Best case?

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twharry

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Jan 30, 2005
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Looking to build a home server. My fiance and I are moving across the country into our own place and I am going to set up a network from the ground up. A couple years from now, we're going to build a house and I plan to have it be as wired as possible. Wireless access points in each room, the fastest of everything that I can find. We consider it to be part of the cost of the house, and we want to just buy the best when we buy it.

But that is then. Right now, I am looking for a case. I have been to Newegg and saw a couple, but they don't have many full towers. My midtower right now (Antec p160) has an airflow problem, and I want to move to a bigger case and plan my airflow before I build it. I like the cases with the wind tunnel in them, but I might just fabricate something like that myself if I think it would help.

Basically, I am looking for a full tower with a pull-out motherboard tray and an easily accessible hard drive tray. I don't want plastic, and I don't want anything that looks like a transformer. In our house, the carpet will be grey, walls white, furniture black, and fixtures will be silver and cyan-tinted glass. Thus, I am hoping for a silver aluminum-style case.

This machine will mainly be a storage device and e-mail server. Probably loaded with 10,000rpm SCSI and 7200rpm Seagate drives. I plan to save money on the drives, so the case will have to hold a lot of drives.

I would prefer not to spend $200+ on the case, but I will if I have to. There were two suitable cases on newegg, and if I remember correctly, they were both over $200.

Anyone know of a specific case that I might want to look at? Suggestions on server hardware? Places to shop for cases online?

Thanks for your help!
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
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The coolermaster stacker has gotten some good praise in the cases/cooling section. Not quite everything you're looking for though...

You'd probably get a better response to your requests in that forum.
 
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airfoil

Golden Member
Jan 17, 2001
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Since you eventually plan on 'going the distance', I would recommend that you invest in a case that wont turn into an eyesore in the future.

Since this case is going to be part of the decor, get a Lian Li - you wont regret it. Here are a couple of examples:

$185

$210
 
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MyK Von DyK

Member
Nov 24, 2004
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CHIEFTECH Tower Case might be for you. It's cheap, has plenty of room for lots of drives and cooling fans, and it even comes in gray colour to match your carpet:) Best, Myk.
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: airfoil
Since you eventually plan on 'going the distance', I would recommend that you invest in a case that wont turn into an eyesore in the future.

Since this case is going to be part of the decor, get a Lian Li - you wont regret it. Here are a couple of examples:

$185

$210
Click to expand...

I regret not getting a Lian-Li. I wanted something a little cheaper a couple years ago. Spending almost $200 on a case was not something I wanted to do as a college freshmen. Wish I had one now though, I really like their looks and from what I've read, quality.
 
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Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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Silverstone Berserker or Silverstone Temjin TJ05. The TJ03 might suit too, but kind of pricey. Use CoolerMaster 4x3 boxes to add drives in chunks of 4. the Berserker could hold 7 drives with one CM 4x3 leaving 3x5" bays free. The TJ05 could hold 12 HDs leaving one 5" bay free for an optical using one CM 4x3.
. The wind tunnel cases have the air flow all messed up and seem to have a lot of wasted space to my eye. Then there's the Codegen S-101 - not so pretty but it does have lots of elbow room (including room for dual PSUs) w/o costing a ton. 12 HDs in 4x3s with several 5" bays left over.

.bh.

:moon:
 
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Amaroque

Platinum Member
Jan 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: airfoil
Since you eventually plan on 'going the distance', I would recommend that you invest in a case that wont turn into an eyesore in the future.

Since this case is going to be part of the decor, get a Lian Li - you wont regret it. Here are a couple of examples:

$185
Click to expand...

That is a similar case to what I have. Except with no hokey side window. I have the PC70 USB. It's on Lian Li's site here. I've built a few computers with Lian Li cases, and I will tell you that they are the best cases I've ever worked with. They are a bit pricey, with no PSU. But well worth it IMO.

BTW This case, as well as a few other Lian Li cases will hold 6 3.5" HDD's in a rack on the bottom (plus three additional 3.5" bays) with two 80mm intake fans cooling them.

Originally posted by: twharry
This machine will mainly be a storage device and e-mail server. Probably loaded with 10,000rpm SCSI and 7200rpm Seagate drives. I plan to save money on the drives, so the case will have to hold a lot of drives.

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...


EDIT: I see a lot of mid tower cases posted here. FYI The OP said he is looking for a full tower server case.
 
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BillyBatson

Diamond Member
May 13, 2001
5,715
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i agree with a few ppl on here
I owned a lian-li and they are AWESOME cases though most look very simple which can be a good thing since more elaborate cases can get annoying after a while. The new 1000 series thoguh have great visual appeal but are above $200

also look into the Thermaltake Armor, not like their usual crappy cases with hundreds of X's plastered all over it, quite simple, plenty of room, longer than it is tall compared to other full towers, it is VERY light for its size, and under $200!
 
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WW2Planes1

Member
Mar 11, 2003
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Originally posted by: Amaroque

BTW This case, as well as a few other Lian Li cases will hold 6 3.5" HDD's in a rack on the bottom (plus three additional 3.5" bays) with two 80mm intake fans cooling them.
Click to expand...
Originally posted by: Amaroque

EDIT: I see a lot of mid tower cases posted here. FYI The OP said he is looking for a full tower server case.
Click to expand...

I'm also a fan of the Lian-Li.
The thing is, though, even a Lian-Li midtower can get you more hdd space than some full towers (12 bays, in the PC-60 series.)
Incidentally, I don't think the PC-70 series has a pullout mb tray (the 60 series does), although from what i've heard of the 70s, it's not that big a deal. there's plenty of room to work in there.

out of curiosity, how many hdds were you talking about?
 
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Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
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Sorry, I somehow posted a blank by mistake - my comments above still hold. I just finally got my own Silverstone Berserker and it is a very good case for the money. Just be aware that there seems to be a problem with the packaging such that the bezel mounting pins tend to get broken in shipment - a little super glue solves that.

.bh.

ps. Sorry Ike, you'll have to revise your thoughts now. bh.
 
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