# Cheap case for massive number of hard drives?



## The Von Matrices (Feb 10, 2014)

Hi everyone.  I need to expand my storage server by adding more disks, and at this point I am stuck by one issue - cases.  I need to find a new case to house a system with a lot of hard drives.  I cannot find anything in the market that fits my needs

I need to find a solution that fits my requirements:

Supports ATX motherboard and power supply.
Must be a tower and not rackmount
Holds at least 12 3.5" HDDs (and preferably 16)
Holds at least 4 2.5" SSDs
Drives do not need to be hot-swappable.
Holds a 5.25" optical drive (preferable, but not mandatory)
Is one enclosure (preferable, but not mandatory)
I cannot find any cases with all of these features.  I am looking to spend $50-$100, and aesthetics are a non-issue for me.  I just want to be able to make sure my equipment is securely housed.  If there is something used that I can buy, I am more than open to it.

I have also considered buying an external HDD case to use with my existing case, but I cannot find one that is inexpensive.  Most of them are high priced because they have SAS or SATA expanders, which I do not need (I already have a 24 port expander).  I also considered constructing something from scratch, but I do not have the tools to do anything but basic modifications of existing cases.  I already have a 3 x 5.25" to 4 x 3.5" adapter, which I am using in my existing case.

Here are some pictures of my existing configuration of 8 HDDs, 4 SSDs, and 1 ODD in the case along with the system components.  Since these pictures were taken I have managed to fit another HDD in it by moving the SSDs to the side of the case.

I appreciate your help in advance.


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## W1zzard (Feb 10, 2014)

Lian Li PC-D8000B  is the only I can think of. And for its cost you could just buy a second case, hack it up, place next to your current case and route over the sata cables


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## theonedub (Feb 10, 2014)

If you put a little more money into it you could go with a Corsair 750D with (2) additional drive cages. Using this image from the TPU review and a little Paint:






You could fit additional drives in the 2 spare 5.25" bays with the third being used for your optical solution. The 4 slot SSD cage still fits behind the standard HDD cages, so you're set for your 2.5" space still.

I can't think of a case within the budget though


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## MT Alex (Feb 10, 2014)

It's more than you wanted to spend, but Sneeky has a Cooler Master Stacker combo in his for sale thread for 150 bones.  It is big and gaudy, but it looks like it would fill your needs for drives, 12 3.5s and a buttload of 5.25s.

Edit
After looking at pics over at newegg, that big ugly stacker does seem just right.


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## Vario (Feb 10, 2014)

You definitely need a full tower case, some of the cases on newegg can fit as many as 12 internal 3.5 drives.


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## Frick (Feb 10, 2014)

W1zzard said:


> Lian Li PC-D8000B  is the only I can think of. And for its cost you could just buy a second case, hack it up, place next to your current case and route over the sata cables



This is a pretty good idea. Take a cheap case and fill it with drive slots and some fans. Like an external array you connect internally.

Good idea.


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## Norton (Feb 10, 2014)

Fractal XL Rev.2 has bays for 8x 3.5" drives, 4x 5.25" bays, and room for another HDD bay (4 drives) inside.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352029

With the right amount of parts you could probably get at least 16 drives in it... maybe more.

Great case- really like mine!


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## Devon68 (Feb 10, 2014)

Maybe look into this:
http://www.lc-power.de/index.php?id=340
it's a little over your budget but should suit your needs.


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## erixx (Feb 10, 2014)

Cosmos S has room for 10 HDD out of the box and plenty of room for much more, if you get 1 or 2 extra cages.


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## The Von Matrices (Feb 11, 2014)

Thanks so far for all the help.  You all have convinced me that my budget is probably unreasonable if I want something pre-made or easy to modify.

I thought about W1zzard's idea of getting a second case or a cube case, in my situation I don't have enough floor space to support two cases side by side.  I also need to occasionally transport the system, and if it's two cases it's a bit of an annoyance to disconnect them before transport.  I could bolt both cases together and cut a hole in each side, but then the problem becomes that when a drive in the RAID fails and needs replacing, I have to disassemble the entire system in order to separate the two halves and access the drive.

