The Enclosure Thread


Blofeld

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Cooling an unRAID box is probably more complex than a gaming rig. Basically if it runs cool during parity check, it probably runs too cold (for the disks) most of the time. If it runs ideal when a few disks are spinning it tends to run hot during a parity check.

 

But you are correct that less cooling is needed.

at what temperature are disks considered too cold?

mine vary between 23-34 C atm

 

 

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thanks for clarifying.

i think i'm safe :)

 

the variation is probably because the weather got a bit colder the last days, it will be interesting to see what happens in summertime on a hot day

 

 

to get on the topic of fan controllers, are there any that can read out system temps like cpu and hardrive temps?

it would be great to be able to control the airflow and noise that comes with it without risking over heating.

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to get on the topic of fan controllers, are there any that can read out system temps like cpu and hardrive temps?

it would be great to be able to control the airflow and noise that comes with it without risking over heating.

 

The mobo (below) on my current computer has Fan Xpert which controls the speed of case fans attached to the mobo based on (I think) three temp sensors. It works very well - I can hear when SETI@Home kicks in by the fan speed and LED brightness :) Haven't looked at mobo options for unRAID, but I'm sure some suitable ones have it or similar tech.

 

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=gXUQex0X4rGOOh5E

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

 

Can anyone point me at other cases similar to this one? (ie. front door with fans and 5.25" bays the whole height of the case)

 

I'm toying with the idea of getting a case of this type and filling it top to bottom with 4-in-3 cages.

 

(And then removing the cage fans and just relying on the case fans)

 

Has anyone else actually done this?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just discovered this one, as it is currently on sale.

 

Thermaltake V6 BlacX Edition Gaming Chassis Mid Tower Steel Computer Case BlacX Top Mounted HDD Docking Station VM100M1W2Z

 

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Very similar design to the CM-590 and the Antec 900/902.  However, this one has a top mounted HDD dock, which it seems to me would be perfect as a dedicated preclear slot.  It also costs about the same as the CM-590, and half the price of the Antec 900/902.

 

I just ordered one for fun, so I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

 

Rajahal,

how did the V6 turn out, is it a recommendable case? It sure looks boss...

I'm chiming in with another case that I'll probably be using for a dual-boot Hackintosh, the Corsair Obsidian 650. It ain't cheap at €150, but given that it'll be my main machine for a while, I want it to be a good one. Look here: http://www.corsair.com/cases/obsidian-series/obsidian-series-650d.html

 

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The V6 is a nice case, and a nice alternative to the CM 590.  The only downside is that you have to sacrifice the top mounted bay if you want to stuff it with 5-in-3 cages.  See my pictures earlier in this thread.  The V5 looks the same except for the handle, so I expect either one would work.

 

If you don't absolutely need the hdd docking station, the V5 is a better bet.  The differences, as far as I'm aware:

o The V5 has a large handle on top - not too useful as a handle on a file server, but it certainly stops you obstructing the top fan by laying things on top of the case!

o The V5 has only one fan aperture (with fan fitted) on the top panel - slightly further forward than the active fan on the V6

o In place of the docking station, the V5 has an eSATA socket.  This does not obstruct the top bay so that it should be possible to install three full 5in3 backplanes

o The V5 is slightly cheaper than the V6

I believe that, in all other respects, the two cases are identical.

 

This, to my mind, makes the V5 an ideal case for a mid-sized (15 drive) unRAID configuration.  It is stylish (as long as you don't object to the handle), extremely quiet. Easy to cool.  I would much rather have the full 9 bay capacity, than the docking station - If I really want/need to attach another drive temporarily, I would use an eSATA enclosure (possibly with a trayless hot-swap facility).

 

The only caution I would give is that I suspect it's not deep enough to comfortably accommodate the largest drive backplanes (Norco and Supermicro).  I plan to install iStar trayless backplanes (if I can get hold of them), otherwise I will try the Supermicro.  At least there is latitude to adjust the clearance at the rear by bringing the backplanes forward - they could even protrude a little forward of the front panel without looking too odd.

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Thermaltake V6

 

I haven't used the V5, so I would trust PeterB's comparison of the two.  My take on the V6 is that it is good, but not great.  The biggest disappointment is that the top docking bay's cables block the upper-most 5.25" bay, as I documented earlier in this thread.  As others have noted, the PCI bay locks are a bit flimsy and not as secure as tradition screw in ones, but they do work.

 

I'm still using the case for various prototype builds (trying out different motherboards, drive cages, etc.).  It is lightweight and easy to work with.  The front bezel pops off very easily, which makes it easy to flatten the tabs between the 5.25" bays.

 

If you see value in the top dock and don't mind giving up the upper-most 5.25" bay, then I would recommend the V6.  It would be a great case for a smaller server, such as one that supports 10 drives or less.  If you want a full 15 bay server, then go with the V5 as PeterB said (or the Azza Helios 910, the Antec 902, or the myriad of other options).

