Discussion Feasibility & feedback on a compact, high-density 20-NVMe JBOF Enclosure ?

[NOR1NCO]

Hi everyone

I've been working on a design for a small form factor, high-reliability, all-SSD storage enclosure, and I would love to get your expert feedback on its feasibility and overall design choices.

The goal is to create a compact and affordable JBOF (Just a Bunch of Flash) for prosumers, homelab enthusiasts, and small businesses who need dense, high-speed storage.

Here are the core specifications of the design:

• Power Supply: Dual redundant and hot-swappable PSUs (either 460W or 550W models). These would be load-balancing and high-efficiency, rated 80 Plus Platinum or even better.
• Storage Capacity: A high-density backplane featuring 10 slots, designed to hold a total of 20 M.2 NVMe SSDs.
• Cooling System: Directly behind the SSDs, there are 5x 40mm fans. The chassis is designed for a negative pressure airflow path, pulling cool air directly over all the NVMe drives and other critical components for maximum efficiency.
• Host Connectivity: It connects to a host server/workstation via 4x external SFF-8644 ports. It can operate with just one or two cables, but using all four provides a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 128 Gbps.
• Technology: This version is built on PCIe 3.0. I know PCIe 4.0 is the current standard, but the strict signal integrity requirements for a backplane of this complexity would likely double the manufacturing cost, if not more. This design aims to strike a balance between high performance and accessibility.

My primary goal is to see if I can produce this and offer it at a target price of around $400 USD (for the enclosure, of course, no drives included).

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a few key questions:

1. Overall Viability: Does this concept seem sound to you? Are there any obvious flaws I might be overlooking?
2. Cooling: Do you think 5x 40mm fans in a negative pressure setup would be sufficient to cool 20 NVMe SSDs under heavy load?
3. Connectivity & PCIe 3.0 Choice: Is using 4x SFF-8644 and sticking with PCIe 3.0 a reasonable trade-off for keeping the cost down?
4. Price Point: Assuming the design is solid, is $400 a price you would consider fair for an enclosure with these features (redundant PSUs, hot-swap, 20-drive capacity)?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm looking forward to any feedback or suggestions you might have!

 

[cruisetung]

You should post your idea on ServeTheHome Forums.