I will have six 120mm thermally-controlled fans (or bypassed and using a fan controller if necessary) pulling air out of my case, and all holes except front drive bays and fan exhaust ports will be sealed.

 

Goal is a cool system but one that also runs very, very quietly.

 

I keep browsing all of the threads regarding drive cages.  I need three 5-in-3 cages for my build.  I would prefer trayless, but any option at this point would work.

 

Can anyone speak, specifically, to the removal of fans on any of the popular 5-in-3 cages?  I've managed to find some pics online (and plenty here on the forums) that show each unit, but few that show the actual holes in the backplane breadboards through which air would flow.  My goal is to run all of the cages fanless and let the system fans draw air over the drives.  My concern is that small holes, or very few holes, in the backplanes would result in too much air turbulence and the resulting "whooshing" sound as air passes through.

 

A secondary alternative would be to strip each cage, chuck it in a drill press, and fashion my own vent holes on the tops and bottoms of each cage for each drive.

 

Comments?  Anyone have any success in removing the fans completely from any particular 5-in-3 cage and care to share the outcome?

 

My system is 80% done... just need drives and cages...

 

Thanks.

Referencing this:

 

http://greenleaf-technology-hwandsw.blogspot.com/

 

and this:

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=12405.0

 

Also found this (look under images):

 

http://www.caloptic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=102

 

And I may just end up buying three of these and calling it a day:

 

http://www.moddiy.com/products/5%252din%252d3-Device-Module-Hard-Disk-Cage-SAS%7B47%7DSATA-Expander-Enclosure.html

 

 

I just found this on Newegg after filtering through some cheap rubbish:

 

Norco SS-500

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133030

 

Based on the photos it looks like the airflow would be better than the Icydock and they're about half the price. I don't believe these are tray less however it does state they use an air duct which might help you.

 

Edit: 15% off w/ promo code JUNNORCO62112, ends 6/27

Thank you.  That is my current "go-to" choice for a trayed bay option.  Hadn't noticed the promo code tho, thanks!

That link you posted from moddiy was interesting although I imagine it would be far from quiet. Probably rattle quite noticeably, especially if you have 6. Price we pay for cheaper solutions unfortunately..

The istarusa 5 in 3 trayless is easy to mod. 

 

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The istarusa 5 in 3 trayless is easy to mod.

 

Indeed - have you seen my write-up here?

 

However, the design of the iStarUSA 5in3 has changed, but I can't see any reason why a similar mod shouldn't be equally effective.

 

My unRAID server is extremely quiet - obviously this is subjective and dependent on residual background noise.  However, even in the middle of the night I cannot hear it from more than three feet away.

 

Currently, there's a domestic cooling fan running downstairs and even upstairs I have to be within three inches of the server before it becomes as noticeable as the fan downstairs.

PeterB, I had not seen that link before, thanks!!!

I have two of the Supermicro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121405) 5 in 3 cages and replaced the fans with Noctua NF-B9 fans (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608005). They've both been nothing but excellent for me and the fans are extremely quiet even at the highest of the three speed settings.

 

The fans are super easy to replace on the Supermicro cages and are 92mm vs. 80mm on all the other cages. This'll give superior airflow at lower noise levels. The Noctua's have a higher static pressure than pretty much any other fan at this noise level which means they'll be able to pull the air through the vents in the cages better than other fans.

 

The fans on this cage are so easy to replace that some people on these forums have actually replaced the fans while the server was still running. Wouldn't recommend doing that but it goes to show how easy they are to replace! As you can see in the pictures on Newegg the fans are attached to the drive cage by plastic cages that simply clip on.

However, the design of the iStarUSA 5in3 has changed, but I can't see any reason why a similar mod shouldn't be equally effective.

 

I think that I must have confused myself - I've just checked the iStarUSA web site, and the trayless 5in3 is still exactly the same design as mine.

However, the design of the iStarUSA 5in3 has changed, but I can't see any reason why a similar mod shouldn't be equally effective.

 

I think that I must have confused myself - I've just checked the iStarUSA web site, and the trayless 5in3 is still exactly the same design as mine.

 

Peter, maybe this is the unit you were thinking of?

The new iStar 5-in-3 (BPN-DE350SS) should be available mid-july http://istarusa.com/drivecages/bpndespec.php

Yep, that's the one I'd seen ... but I looked at iStarUSA site and couldn't find it again!

Are these still on schedule for mid-July?  I like what appears to be the added cooling holes on the trays.  Any pricing info?

I contacted istarusa directly and was quoted $104

 

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