 

Corsair Obsidian 650

 

The Corsair Obsidian 650 looks like a great case, I've always wanted to use one.  However, I'm so influenced by unRAID at this point that I can't bring myself to buy any case that doesn't have at least nine 5.25" bays, even if I'm using it for a non-unRAID purpose!

 

Azza Helios 910

 

I've now used a few of the Azza Helios 910 cases in client builds.  Here's my thoughts on the case:

 

1) Flattening the 5.25" bay tabs takes a bit longer than some cases since they extend across nearly the entire length of the bay.

 

2) Removing the plastic cross bars from the front is easily accomplished with a pair of wire clippers.

 

3) The case plastic is very black, so it is generally a bit darker than the black plastic used in most drive cages.  Might aggravate certain OCD individuals...

 

4) The side fan/vent is really pretty pointless for an unRAID build, but it does look nice if you are into that kind of thing.  I personally would rather not have it as it allows sound to escape the case much more easily.  A solid case wall will do a better job at sound dampening.

 

5) The top fan sometimes emits a very slight rattle, I wonder if it doesn't mount against the case quite right.  I've tried tightening the screws but couldn't get the rattle to stop (short of just disabling the fan altogether).  I might experiment with putting a bit of foam between the fan's casing and the case.  This rattle is very quiet, so it isn't a huge concern.  If you are using any fans that are even a bit loud, then chances are you won't even hear it.

 

6) I really like how tall the case's feet are.  It keeps the case higher up off the surface it sits on, allowing for good airflow underneath the case (important if you use the lower vents, which I generally don't) and makes it very easy to pick the case up and move it around.

 

7) The interior surface of the 5.25" bays will color your hands with black residue.  At first I thought that was just a result of flattening the 5.25" tabs and scraping off some of the paint, but later I realized that my hands would pick up the black color even from the case brand new out of the box!  Sometimes metal parts are coated with an anti-rust chemical to protect them as they are shipped across the ocean, so maybe that's what I'm seeing.  Anyway, don't wear your white lace gloves while working on the case ;)

 

8) I give the case's cable management 9 out of 10 stars.  My only real gripe is that there's no space above the motherboard's 4 pin power cable to route that cable behind the motherboard.  However, since I always mount the PSU with the fan facing up, generally this cable won't reach behind the motherboard tray anyway.  The case has plenty of other cable management holes, and lots of space both behind and beneath the 5.25" section to stow extra cabling.  Even when using the long Norco drive cages I'm able to route cables around easily.

 

9) The power and reset buttons look and feel a bit cheap, but they work fine.

 

Overall my impression with the Azza Helios 910 is still positive, and I will continue to use these cases in my builds.  I do wish they were available without the large side fan, and I may be contacting Azza about creating a customized version of the case that will work a bit better for unRAID servers right out of the box (i.e. no side fan, no 5.25" bay tabs, etc.).  If I'm able to pull that off, then I'll see what I can do about making the case available to the community at large.  For the time being, I recommend purchasing the case from Amazon as it is available with free shipping (unlike Newegg).  However, Amazon's free shipping does take aeons (probably 2 weeks or so...Newegg always gets parts to me in 3 days or less).

 

I recently completed a 15 Drive Eco using this case, and I'm currently working on a 12 Drive Eco.  I'll post pictures of both on the GreenLeaf site soon.

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How about the Zalman MS1000 + Extra ZM1 hotswap cage, its got sound deadening and 3 x 3 hotswap bays granted not at the density you may want but for a budget build you can get a 9 bay hot swap MS1000 OTD for about $220 shipped. A Helios plus 9 monoprice hotswap racks with no fans for the HDD comes out to $190 give or take $20 for shipping, its pretty close....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cooling an unRAID box is probably more complex than a gaming rig. Basically if it runs cool during parity check, it probably runs too cold (for the disks) most of the time. If it runs ideal when a few disks are spinning it tends to run hot during a parity check.

 

So that would imply that a fan controller would be useful? I'd prefer to have an automated system, though (software or mobo).

 

I have in my Fractal XL an NZXT Sentry 2 fan controller. With it, I keep my fans between 50 and 70% if on Manual mode, this keeps my temps in check most of the time. During parity checks the 7200 drives hit the 40s. This controller is for 5 fans max, and it has 5 temp sensors that can be placed as needed to keep tabs on your component temps. This plus an Auto mode, that once set up, regulates the fan speed to keep the temps within your desired range.

 

Living in Australia, it has been crucial for my tower.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rajahal,

 

man of all things tinkery...I have a(nother) question for you.

 

I have my unRAID server in a Fractal Design R2, and I've very happy with it. However, I almost think it's a little too...quiet, in terms of visuals. I wouldn't mind something more machin-ey...well ok, especially with this case I'm presenting, the taste of which is definitely debatable - but so be it. I'm just wondering, from a building point of view, how many drives do you think I could fit in this thing, the Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 http://store.antec.com/Product/darkFleet/df-85/0-761345-15238-9.aspx?