I looked at some of the large cases suggested.  The Fractal XL and the Corsair 750D look like they would work, and I am considering them.  I just can't decide which to use.  Both cases can hold 16 HDDs + 4 SSDs with the 4-in-3 adapter I already have, some extra 3.5" cages, and a 4 x 2.5" into 5.25" cage for the Fractal.  The two issues I am trying to resolve are:

For the Fractal, I can't find any way to source a third drive cage for the Fractal XL.  Does anyone know if these are even available for sale and what their prices are?  
For the Corsair 750D, I looked at reviews and I cannot find out if SSDs are mountable in their brackets when HDDs are in their cages.  All the reviews of the case have the SSD behind an unfilled drive cage.  Does anyone know if you can use both at the same time?

Thanks for the continued help.


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## Norton (Feb 11, 2014)

See this link for info on Fractal spare parts*
* I haven't contacted them for such things so I'm not sure on pricing, etc..

https://support.fractal-design.com/...for-sale-such-as-additional-hdd-cages-or-side

Also, a generic HDD bay should fit in the space where the extra one is shown... I have a 180mm fan sitting in that spot! 

EDIT- here's a neat little gadget:
*fits 2x2.5" drives in the footprint of a 3.5" drive... tool-less!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994087


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## theonedub (Feb 11, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> For the Corsair 750D, I looked at reviews and I cannot find out if SSDs are mountable in their brackets when HDDs are in their cages.  All the reviews of the case have the SSD behind an unfilled drive cage.  Does anyone know if you can use both at the same time?
> 
> Thanks for the continued help.



The SSD rack is actually on the backside of the case, so all locations should be available. I would definitely use right angle SATA cables and the appropriate SATA power cables to avoid any cable issues.


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## The Von Matrices (Feb 11, 2014)

Norton said:


> See this link for info on Fractal spare parts*
> * I haven't contacted them for such things so I'm not sure on pricing, etc..
> 
> https://support.fractal-design.com/...for-sale-such-as-additional-hdd-cages-or-side



I live in the US and it's disappointing that the US site doesn't even list the lower HDD cage that I would need.  It must be in very short supply because even if I look in the German site it's backordered.  I don't think it will be easy to find one.



theonedub said:


> The SSD rack is actually on the backside of the case, so all locations should be available. I would definitely use right angle SATA cables and the appropriate SATA power cables to avoid any cable issues.



EDIT: The cable issues I'm referring to deal with mounting a SSD behind a tray full of HDDs.  Can I just mount the 3.5" drives in reverse so that the cables stick out the front?  That way I don't have to spend $50 on new SFF-8087 cables and power cables.


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## theonedub (Feb 11, 2014)

Im 80% sure you can put them in backwards, I think I did that once on my 650D that uses the same cage. I would try it right now on my 350D and 500R cages, but I can't find any 3.5" HDDs.


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## Norton (Feb 11, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> I live in the US and it's disappointing that the US site doesn't even list the lower HDD cage that I would need.  It must be in very short supply because even if I look in the German site it's backordered.  I don't think it will be easy to find one.
> .



Upper and lower cages may be the same with the exception of the plastic adapters added on the top/bottom- I can check the upper cage on mine to see if the attachment points are there to mount on the case floor...


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## The Von Matrices (Feb 11, 2014)

Thank you to both for your help.



theonedub said:


> Im 80% sure you can put them in backwards, I think I did that once on my 650D that uses the same cage. I would try it right now on my 350D and 500R cages, but I can't find any 3.5" HDDs.



Looking at the mounting points I don't think the drives can be reversed while still using the same pins.  It looks like I would have to remove the pins and drill new holes to use screws.



Norton said:


> Upper and lower cages may be the same with the exception of the plastic adapters added on the top/bottom- I can check the upper cage on mine to see if the attachment points are there to mount on the case floor...



I've been looking around and it seems the difference between the top cage and the bottom cage is that the top cage doesn't have a slot to mount another cage on top of it while the bottom cage does.  In the 3rd position, I don't need a cage with the slots on top so maybe the top cage is the one I would want.  I'm going to keep investigating.


