Convert Antec 900 to server case... Which hot swap cages?

[TSDible]

Ok...

I'm repurposing old hardware and building a server... I have 10 matching enterprise level SATA drives...

I used an Antec 900 case, and loaded it with 6 of the drives... but it makes me sad to see 4 more still sitting here.

I would like to add 2 hot swap drive cages... I found this one on the Egg...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816132037

This would allow me to go to 8 drives... but I want to be sure it would work first.

I won't be swapping drives a lot, but would like to be able to expand the array in the future.

Thoughts on this particular cage? Anything better for around the same price point?

 

[lehtv]

The 900 has three 5.25" bays... and the Rosewill adapter takes up three bays. Can't see any reason it wouldn't work

 

[TSDible]

The 900 has three 5.25" bays... and the Rosewill adapter takes up three bays. Can't see any reason it wouldn't work

The 900 actually has 9 x 5.25 bays... but only 3 are set up for 5.25 drives.... The bottom 6 are where the 6 internal drives go.....

I want to keep the top 5.25 bays for a DVD burner....

Then I want 8x3.5 1TB drives in the lower 6 bays....

6 terabytes of space with dual redundancy...

 

[TSDible]

It is the lower 6 (with the fans) that I would like to replace

 

[lehtv]

That seems like a very expensive way to make a case compatible with what you want to do. In addition, replacing the existing fan holders would probably mean you can't install any fans to cool your hard drives. For the cost of ONE such bay adapter, you can get a case that supports 9 x 3.5" in its stock configuration. Selling the 900 away you would be at net $0 or so.

NZXT Source 210 Elite $50 + 2x 120mm fans to cool the drives, $9 each
8x 3.5" bays
3x 5.25" bays

Then you could optionally use two of the 5.25" bays for your remaining two drives with this adapter costing $7 a piece. (not 100% sure if this is compatible with the toolless bays)

 

[TSDible]

I'm not trying to just make it compatible... I could easily fit the drives in there... I really wanted to turn it in to a more "server-like" case. I could use adapter now and fit 8x3.5 drives in it easy...

but then they wouldn't be hot-swap.

 

[aigomorla]

id be very weary of cheap backplanes...
especially ones from rosewell.

Either think about spending double that for a quality one, or just get a drive cage.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816132035

You dont want a cheap HDD backplane... trust me... im saving u hours of grief...
There are very good reasons why they cost a lot and that rosewell is cheap.