I was able to score one at half price, and seized the opportunity, and I am now considering moving all my stuff into that one. It is bigger than my Fractal Design - and it has blinking lights 'n stuff. I'd probably turn some of the fans off, I doubt I'll need that much cooling...but do you think I could add a 5-in-3 or something to it? What do you reckon might be the max number of HD's in it?

 

Thanks for your kind words of advice in advance...

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According to the website, the DF-85 can hold 9 drives internally and has 3x5.25 bays, so you could add a single 3x5 Cage, for a total of 14 drives. I looked at this case as well, but drew away from it because I could never figure out if you could actually remove one of those 3 drive/fan assembly units and add in a 3x5 cage. I didn't think so, so went with the Antec 900 instead. The front fans have speed control, so you can turn them right down but still have some good cooling otherwise.

 

Shawn

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According to the website, the DF-85 can hold 9 drives internally and has 3x5.25 bays, so you could add a single 3x5 Cage, for a total of 14 drives. I looked at this case as well, but drew away from it because I could never figure out if you could actually remove one of those 3 drive/fan assembly units and add in a 3x5 cage. I didn't think so, so went with the Antec 900 instead. The front fans have speed control, so you can turn them right down but still have some good cooling otherwise.

 

Shawn

Shawn,

you're right, I think. The top 3 5.25" are hard to fill, it seems, so the most I could put in there would be a 3-in-2, as far as I can see. That would make it 9 internal + 3 in that 5.25 space, which means 12 total, which isn't that much considering the size of the thing. No matter, I kinda like the brash looks, and I moved my build into it. It's a high-airflow case, and even during a parity check, it almost runs too cool (low 30's). It sure looks the business, what with the red fans and all. I'll post photos in the coming days.

FWIW, I also just built a Hackintosh in a Corsair Obsidian 650D case - now that's a great case, in my book. Not sure how good it would be as an unRaid server, but for a "normal" PC, it's pretty awesome. I've made a little clip, which is more about the innards and all, but still, maybe it'll give you an impression (youtube link)

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According to the website, the DF-85 can hold 9 drives internally and has 3x5.25 bays, so you could add a single 3x5 Cage, for a total of 14 drives. I looked at this case as well, but drew away from it because I could never figure out if you could actually remove one of those 3 drive/fan assembly units and add in a 3x5 cage. I didn't think so, so went with the Antec 900 instead. The front fans have speed control, so you can turn them right down but still have some good cooling otherwise.

 

Shawn

Shawn,

you're right, I think. The top 3 5.25" are hard to fill, it seems, so the most I could put in there would be a 3-in-2, as far as I can see. That would make it 9 internal + 3 in that 5.25 space, which means 12 total, which isn't that much considering the size of the thing. No matter, I kinda like the brash looks, and I moved my build into it. It's a high-airflow case, and even during a parity check, it almost runs too cool (low 30's). It sure looks the business, what with the red fans and all. I'll post photos in the coming days.

FWIW, I also just built a Hackintosh in a Corsair Obsidian 650D case - now that's a great case, in my book. Not sure how good it would be as an unRaid server, but for a "normal" PC, it's pretty awesome. I've made a little clip, which is more about the innards and all, but still, maybe it'll give you an impression (youtube link)

 

Sorry I'm a bit late to respond to this, I've been under the weather the past week, but I'm on the mend now.  So it sounds like you went ahead and moved your server into the Antec case.  How do you like it?

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According to the website, the DF-85 can hold 9 drives internally and has 3x5.25 bays, so you could add a single 3x5 Cage, for a total of 14 drives. I looked at this case as well, but drew away from it because I could never figure out if you could actually remove one of those 3 drive/fan assembly units and add in a 3x5 cage. I didn't think so, so went with the Antec 900 instead. The front fans have speed control, so you can turn them right down but still have some good cooling otherwise.

 

Shawn

Shawn,

you're right, I think. The top 3 5.25" are hard to fill, it seems, so the most I could put in there would be a 3-in-2, as far as I can see. That would make it 9 internal + 3 in that 5.25 space, which means 12 total, which isn't that much considering the size of the thing. No matter, I kinda like the brash looks, and I moved my build into it. It's a high-airflow case, and even during a parity check, it almost runs too cool (low 30's). It sure looks the business, what with the red fans and all. I'll post photos in the coming days.

FWIW, I also just built a Hackintosh in a Corsair Obsidian 650D case - now that's a great case, in my book. Not sure how good it would be as an unRaid server, but for a "normal" PC, it's pretty awesome. I've made a little clip, which is more about the innards and all, but still, maybe it'll give you an impression (youtube link)

 

Sorry I'm a bit late to respond to this, I've been under the weather the past week, but I'm on the mend now.  So it sounds like you went ahead and moved your server into the Antec case.  How do you like it?

 

Hey Rajahal,

hope you're feeling better!

I quite like the case, the hard drives just slide in, which is nice - no mounting in brackets or anything - easy. For the size, i could probably offer more drive slots, and since I'm not sure yet if I can fit a 5-in-3, that question is still open. I'll post pix & clips and a short report in my fave thread of all soon - unRaid Compulsive Design ;)

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