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## TRWOV (Feb 11, 2014)

This: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517004
+ 3 of these: http://www.moddiy.com/products/5%2din%2d3-Device-Module-Hard-Disk-Cage-SAS{47}SATA-Expander-Enclosure.html
+ 1 of this: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=326
=
15 3.5" drives
4 SSDs
1 slim slot-in ODD


EDIT: Alternate build:
Antec 1200 http://store.antec.com/Product/enclosure-gear_for_gamers/twelve-hundred/0-761345-15120-7.aspx
+ 3 5-in-3 adapters http://www.moddiy.com/products/5-in...Disk-Cage-SAS{47}SATA-Expander-Enclosure.html
+ Lian li 5.25" to 4 2.5" converter: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1..._to_4_x_25_HDD_Converter_-_Black_BZ-525B.html
+ 5.25" ODD
That would leave you with a single free 5.25" bay where you could mount the 16th hard disk with a 3.5" adapter.


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## newtekie1 (Feb 11, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> Must be a tower and not rackmount



If astetics aren't an issue, why does it need to be a tower?

$99 buys you a decent rackmount case with 15 3.5" bays. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147164

You can set it up on its side like it is a tower if you want.  It even looks like you can remove the flanges and handled if you want, it looks like they are only held on my a few screws.


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## TRWOV (Feb 11, 2014)

wow, that is a sweet deal. It currently has a 50% discount. Doesn't have 2.5" bays but I bet you could use industrial grade dual side tape to mount a pair of 3.5" to 2 2.5" adapters.


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## newtekie1 (Feb 11, 2014)

TRWOV said:


> wow, that is a sweet deal. It currently has a 50% discount. Doesn't have 2.5" bays but I bet you could use industrial grade dual side tape to mount a pair of 3.5" to 2 2.5" adapters.


Really, since they are SSDs, you can just use double sided tape or velcro to mount them pretty much anywhere.  The case is rather large since it holds E-ATX motherboards, so there is going to be plenty of room in front of the motherboard if a standard ATX motherboard is used.


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## Norton (Feb 11, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> I've been looking around and it seems the difference between the top cage and the bottom cage is that the top cage doesn't have a slot to mount another cage on top of it while the bottom cage does.  In the 3rd position, I don't need a cage with the slots on top so maybe the top cage is the one I would want.  I'm going to keep investigating.



I checked mine- the top cage will work but you would need to drill new holes and use longer screws. The 4x plastic disks on top, which are also on the bottom of the upper cage, can be used as spacers to raise the bottom up enough to clear the side of the case with the lower HDD tray. Also, the HDD mount to the bottoms of the HDD trays so they are reversible- I mount the drives in mine with the cables facing outward.


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## The Von Matrices (Feb 11, 2014)

TRWOV said:


> This: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517004
> + 3 of these: http://www.moddiy.com/products/5%2din%2d3-Device-Module-Hard-Disk-Cage-SAS{47}SATA-Expander-Enclosure.html
> + 1 of this: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=326
> =
> ...



I appreciate your help, but the hard disk cages are too expensive.  Either way I would need to spend $100-$130 on bay adapters on top of the ~$100 for those cases putting the budget at or over $200.



newtekie1 said:


> If astetics aren't an issue, why does it need to be a tower?
> 
> $99 buys you a decent rackmount case with 15 3.5" bays. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147164
> 
> You can set it up on its side like it is a tower if you want.  It even looks like you can remove the flanges and handled if you want, it looks like they are only held on my a few screws.



That's a nice thought.  The only reason I specified tower is because I wanted it too be vertical; I didn't realize a rackmount case could feasibly be turned sideways  I'm going to keep that in consideration.  The only detraction is the inability to use an optical drive, but that isn't a make or break issue.



Norton said:


> I checked mine- the top cage will work but you would need to drill new holes and use longer screws. The 4x plastic disks on top, which are also on the bottom of the upper cage, can be used as spacers to raise the bottom up enough to clear the side of the case with the lower HDD tray. Also, the HDD mount to the bottoms of the HDD trays so they are reversible- I mount the drives in mine with the cables facing outward.



