Cheap case that supports 8 HDD's?

C

Chris230291

Member
Hello. Im looking for a cheap case (like really cheap case!) for my FreeNas server. At the moment it's in a home made wood and mesh case, just so i could get it up and running. It does the job just fine but i think maybe it deserves a proper case now. However, as it does it's job just fine i think it would be silly to go out buying a "posh" expensive case.

The case needs to support 8 x HDD's... and thats about it really.
The OS is installed on a USB drive and there's no need for any optical drives.
Air flow is something i need to take note on as all of those drives kick out some heat. I don't need a quiet case as this machine is just bunged away under a worktop in the utility room, but quiet is always a plus.
The mobo is a Micro ATX so the smaller cases are definitely an option!

To give you an idea i was looking at an "iCute" case in Maplins the other day for like £25. Whist the case ticked pretty much every box, i would have needed 8 5.25" to 3.5" drive bay convertors which would have added a sizeable chunk to the cost.

I'm more than happy to buy secondhand as this is just a server box. So if anyone in the midlands has anything laying around i can collect if it's suitable :)

So yeah... If anyone has ANY suggestions I'm more than happy to listen.

Cheers,
Chris.
 
Anyone? :/

I would have at least expected Mr TTL to chime in?

At the moment I'm just browsing through cases on online retailers and not finding a fat lot in all honesty. Cases that support what i want tend to come with other features i don't need, putting the price up.

Chris.
 
Only thing I can think of is the Fractal Design Define R4 or Midi
mid tower, quite silent and good airflow
 
NZXT Source 210 Elite :confused:

Have seen it for £32

Comes in white and black & supports 2x120mm intake for the HDDs
 
Cheers for the replies fellas!

Fractal make some really nice cases, but they cost too much for what i want :(


That NZXT case is around the price area i wanna be. Just a shame there appears to be no ventilation for those drive bays?

Chris.
 
A 300R can support 8 hdds and has really good ventilation a bit pricey for what your looking for but you get what you pay for with corsair.
 
Really nice case but more than i want to pay.

At the moment I think it's going to be the NZXT Source 210. I prefer some of the other cases mentioned but I cant seem to find any second hand :(
 
I'd say 7, but you can still get some 5.25" to 3.5" brackets. so you could easily put 8 HDDs in there
 
Thanks for the reply!
So what is that top bay for then? Is that not technically a floppy bay which I could use for a HDD?

On this website here it says...

Form Factor - Mid tower

Max Mainboard Size - ATX

Supported Mainboards - ATX, microATX, ITX

Specification Compliance - ATX12V / EPS12V / PS/2

Internal Bays Qty - 8

Front Accessible Bays Qty - 4

Width - 20 cm

Depth - 47 cm

Height - 44.5 cm

Colour - Pure black

Cooling System - Front : 120 mm fan x 1 , Front : 140 mm fan mount x 1 , Rear : 120 mm fan x 1 , Side : 120/140 mm fan mount x 2 , Bottom : 120 mm fan mount x 1 , Top : 120/140 mm fan mount x 2

System Cabinet Features - Screwless drive bays, side metal mesh ventilation, removable dust filter, meshed front panel, floor dust filter, CPU cut-out, cable management holes
Click to expand...

So what are people saying? Really is the best case I've found so far if it supports 8! Looks very Fractal.

Cheers,
Chris.
 
it will support 8 in that rack if your not going to use a card reader or floppy drive... but i would leave that space and have a slot free for ventilation, but thats just me
 
I'd just turn the airflow in that case around; set the front fan(s) to exhaust the warm air from the drives, use the rear as an intake for cool air. You said the rest of the system was going to be quite low end anyway, so I don't expect that to run hot at all
 
remember300 said:
it will support 8 in that rack if your not going to use a card reader or floppy drive... but i would leave that space and have a slot free for ventilation, but thats just me
Click to expand...

Sa weeet!
Can i ask why you would leave it free for ventilation? The front of the case is mesh anyways?

nothingspecial said:
Bitfenix Shinobi. £50.

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cases/Midi+Tower/BitFenix+Shinobi+USB+3.0+Black+Midi+Tower+Gaming+Case+?productId=54101

Can't believe nobody else has mentioned this. Easily the best choice.
Click to expand...

Hmm. That's a smart looking case. However i think the case I've found trumps it by way of tooless bays and better ventilation (going by images).

Feronix said:
I'd just turn the airflow in that case around; set the front fan(s) to exhaust the warm air from the drives, use the rear as an intake for cool air. You said the rest of the system was going to be quite low end anyway, so I don't expect that to run hot at all
Click to expand...

Yeah it's just a i5 860s, 4GB RAM running on a GA-H55M-UD2H. I like the idea to exhaust through the front. What would you do with the other fans? Roof and door fans blowing in?

BTW what all this i hear about having a positive pressure in the case? Something i should concern myself with?

Thanks for your time guys!
Chris.
 
Chris230291 said:
Sa weeet!
BTW what all this i hear about having a positive pressure in the case? Something i should concern myself with?

Thanks for your time guys!
Chris.
Click to expand...

It's basically that you want to have more intake fans than you got exhaust so dust doesn't get sucked in through tiny holes
 
And i you said you hdds get warm id just have a space in the middle to let air loop around and cool a tiny bit... But definately have the front fans as your exhaust thats a great idea
 
:) always happy to help, if the room the unit is going in is dusty you could either use a tight mesh or as im going to be doing using the stuff from pump filters the carbon felt stuff, over a wide mesh, it works well on low speed fans i use it when i do my soldering i have made a little extractor fanand that stops the smoke getting through and blows clean air out of the back
 
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