Home Server Case Recommendation?

kiddsupreme · May 29, 2015

Hello,

I'm getting ready to migrate my current server enclosure (an Antec Titan 550, over 10 years old) to a new, more modern selection. I am looking for an enclosure that will allow me to populate it with as many hard drives as possible. It would also need to be able to have plenty of fan mounting locations (or at the very least enough for me to keep it relatively cool). Size and weight are not a consideration. I am currently leaning towards a Corsair 900D -- from what I can tell, with enough drive cages, I should be able to get at least 15 3.5" HDDs in it no problem. There also looks to be plenty of room for good airflow.

Before I invest $300 however, I want to make sure I am making a good selection based on my needs. Are there any other enclosures that allow for that many hard drives? I don't have an issue spending more/less as long as I'm getting quality equipment. Your suggestions are welcomed and I look forward to anything you might have. Thanks in advance.

(P.S. -- not sure if it is necessary to know but the mobo that will be going in this is ATX sized)

EmeraldFlame · May 29, 2015

How many drives do you actually need? How much space do you actually anticipate needing?

If you honestly need more than 15 drives in a single enclosure you need to stop looking in the consumer market and start looking in the enterprise market. The storinator series (http://www.45drives.com/products/storage/enclosures.php) or other rack mount enclosures may be more aligned with your needs.

kiddsupreme · May 29, 2015

How many drives do you actually need? How much space do you actually anticipate needing?

If you honestly need more than 15 drives in a single enclosure you need to stop looking in the consumer market and start looking in the enterprise market. The storinator series (http://www.45drives.com/products/storage/enclosures.php) or other rack mount enclosures may be more aligned with your needs.

I guess I should rephrase my original post. I do not see myself exceeding 15 hard drives; I was just quoting the number of hard drive spots in the 900D. Currently I have 20TB spread across 5 hard drives. I see myself adding at least another hard drive this year.

I don't look at it like I'm going to fill up those hard drive slots tomorrow; I just want to future-proof my storage solution as much as possible. Lets be honest, if/when I get to 15 hard drives, I will have probably upgraded to high capacity HDDs and retire the old ones.

EmeraldFlame · May 29, 2015

I guess I should rephrase my original post. I do not see myself exceeding 15 hard drives; I was just quoting the number of hard drive spots in the 900D. Currently I have 20TB spread across 5 hard drives. I see myself adding at least another hard drive this year.

I don't look at it like I'm going to fill up those hard drive slots tomorrow; I just want to future-proof my storage solution as much as possible. Lets be honest, if/when I get to 15 hard drives, I will have probably upgraded to high capacity HDDs and retire the old ones.

That's kind of what I figured but from your first post, it just sounded like you were looking for more storage potential. The 900D is a pretty solid choice really, you may also want to look into options from some of the more custom manufacturers like Case Labs, although those may be out of your price range. For my personal home server I am using a Fractal Design 804 and it is a pretty nice case for this too, although it only has 8 3.5" bays, a lot cheaper at only $90 though. The silverstone DS380 also has 8x 3.5" hotswap bays and 4x 2.5" drives, in a really compact form factor but is ITX only at around $150.