Venting a cabinet

[PixelPaul]

In looking at some cabinet photos, on the backs of some I see what looks to be vent holes. Cutouts with some kind of screen over them. Is this important for airflow or heat dispersion? I'm building a cabinet that will have a fluorescent marquee light, LCD monitor and a Mac mini running MAME. Does it get so hot inside that venting is an important consideration? Should I be adding this to my cabinet?

[mgb]

You won't be dealing with the kind of heat that a CRT puts out but venting is never a bad thing.

[keilmillerjr]

Mac's can run all day and still be stone cold... all their devices. Don't worry too much about it. Cut a vent hole just in case and be done with it.

Sidebar: Whatever HP is doing, they are doing it wrong. Those laptops can sizzle your legs right through your jeans!

[mgb]

HPs are dual function machines. They provide computer processing as well as
heat. 

[ark_ader]

I just stand in front of the cabinet and shout and swear at it for 20 mins.

[hoffy84]

Sidebar: Whatever HP is doing, they are doing it wrong. Those laptops can sizzle your legs right through your jeans!

Ha! So true. I have one, and it does!

[s_busby_uk]

Mac's can run all day and still be stone cold... all their devices. Don't worry too much about it.

Not true. It's been a while since they've had a melting battery, but I've had two MacBooks that both got very hot playing video and my workstation mac gives off heat too. Can't speak for the Mac mini so much, but if it's at all powerful then it will generate heat at some point.

Ventilation is always a good thing!


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[keilmillerjr]

Mac's can run all day and still be stone cold... all their devices. Don't worry too much about it.

Not true. It's been a while since they've had a melting battery, but I've had two MacBooks that both got very hot playing video and my workstation mac gives off heat too. Can't speak for the Mac mini so much, but if it's at all powerful then it will generate heat at some point.

Ventilation is always a good thing!


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Interesting... I've had a PowerBook Lombard g3, MacBook 2.0 core 2 duo and 2 imac g3's that would always get a little warm but never burning hot under normal use. I also had a powermac g3 that was noisy but always stayed cold. I have an aluminum MacBook 2.0 core 2 duo aluminum that stays normal temp, even when using it on a hot day outside all day for djing a party. My 2011 imac aluminum can be hand braking a video, playing a video with Perian drivers, and air playing it to my Apple TV at native res for 2 hours. Still stone cold after and fans ultra quiet.

[s_busby_uk]

It's misleading to promote a notion that these densely mechanical items don't need ventilation tho. Apple may be efficient in some areas if cooling design, but they're not perfect just because they're Apple.


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[stripe4]

I don't think the components you plan to use will generate lots of heat. But if it is an issue, cut out some vent-holes on the bottom and top parts of your cabinet, and let physics do the rest!