I came across these two images of modifications.  Is that what these people did?  Also, do you know if power supply cable length is an issue with this case (particularly for the main ATX cable)?  I want to buy a new supply for this server anyway as a preventative measure (my current one is a 9 year old Silverstone and it's still working but I don't know for how much longer).  Which supply are you using for your case and does it have an issue with cable lengths?


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## Ja.KooLit (Feb 11, 2014)

silverstone rv 03 can fit like 11? 3.5 hdd... 5 behind mobo and six inside... and not so expensive....


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## Norton (Feb 11, 2014)

It looks like they just moved their existing bottom HDD rack over to the 2nd position.

This is mine just after I built it (only 1x 7770 in there atm/3x in this pic):





PSU is a Seasonic X-750 Gold- case is fairly tall so you may need a cable extension for the mobo 8pin (ran mine along the front of the board for convenience).... all of the other cables were not an issue.


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## rtwjunkie (Feb 11, 2014)

I think with a little modification the Fractal XL is the way to go.  It's a sweet case!  I almost got it for my server case upgrade unitl deciding on the define R4. Norton "sold" me on it!


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## Devon68 (Feb 12, 2014)

Maybe the Raidmax Agusta
http://raidmax.com/chassis/agusta.html


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## Steevo (Feb 12, 2014)

At the sake of being burned alive in flames......

Why not build one? Buy the cheapest full size case, then gut it other than the mobo tray and PSU brace, Google uses velcro to hold drives in place. The eleven hundred is on sale for $75 after rebate and could easily hold 16 drives with some mods done. Or buy a cheap used case for the trays and build the whole thing.


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## The Von Matrices (Feb 12, 2014)

Steevo said:


> At the sake of being burned alive in flames......
> 
> Why not build one? Buy the cheapest full size case, then gut it other than the mobo tray and PSU brace, Google uses velcro to hold drives in place. The eleven hundred is on sale for $75 after rebate and could easily hold 16 drives with some mods done. Or buy a cheap used case for the trays and build the whole thing.



The biggest problem with building one is that I don't have the tools to do it.  Unless it can be done with screwdrivers, a handheld drill, and a few hand saws, it's not practical for me.  While I would like to buy a drill press, I live in a condominium and don't have a place to put any large stationary tools.  If I was to build a drive cage, drilling all 80 holes in precise positions would be impossible with a hand drill.  This is the reason I'm trying to stick to minor modifications or pre-built solutions.

I'm almost at the point to select something; right now I'm checking if there's any files I can delete to prevent me from needing to add new hard drives.  Most of the storage is filled with 1080P 30Mb/s source footage from when I do videography, and I'm making sure there are no duplicate recordings.


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## Mindweaver (Feb 12, 2014)

I added one of these to my sniper case. It's cheap and it works great.


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## Steevo (Feb 12, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> The biggest problem with building one is that I don't have the tools to do it.  Unless it can be done with screwdrivers, a handheld drill, and a few hand saws, it's not practical for me.  While I would like to buy a drill press, I live in a condominium and don't have a place to put any large stationary tools.  If I was to build a drive cage, drilling all 80 holes in precise positions would be impossible with a hand drill.  This is the reason I'm trying to stick to minor modifications or pre-built solutions.
> 
> I'm almost at the point to select something; right now I'm checking if there's any files I can delete to prevent me from needing to add new hard drives.  Most of the storage is filled with 1080P 30Mb/s source footage from when I do videography, and I'm making sure there are no duplicate recordings.




I would then suggest NAS with a case like this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153 Turn the last three on edge in the 5.25 drive bays, you will still have room for your optical drive too.


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## Vario (Feb 12, 2014)

You can buy used server rackmount internal harddrive cages that you can mount into pretty much any case for a couple bucks on ebay.  They are made out of very sturdy steel.  These can mount easily with zip ties if you really want to do it on the cheap and not drill holes. The other option is using the Silverstone HD Caddy that mounts to a fan/radiator,
This is the model: Silverstone CFP53B 3X Hard drive Cage


Just suggesting this if you are willing to a tiny bit of modding with a case that has less bays.


