my stairs:

https://i.imgur.com/YAvW5FM.jpg

A pair of Dell servers, Yamaha AVR, Sky, PS4, PS3, modem, 1500va UPS, HP switch, 2 printers, house phone, Hue hub, Blink hub, Android TV box.. probably more. I have the vents you can see in the picture, plus a 140mm fan in the door extracting air. The Servers are on 24/7 as are a few other things, temps even in summer never creep past 30c. Fans never ramp up on the servers, nothing ever seems to suffer.
 
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McDaniel said:
that's very sexeh - any more snaps?
Click to expand...

Just realised I managed to totally fail at the link in my post lol.

I don't really have any other pics, it's a bit of a mess right now too. It's mostly enclosed in a pair of IKEA LACK tables.

You're lucky to have those hardwired ethernet ports in there too!
 
andy_mk3 said:
Just realised I managed to totally fail at the link in my post lol.

I don't really have any other pics, it's a bit of a mess right now too. It's mostly enclosed in a pair of IKEA LACK tables.

You're lucky to have those hardwired ethernet ports in there too!
Click to expand...

Yea I had the house wired up with cat6 before the walls went up!
 
McDaniel said:
Yea I had the house wired up with cat6 before the walls went up!
Click to expand...

Very wise choice. I currently rent off my parents so not really an option. Luckily the majority of stuff I want hard-wired is in the same room though. I just have one ethernet run upstairs to a switch for a couple of devices and my unifi ap.
 
i personally wouldn't put a console in another room. the bluetooth chips are crap on them.

i've had issues with a defective chip on a ps4 and then it's replacement pro version had issues when i got a wireless sub with a new yamaha soundbar. i had to use wires to wire up the sub to stop the controller from glitching out every so often.

same with the defective ps4 the controller would glitch out randomly every so often say once every 20 mins if it didn't have line of sight.

so if you have crowded wifi or thick walls or a crappy chip it's a no go. it works but doesn't work very well IMO.

i have a lot of smart devices in the home so my wifi is extremely crowded. same goes for bluetooth devices. got multiple in every room.

living room - AVR, smart TV, Echo, Sky Q, HTPC, smart plug, nintendo switch with 4 controllers, wireless cctv
kitchen - nest protect, bluetooth speakers, smart plug, smart bulb, wireless cctv
games room - gaming pc, router, ps4 pro, smart tv, wireless cctv, wireless sub/soundbar, nest protect

then add in all the stuff in the bedrooms, nest thermostat, smart watches, smart phones, tablets, tv's. other cctv and nest protects. i'll be getting a nest hello at some point too. hell even my solar panel inverter uses wi-fi. things you just forget about.

we really need to move back to wired for a lot of stuff. i wish new builds could be specced with multiple ethernet outlets in every room all linked up to a switch in the attic where you would run a single line to where it enters the property.
 
It's all wired in terms of networking anyway, so no wifi concers - and as for Bluetooth... the understairs area is kinda in the living room, so its about 4 metres away and blocked by a wooden door - "should" be ok.
 
Well of you find yourself pressing buttons with no response or that in game your character is doing stuff you never told him to do like keep on moving, etc. Then you know it's because the console is too far away from the controller or something is interfering with the signals.
 
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