>>(BTW, why do they even "have" that option in the BIOS is beyond me. Maybe a computer room with a lof of loud fans "sounds" impressive..)
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>I'm now registered with Compaq. They have pretty good support forums. The reason given for the default fanning level being so high is that (at least according to a Compaq techie) most servers are now sited in hot, secure server rooms, where max cooling is needed and noise is not an issue.
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>This is very debatable, IMO. In the fed gov't only a few central (web, mail, etc.) servers are located in such server rooms, all other local domain servers have assorted people nearby (either open-floor plan or locked in Admins' offices). There is some grandiose scheme about having a central "server farm" for all servers, but that is clearly years away from going anywhere, it's a pipe dream.
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>Here are some key points for anyone looking to buy a new server: before you purchase one, *very* carefully analyze it and your needs, and definitely view each potential model in person. Some of them are extremely noisy now, and there is nothing that can be done about it as far as adjusting the server.
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>For example, if you mistakenly get a Compaq "rack" server, there is no hope of noise reduction, they're simply built for very high cooling, with noise-level not a manufacturing factor. You get a vacuum cleaner, and that's that.
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>If cooling-system noise may be an issue, reduce your server search to "towers," many of them are at least partially fan-configurable. Not sure yet about my ML530 (a tower type), it's back offline with network cabling trouble. But the two places to look for fan-noise-reduction are (a) BIOS (as you say) and (b) NT System Management Driver (SSD) in Windows.
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>If that fails, get a support techie to check it out. If that fails, time to shop for a new server and see what the manufacturer can do to satisfy your needs. In my case, I can probably down-trade with LAN Central for a less-powerful but quieter server, though I'll take a budgetary hit.
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>But I've already learned my lesson, don't buy *any* new server without a personal audio inspection first if sound is possibly an issue.

Bruce, turn the fan off and put the server into the fridge. :)