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## suraswami (Feb 13, 2014)

newtekie1 said:


> If astetics aren't an issue, why does it need to be a tower?
> 
> $99 buys you a decent rackmount case with 15 3.5" bays. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147164
> 
> You can set it up on its side like it is a tower if you want.  It even looks like you can remove the flanges and handled if you want, it looks like they are only held on my a few screws.


 
So far like newtekie's idea, simple and safe for the drives too, and if OP is still hungry for drives, buy another and stack them up, run cables between cases and you got a stackable heater!

Another idea is to buy larger drives than current capacity and sell old ones to get some cents back!


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## Norton (Feb 13, 2014)

THIS is the one you want!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSFF93C/?tag=tec06d-20

*11* internal drive bays- the Nanoxia DS 5 is essentially the same as the Fractal Define XL with minor structural/cosmetic changes... not sure on the arrangement between the companies- they may use the same OEM

EDIT- NewEgg has them too:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811281012

*White seems to be easier to get than black ones for some reason?


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## Devon68 (Feb 28, 2014)

Maybe this:
http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=eng/product_a1_1_1&lv0=2&lv1=9&no=225
but cant really find any place that has them.


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## The Von Matrices (Mar 11, 2014)

I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me with this.  I eventually chose to go with the Fractal XL with an additional drive cage and a 4 x 2.5" SSD to 5.25" bay adapter.  I realized that if I'm going to have up to 16 drives, a RAID 6 is not enough to ensure data security - I needed a RAID 60.  Since with RAID 60 you need an even number of HDDs, having a case that supports 15 HDDs is no more useful than one that supports 14 HDDs.  The Fractal XL is the only case I could find that would support 16 HDDs + 4 SSDs without jerry-rigging a mount for the 16th HDD, the 4 SSDs, or both.

The extra drive cage (I bought the "top' one) required a bit of modification to get to fit.  In the end it didn't matter whether I bought the top or bottom cage since there were no mounting points on the bottom of the case for either one when the other two cages were in place.  To mount the extra drive cage, I removed the plastic "feet" from the bottom of the cage, which left four holes in the bottom of the cage.  I then fed screws through the holes where the "feet" were and then through the honeycomb fan grille, raising the cage off the bottom of the case using a lot of washers.

In the end I'm happy with the result.  It's significantly quieter than the old system due to the sound deadening and quieter standard fans, which is a nice plus.  I also as a precaution retired the 10 year old Silverstone power supply for a Seasonic S12G-750, and that's also much quieter than the old supply.

Thanks again everyone!


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## Norton (Mar 11, 2014)

Looks great!


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## Ja.KooLit (Mar 11, 2014)

looks great. just wonder, why alot of storage? server?



The Von Matrices said:


> I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me with this.  I eventually chose to go with the Fractal XL with an additional drive cage and a 4 x 2.5" SSD to 5.25" bay adapter.  I realized that if I'm going to have up to 16 drives, a RAID 6 is not enough to ensure data security - I needed a RAID 60.  Since with RAID 60 you need an even number of HDDs, having a case that supports 15 HDDs is no more useful than one that supports 14 HDDs.  The Fractal XL is the only case I could find that would support 16 HDDs + 4 SSDs without jerry-rigging a mount for the 16th HDD, the 4 SSDs, or both.
> 
> The extra drive cage (I bought the "top' one) required a bit of modification to get to fit.  In the end it didn't matter whether I bought the top or bottom cage since there were no mounting points on the bottom of the case for either one when the other two cages were in place.  To mount the extra drive cage, I removed the plastic "feet" from the bottom of the cage, which left four holes in the bottom of the cage.  I then fed screws through the holes where the "feet" were and then through the honeycomb fan grille, raising the cage off the bottom of the case using a lot of washers.
> 
> ...


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## rtwjunkie (Mar 11, 2014)

That is GREAT!  You'll be happy with your Fractal for many years!  Very high quality.


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## anAngel (Aug 31, 2016)

I know that it is a pretty old thread but what about the HDD temperatures?
Some current or old measurements if you keep or remember would be really nice.

Asking because I have/plan a similar setup and I am also considering the FD (XL) cases.


