File Server Chassis

Mars

Mars

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I am looking for a new case for my home file server.

It needs to have 7 or more drive bays. Actually more.
I have been looking at this : http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MjI2Ng==

Power Supply: VP450
- 450 watts of Continuous Power
- Meets 2010 EUP requirement: 5Vsb < 1W
- ATX 12V v2.3 and EPS version 2.91 compliant
Perforated front bezel delivers maximum air intake
Cable management compartment and cable ties organizes cables discretely
Front-loaded HDD cage for up to 6 hard disk drives
TAC 2.0 Design Guide compliance enhances CPU and graphics cards cooling
11 drive bays
- 6 x internal 3.5" bay
- 3 x external 5.25" bay
- 1 x external 3.5" bay
- 1 x floor-mounted 2.5" SSD bay
7 expansion slots for plenty of flexibility
Cooling system
- 1 x rear 120mm TwoCool™ fan
Click to expand...

What do all these extra bay options mean for me? Can I only put six drives into this thing?

I was thinking of making one. I could cut something out of alu on my router.
Anyone know of plans out there? I think I saw something somewhere..
 
Check out the AeroCool XPredator. They are going for about a grand. You have to add your own PSU though.

I've got six drives in the 3.5" bays. There are six 5.25" bays as well, so if you use brackets, you can fit plenty of hard drives in there.

http://www.aerocool.com.tw/index.php/products/chassis/28-pgsb/110-xpredator-evil-black
http://www.aerocool.com.tw/joomla/index.php/products/chassis/28-pgsb/111-xpredator-black-
http://www.google.co.za/images?q=ae...ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CA0Q_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=842
 
That looks like nice case! Where did you get yours? I see Esquire are listed as resellers on their site, but its not on their price-list.
Also where would I get the brackets?
 
Madman88 said:
That looks like nice case! Where did you get yours? I see Esquire are listed as resellers on their site, but its not on their price-list.
Also where would I get the brackets?
Click to expand...

I got mine from Matrix in Alberton. I'm not sure where you would get the brackets for the 5.25 bays. I'll ask them there tomorrow. I'm sure they must have.
 
Thanks :)

I will pop in at Matrix at parkmeadows and ask them. They seem to have a limited stock tho.
 
Madman88 said:
Thanks :)

I will pop in at Matrix at parkmeadows and ask them. They seem to have a limited stock tho.
Click to expand...

OK, I will ask them at the head office tomorrow if they still have stock and what the price is... and if they have the 5.25" brackets.
 
Matrix sells the Xpred for R1250. They have stock but yeah very limited, I got mine from Cpt ask them to send it up to Durban, it arrived with the 5 other Xpreds for Dbn stock :P
At the moment for my server I use a CM stacker 830 evo, have 12 hdds in 3x 4in3 modules and managed to squeeze a 13th into the top with a bracket.
Other thing to look at is an Antec 1200 it has 12 5.25" bays so you can fit 4x 4in3 modules giving you space for 16 hdds :)
 
Matrix head office told me it was R1199.00 so maybe the franchise branches are charging a little more. They are not sure about the brackets though. So if you can find your own brackets or adapter for the 5.25" bays to 3.5" then you will be set.

Matrix does have the removable drive bays which accommodate 3.5" drives in a 5.25" bay, but they are R229 each. Nice to be able to swap the drives out though.
 
Last edited:
TopCa7 said:
Matrix sells the Xpred for R1250. They have stock but yeah very limited, I got mine from Cpt ask them to send it up to Durban, it arrived with the 5 other Xpreds for Dbn stock :P
At the moment for my server I use a CM stacker 830 evo, have 12 hdds in 3x 4in3 modules and managed to squeeze a 13th into the top with a bracket.
Other thing to look at is an Antec 1200 it has 12 5.25" bays so you can fit 4x 4in3 modules giving you space for 16 hdds :)
Click to expand...

Or 20 if you use these.
 
Garyvdh said:
Matrix head office told me it was R1199.00 so maybe the franchise branches are charging a little more. They are not sure about the brackets though. So if you can find your own brackets or adapter for the 5.25" bays to 3.5" then you will be set.

Matrix does have the removable drive bays which accommodate 3.5" drives in a 5.25" bay, but they are R229 each. Nice to be able to swap the drives out though.
Click to expand...

Parkmeadows does not have stock. I will give greenstone a call. I can possibly make the brackets. Once I get the case I will have a look. Alternatively I like the idea of the removable bays.
 
Madman88 said:
Parkmeadows does not have stock. I will give greenstone a call. I can possibly make the brackets. Once I get the case I will have a look. Alternatively I like the idea of the removable bays.
Click to expand...

Ja, those removable bays rock as you can then swap in and out for other drives and still get max transfer supported by your motherboard.
 
Got one from Edenvale Matrix. The pictures do not do this case justice.
It is awesome.

I didnt get the removable bays because I dont want to mess up the front of the case. I'll have to think of something else..
 
greggpb said:
cm590
Click to expand...

Also very good! Was looking at this before I got my Cm stacker for the same price.
Forgot there is another chassis at Matrix (which you can also get from esquire), think it goes for around R500-600 and is pretty much the same as the cm590, just has black interior!
 
Madman88 said:
Got one from Edenvale Matrix. The pictures do not do this case justice.
It is awesome.

I didnt get the removable bays because I dont want to mess up the front of the case. I'll have to think of something else..
Click to expand...

4in3 module :P
Got 3 of these in my Evo, replaced the front fans with green Yate Loon High Speed 120mm ones instead of the standard blue led ones.
 
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