Best tower case for a storage server?

[AshleyAshes]

So I have a server, well, it's a real freak really.  It's a Kodi HTPC, a Windows based Steam Machine, it runs MySQL, Transmission, SickBeard, and CouchPotato, it's also my main storage server, pooling 5 HDDs into one large 21TB drive for the rest of my apartment and sometimes it even runs the Cinema 4D Team Render Client.  So it's not just 'headless' as it's also my bedroom HTPC/Steam machine.  With 5 storage drive + 1 OS drive, the crappy cheap ATX case it has is a little crammed.  The Radeon HD 6850 in it BARELY fits against the HDDs and it only fits because I removed the cooler and put on an after market one from Arctic.  So the case is crap.

I'm looking for ideas on a case that'll basically hold a LOT of drives if I need it to but also be roomy enough to cool all that spinning rust.

Right now my main contenders are the Corsair 750D or 900D

 

http://www.corsair.com/en-ca/obsidian-series-750d-full-tower-atx-case

 

http://www.corsair.com/en-ca/obsidian-series-900d-super-tower-case

 

They are mainly for massive systems where as I'd install a tweeny mATX board with a good share of PCI-E controller cards, they seem to be the best option I could find since they offer expansion with the additional HDD cages you can buy for them.  But I'm wondering if there's any better options I could look at in the future.

[Elfuego]

900D holds an insane amount of drive. Also think about using PCI-E multi splitters for raid controller cards.

[007agentHP]

cooler master cosmos 2

Lian-li pc D800

[ANewFace]

900D can hold hold 15 HDD if you buy some expansions, but It holds 9, by default. The 750D only hold 6 HDDs

[AshleyAshes]

For reference, this somewhat out of date photo of the system explains why space is kinda a concern.  The GPU and HDDs barely fit together.  This photo however is somewhat incorrect, the ATX AMD FM1 board in it failed last month and it's been replaced with an mATX B85 board and an i5 4590, but the GPU/HDD space issue is unchanged:

[AshleyAshes]

cooler master cosmos 2

Lian-li pc D800

 

#1) Ugly

#2) Pretty cool, though $600 for a 20 drive machine miiiiight be a little out of where I'm going.

 

900D can hold hold 15 HDD if you buy some expansions, but It holds 9, by default. The 750D only hold 6 HDDs

 

The 750D can take two additional cages as well for 3 additional HDDs each, plus it's three 5.25 bays can be used via HDD rails for a total of 15.

Part of the question is, how many HDDs do I really want to put in it?  I only add storage as the need arises, but I also have to consider that eventually much larger drives will allow me to replace older smaller drives with bigger ones.  I'll reach a point where I'm just leap frogging old drives for newer bigger ones, rather than just adding additional drives.  ...This is mainly why the D8000, while awesome, I think is beyond the needs of my media hoard.

[Elfuego]

I reckon with a micro ATX board youc an get 33 drives in a 900D if you stack the cages. + 5 in the 4x 5.25" bays. (without rsorting to funky mounting.)

 

900Ds are pretty ungodly expensive tho

 

Itll be expensive but did you think about some rackmountable equipment + a half or quarter cabinet.

[AshleyAshes]

I reckon with a micro ATX board youc an get 33 drives in a 900D if you stack the cages. + 5 in the 4x 5.25" bays. (without rsorting to funky mounting.)

 

900Ds are pretty ungodly expensive tho (I have 3 )

 

It's primary storage job is just media, just... A lot of TV and movies, while serving it to other HTPCs, so it's going to be spinning 3.5" platters rather than SSDs.

[Elfuego]

It's primary storage job is just media, just... A lot of TV and movies, while serving it to other HTPCs, so it's going to be spinning 3.5" platters rather than SSDs.

 

Yes I know - i counted HDD slots with the 3 drive bays and some 5.25" adapters. I would take a look at rackmountable stuff tho.

[AshleyAshes]

Yes I know - i counted HDD slots with the 3 drive bays and some 5.25" adapters. I would take a look at rackmountable stuff tho.

 

That would require a rack, this is only for my home set up in my apartment, nothing enterprise grade.

[Elfuego]

That would require a rack, this is only for my home set up in my apartment, nothing enterprise grade.

 

You can buy 18U-24U racks for probably less than a 900D - tho will cost a bit more with the actual rackmount cases. I was intending to use 900Ds for it; but found some old 3U/4U rack cases for much cheaper - and they are more practical. (so I have 2 new 900Ds in boxes waiting for me to find a use for em)

Either way I would go 900D