drue

Thanks for all of the help. I just placed the order. I'm standardizing my network on antec 900 and 1200 cases, so that's 90% of the reason for my choice. I think they will be great all-around cases to build some infrastructure around. I've had server hardware in the past, but as I move my infrastructure back home (from the data center), I really value low noise. No 1U's here drue

WeeboTech, They may indeed be worth it, I just wanted to clarify whether a power down was still necessary (it sounds like it is). What kind of consulting do you do? I also am in that game drue

I haven't used unRAID yet, but I read in the official documentation the procedure for adding and replacing drives is to power down first. Is that true? If you have to power down to swap in new drives, what's the point of investing in hot-swap hardware? It makes the swap a bit easier, sure, but if you have to power down anyway, you might as well save $300 and spend an extra 5 minutes swapping drives.

ilovejedd, Good point. Here's some good pictures: http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/cases/antec/twelvehundred/page4.asp There is a small rail that would have to be removed. It looks like the bays themselves are removable, maybe that makes a difference. I've never used the 5-in-3 modules so i'm not certain how they work. I might favor the versatility of the twelve hundred anyway, since i'm unlikely to want more than 12 drives. Which case would you recommend instead, i'm curious? drue

I'll be taking advantage of this one soon. See the combo deal on this page: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043 Using promo code "20ANTEC", you get 20% off the case bringing it down to $143.99. Then if you add in the 1.5TB seagate they'll take another $50 off. In the end you end up with a $180 case and a $180 drive for $274 - good deal if you need them drue

Cheers, This is my first unraid box.. My priorities are, in no particular order: Future-proof / expandable / reusable components Quiet Inexpensive entry energy efficient Here is the newegg list. After combo deals that aren't listed on the wishlist, the total is $883 with two 1.5TB drives. https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=9814126 I am not picking up any hard drive enclosures at this time - I will do that later when I have more disks. The only thing left is a cheapo pci video card. I couldn't find one laying around my place - any suggestions? Thanks for the feedback, drue