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## peche (Sep 1, 2016)

The Von Matrices said:


>


great! despte that million of cables, the case looks almost clean! nice work, that a quite preeeeetty server lad!


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## slozomby (Sep 2, 2016)

while that's a ton of drives in  tower case.  with that many drives. external hotswap would be part of my gotta have list. so  i'd go with something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811165653

don't forget you can fill excess 5 1/4 bays with these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGZ42SM/?tag=tec06d-20 on large tower cases.


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## Toothless (Sep 2, 2016)

Holy thread necro, @anAngel you really need to check post dates. Pretty sure cases have changed a bit since 2014.


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## anAngel (Sep 2, 2016)

Toothless said:


> Holy thread necro, @anAngel you really need to check post dates. Pretty sure cases have changed a bit since 2014.


Not quite.
Define XL R2 is still in production and not discontinued yet.
The thread title and posts does mention only XL as a model but the end picture show XL R2.
And before resurrecting this old thread I checked if the author was still active.

I currently have a pretty good deal for one Define XL R2 and I was curious for the HDD temperatures when fully loaded.
This setup also has a second bottom HDD tray which airflow should be pretty blocked by the first tray.
I am wondering what might be the temp. differences between the 3 HDD trays and if the case is good enough for a storage server at a reasonable/cheap price.


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## jsnas (Jan 11, 2017)

The Von Matrices said:


> I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me with this.  I eventually chose to go with the Fractal XL with an additional drive cage....



The Von Matrices, I know I'm posting to an old thread, but I'm thinking of doing a build very similar to yours (using the XL R2), and was wondering where you found the daisy-chained power cables for each 4-drive cage (ie. with the power connectors neatly spaced about ~1 inch apart)?  I've looked everywhere and can't seem to find them.  Thanks.


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## The Von Matrices (Jan 11, 2017)

jsnas said:


> The Von Matrices, I know I'm posting to an old thread, but I'm thinking of doing a build very similar to yours (using the XL R2), and was wondering where you found the daisy-chained power cables for each 4-drive cage (ie. with the power connectors neatly spaced about ~1 inch apart)?  I've looked everywhere and can't seem to find them.  Thanks.


I used these, although I had to modify them to put the SATA power connectors closer together.  The power connectors just clamp onto the cable, so they're easy to remove and clamp in a different place depending on how far apart the hard drives are spaced.

The case now has 16 x 3TB HDDs and 4 x 128GB SSDs.  Temperatures are actually very good.  The drives in the bays toward the font of the case stay at 28-32°C, while the drives in the inner cages are warmer but still reasonable at 38-43°C  The drives nearest the bottom of the case seem to be the hottest, I guess because they get the least airflow


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## jsnas (Jan 11, 2017)

The Von Matrices said:


> I used these, although I had to modify them to put the SATA power connectors closer together.  The power connectors just clamp onto the cable, so they're easy to remove and clamp in a different place depending on how far apart the hard drives are spaced.
> 
> The case now has 16 x 3TB HDDs and 4 x 128GB SSDs.  Temperatures are actually very good.  The drives in the bays toward the font of the case stay at 28-32°C, while the drives in the inner cages are warmer but still reasonable at 38-43°C  The drives nearest the bottom of the case seem to be the hottest, I guess because they get the least airflow



Thanks!  Those power connectors look great.  And the drive temps seem very reasonable, especially given the fact that it's a very quiet chassis (unlike most rackmount options that can hold that many drives).

While we're on the topic, what brand of the blue SATA data cables did you use?  Also, I was wondering if you thought about routing the blue SATA data cables thru the back side of the chassis (like the drive power cables)?


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## ComedicHistorian (Jan 11, 2017)

That should be just enough storage for this year's COD and Modern Warfare 2 Remastered bundle


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## The Von Matrices (Jan 11, 2017)

jsnas said:


> Thanks!  Those power connectors look great.  And the drive temps seem very reasonable, especially given the fact that it's a very quiet chassis (unlike most rackmount options that can hold that many drives).
> 
> While we're on the topic, what brand of the blue SATA data cables did you use?  Also, I was wondering if you thought about routing the blue SATA data cables thru the back side of the chassis (like the drive power cables)?



