Cases for RAID arrays

[murraymckenzie]

I want to build a file server using a SATA RAID array. What type of case would support 8 SATA drives, a hefty power supply and a serverworks dual cpu motherboard?

 

[jammydodger]

<A HREF="http://store.over-clock.com/MountainMods_Cases.html" target="_new">http://store.over-clock.com/MountainMods_Cases.html</A>Maybe one of these? Bit on the big side tho, and looks a bit stupid to me. Either that or get a proper sever case. All these case are gonna be on the pricy side though.

P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro

 

[Obtuse]

If you're feeling rich, <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=56-999-309&depa=0" target="_new">this</A> should do it. Seems almost overkill though.

 

[_WW_]

Chenbro SR104 Medium Tower Case Only $88

<A HREF="http://www.8anet.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=844&lastcatid=48&step=4" target="_new">http://www.8anet.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=844&lastcatid=48&step=4</A>

Do another search for this case and you will find it offered at other sites that have pics of the inside of it. I have this case and can tell you from experience there is plenty of room inside by the front to mount another HDD rack in front of the front intake fan.

....WW (5.0)

 

[jammydodger]

Would that case support 8 hard drives?

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro
</font color=blue>

 

[_WW_]

Would that case support 8 hard drives?

Oh yeah...under the right circumstances. I have four HDDs in mine in the cage that is designed for six. You could also use some of the external bays and get to eight pretty easily, but I would install a second cage in the front.

The one thing this case has is room...lots of it. the removable cage is in the upper rear in front of an exhaust fan and next to the PSU(which is mounted on its side). This arrangement basically leaves the entire lower half of the case wide open.
If need be, I could get 8+ hard drives in mine and still have room to stash my laptop in there too...


....WW (5.0)

 

[jammydodger]

lol, sounds like I could live in there.

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro
</font color=blue>

 

[Crashman]

A lot of cases would if you used a 4-drive racks (the kind that take up 3 5.25" bays) for half of them.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[jheine]

Check this one out.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-182-005&depa=0

I had one ordered for a server in work. We needed the extra bays to add two tape libraries. We've reconfigured the server since, but it's still a solid case and with ample possibilities. Not a bad price either.

If that doesn't work, New Egg has a search utility that lets you search for different parameters, including number of bays. Most towers you find you will still need to use an external bay or more, unless you use a double-wide case or that rackmount listed above (nice case, btw).

I think I've seen an external tower that will let you use SATA drives and connect it to a SCSI controller. I don't quite remember, but give StoreCase and Adaptec a look.

Jarrett

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by jheine on 05/30/04 00:08 AM.</EM></FONT></P>