I just bought generic SATA to SFF-8087 cables through eBay.  The reason they are routed in the front is because the ones I purchased aren't long enough to go through the back.  I believe the ones I am using are 0.5m and 0.75m.  The other problem with my configuration is that my SAS expander has its ports on the "front" edge of the card, so the cables need to be even longer to get to the back of the case.  Also keep in mind that the SFF-8087 cables are difficult to bend sharply.  I would say that a 30mm bend diameter is the sharpest I could get them to do, so you likely won't be able to bend them to go exactly where you want them.


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## jsnas (Jan 12, 2017)

The Von Matrices said:


> I just bought generic SATA to SFF-8087 cables through eBay.  The reason they are routed in the front is because the ones I purchased aren't long enough to go through the back.  I believe the ones I am using are 0.5m and 0.75m.  The other problem with my configuration is that my SAS expander has its ports on the "front" edge of the card, so the cables need to be even longer to get to the back of the case.  Also keep in mind that the SFF-8087 cables are difficult to bend sharply.  I would say that a 30mm bend diameter is the sharpest I could get them to do, so you likely won't be able to bend them to go exactly where you want them.



Ok, thanks for the warning about the SFF-8087 cables not bending very much.  I just noticed that you attached SATA extender cables to the SFF-8087-to-SATA cables.  It looks like you put something on the intermediate connection points to secure the connections.  Is that heat-shrink or just black tape?

Also, I'm curious what 4-in-3 5.25" cage you used for the 4 extra 3.5" HDDs?  Did you get one with an intake fan on the front?  Are the temps any worse on those drives versus in the middle/lower front cages?


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## The Von Matrices (Jan 12, 2017)

jsnas said:


> Ok, thanks for the warning about the SFF-8087 cables not bending very much.  I just noticed that you attached SATA extender cables to the SFF-8087-to-SATA cables.  It looks like you put something on the intermediate connection points to secure the connections.  Is that heat-shrink or just black tape?
> 
> Also, I'm curious what 4-in-3 5.25" cage you used for the 4 extra 3.5" HDDs?  Did you get one with an intake fan on the front?  Are the temps any worse on those drives versus in the middle/lower front cages?


There are no SATA extender cables used.  The mesh sleeving on the SFF-8087 cables is only about half the length of the cables, and you are looking at the heat shrink securing the ends of the sleeving.  They were sleeved that way when I purchased them.

I used this HDD cage.  The temperatures of the HDDs in that cage are about the same as the ones built into the case, but that is by my design.  I modified the fan in the cage to run on 5V.  At 12V that fan was by far the loudest thing in the case, and the cooling from the lower speed fan is more than enough for those drives.  I imagine you would want to run it at 12V only if you needed the airflow for something else in the case, but that wasn't my situation.


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## Deleted member 193792 (Apr 22, 2021)

Deep Silence 6 Super Tower Case
					

Features Overview Specs Heavy duty super towerBuilt like a bunker with ultra thick metalwork; Excellent choice for professional users who require strength, durability and silence while running their programs for hours. Ultimate in silenceWith a lot of mass around the perimeter, decoupled drive...




					www.nanoxiausa.com
				




Is this the best PC case for lots of HDDs? Any other options?


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## Toothless (Apr 22, 2021)

jermando said:


> Deep Silence 6 Super Tower Case
> 
> 
> Features Overview Specs Heavy duty super towerBuilt like a bunker with ultra thick metalwork; Excellent choice for professional users who require strength, durability and silence while running their programs for hours. Ultimate in silenceWith a lot of mass around the perimeter, decoupled drive...
> ...


First of all, why necro a four year dead thread?

Second, good luck finding one that's not overpriced to hell.


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## Deleted member 193792 (Apr 22, 2021)

Toothless said:


> First of all, why necro a four year dead thread?
> 
> Second, good luck finding one that's not overpriced to hell.


Should I make a new thread instead and clutter the forum?

Not very helpful post...


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## Toothless (Apr 22, 2021)

No one is going to keep track of a dead thread. If it was a thread that's been active for years that's much different. 

The helpful part that you ignored is that the case is completely overpriced on their site. I can tell you it's not with $380 because I own that case. The only time it's worth it at that price is if you're running an HTPX sized board and even then there are better options.


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## Deleted member 193792 (Apr 22, 2021)

That case is available elsewhere for a lower price, but that wasn't my question.

My question was if there are better options (same amount of HDDs, but maybe with better airflow etc.)


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## X71200 (Apr 22, 2021)

That case is horribly overpriced, and yes there are plenty of other choices that hold a lot of HDDs. Phanteks makes some larger cases with that can hold a fair amount of HDDs.


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## bobbybluz (Apr 22, 2021)

The Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 is also a great choice for holding several drives if you can score one cheap. I got mine for $20 off Craigslist 12 years ago and it's still in regular daily use. One great advantage of getting cases cheap is not caring if you have to cut holes in them to add fans.


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## Deleted member 193792 (Apr 22, 2021)

X71200 said:


> That case is horribly overpriced, and yes there are plenty of other choices that hold a lot of HDDs. Phanteks makes some larger cases with that can hold a fair amount of HDDs.


This one? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qBn8TW/phanteks-enthoo-pro-2-atx-full-tower-case-ph-es620pc_bk01

Any other suggestions?


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## Toothless (Apr 22, 2021)

bobbybluz said:


> The Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 is also a great choice for holding several drives if you can score one cheap. I got mine for $20 off Craigslist 12 years ago and it's still in regular daily use. One great advantage of getting cases cheap is not caring if you have to cut holes in them to add fans.


Issue is drives get hot in that since there's no airflow and you can only for 6-8. Had issues in that one. 



jermando said:


> That case is available elsewhere for a lower price, but that wasn't my question.
> 
> My question was if there are better options (same amount of HDDs, but maybe with better airflow etc.)


Amount of drives? No. Better airflow? Yes. Remember you can add drives in 5.25" bays.


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## X71200 (Apr 22, 2021)

Yeah that might work, I had the older version of it. Wasn't the best case around though. As for other options, Thermaltake Core W series would also apply.


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## Deleted member 193792 (Apr 22, 2021)

Toothless said:


> Issue is drives get hot in that since there's no airflow and you can only for 6-8. Had issues in that one.
> 
> 
> Amount of drives? No. Better airflow? Yes. Remember you can add drives in 5.25" bays.


I would prefer to have more 3.5" bays rather than 5.25" ones (don't need ODD these days).


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## bobbybluz (Apr 22, 2021)

Toothless said:


> Issue is drives get hot in that since there's no airflow and you can only for 6-8. Had issues in that one.
> 
> 
> Amount of drives? No. Better airflow? Yes. Remember you can add drives in 5.25" bays.


I ended up ghetto modding my Cosmos 1000 after the latching assemblies for the side panels failed twice and getting the panels off was a nightmare. Switched to cheap 25 x 16 x 2 furnace filters for the sides and the internal temps dropped drastically as well. I'd buy another if I could get it dirt cheap like the last one.


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## Toothless (Apr 22, 2021)

jermando said:


> I would prefer to have more 3.5" bays rather than 5.25" ones (don't need ODD these days).


A 5.25 can turn into 2-3 3.5 bays. Does help if your case is limited but you have other factors taken in. 



bobbybluz said:


> I ended up ghetto modding my Cosmos 1000 after the latching assemblies for the side panels failed twice and getting the panels off was a nightmare. Switched to cheap 25 x 16 x 2 furnace filters for the sides and the internal temps dropped drastically as well. I'd buy another if I could get it dirt cheap like the last one.


I stuck a fan to that little cutout it has to blow on the ssd. Works nicely.


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## 80-watt Hamster (Apr 22, 2021)

jermando said:


> Deep Silence 6 Super Tower Case
> 
> 
> Features Overview Specs Heavy duty super towerBuilt like a bunker with ultra thick metalwork; Excellent choice for professional users who require strength, durability and silence while running their programs for hours. Ultimate in silenceWith a lot of mass around the perimeter, decoupled drive...
> ...



Meshify 2 XL, but you'd probably need additional drive sleds, and I can't find where to get those.


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