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Good, cheap, EATX case?

XMan

XMan

Lifer
I like this case, although it's a bit pricy. It looks to have good cooling, and will hold eight drives, which is what I'm looking for.

Are there any cheaper options out there? If it's steel and heavy as crap, no problem, it's not going to be going to any LAN parties. 😉

One of the Stacker's also has a spot for an auxilliary power supply, and that would be nice too, but not if it's going to be a budget breaker. Newegg's setup for server cases is weird. Some of them are in the regular case section, others are in the server case section. Makes it hard to look through, although I do like their site just because of all the nice pictures. 😀
 
This is about the cheapest: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208022

It comes with one 3-HDD cage and you can add more HDDs (four at a time) with CoolerMaster Device Modules at $20. each. The Aerocool Spiral Galaxies case is cheap too (in the latest Newegg member specials mailing) - It holds 6 HDDs as delivered and you can add at least one cage for a total of 10. The Egg has lowered the price of the Aerocool Masstige too. As delivered it can take 5 HDDs with the 2 internal + three single drive adapters. They can also take the CoolerMaster modules but you have to bend the drive separator ears out of the way or cut 'em off. You could also use single drive adapters or mobile racks to add HDDs. I have reviews here of most of the items I've mentioned: http://www.techimo.com/reviews/ (the Coolview is the same as the Masstige inside.

.bh.
 
Doesn't look that's an EATX case? It says Micro and standard only in the specs.

This one doesn't look too bad, and it has enough room for a 4-in-3 module and an optical drive, along with the eight hard disks . . .

What's the best place to pick up those Cooler Master modules?
 
You sure that's the proper Stacker? I've seen this Xion IRL and it can only fit a standard ATX mobo. I think Zepper meant the Cooler Master Stacker? The Cooler Master 4-in-3 modules are found all over the net even though they have been discontinued. You can find them anywhere from 15 to 25 dollars a piece.
 
Originally posted by: tylerdustin2008
You have to look at the mobo standoffs on the case he linked you. It is EATX just look at it again.
Click to expand...

Hmm, looking at it doesn't seem like my board (Tyan S1837) would work. It's hard to get a sense of scale, though. The Xion is 19.5'' x 7.9'' x 16.9''. The Ark is 22.5" x 8.3" x 19.0".

Definitely leaning toward the Ark case after looking around.
 
Hey OP which "that" is "that": talking about too many things not to be specific.

Yeah, it looks like the Xion is only ATX as is the Masstige. The real Coolermaster Stacker would work but those aren't cheap either. Many reliable resellers have the Stacker 4-in-3 like http://www.jab-tech.com or sundialmicro.com. The case you linked OP, has five HDDs in the rack, two on the sidebar and one under the FDD spaces. You can get the same case with an additional three 5" bays in the bottom to take two drive cages: Maxtop Domino.

.bh.
 
RM:
"Coolermaster Stacker Device Modules are discontinued..." Since when? They recently did a redesign on them and they are lighter than the original and they got pretty scarce before the new ones hit the channel, but I've not heard of them being discontinued. I can see them doing another redesign to follow the Silverstone side panels so these will likely go the way of the original heavy metal jobs - let the channel sell out by the time the new ones ship. But it is a needed item for the stackers (as they have no HDD bays at all w/o one) so they'll always have something like it.

XMan:
Did you see my link to the other Maxtop cases? (The Ark is the same as Maxtop)

.bh.
 
I helped a friend build with a Tyan mobo in this. Edit: hmm, zepper beat me to it, and I didn't even notice. /Edit

It's a nice case, and lots of space. We put the supermicro hotswap 5 in 3 sata cage in the bottom space, only issue was that the door wouldn't close so we took it off.

The top handle/IO thing is dumb, but for the price I'd get one for myself if I needed EATX.

Instead I have something similar to the Xion Stacker, unfortunately it won't hold a 120mm fan anywhere without major hacking, so I'll probably get the Stacker for my upgrade.

 
That Chenming can do EATX so it is an option - terrible inconsistency in the way they do their descriptions at the Egg as there is no mention of EATX or Extended ATX, just measurements. :roll:

.bh.
 
Originally posted by: Zepper
That Chenming can do EATX so it is an option - terrible inconsistency in the way they do their descriptions at the Egg as there is no mention of EATX or Extended ATX, just measurements. :roll:

.bh.
Click to expand...

It does say 12x13, which is EATX. You do have to know what you're looking for, though.
 
try to search on 12" x 13"... Well I just did and it comes up with several cases that don't appear on an Extended ATX or EATX search. So you have to search on all three to see them all - and because of the Egg's poor description consistency you probably won't have ALL of them even then. Then you have to go into the server case section and do the searches again.

.bh.
 
Originally posted by: Zepper
RM:
"Coolermaster Stacker Device Modules are discontinued..." Since when? They recently did a redesign on them and they are lighter than the original and they got pretty scarce before the new ones hit the channel, but I've not heard of them being discontinued. I can see them doing another redesign to follow the Silverstone side panels so these will likely go the way of the original heavy metal jobs - let the channel sell out by the time the new ones ship. But it is a needed item for the stackers (as they have no HDD bays at all w/o one) so they'll always have something like it.
Click to expand...
I actually heard this from a source in China who owns a Cooler Master outlet store (they do exist in China). He told me that the CM 4-in-3 modules were no longer produced and that they had no more stock of them. He could be lying however....considering the nature of my fellow Chinese asswipes.
 
The quality of the Chenbro Server cases is far and beyond, better than any of the other brands mentioned here.

I have the SR209.

I have seen the Antec and Chenming. No comparison.
 
I was just browsing the Thermaltake cases and found a couple more which none of the search phrases I mentioned above will find: The Xaser V Damier cases. Lots of elbow room and don't look as bad as Tt is capable of... :roll: . You might have to upgrade the cooling a bit depending on your noise tolerance (hard to find quiet 92mm fans for low bucks). They have an all-aluminum version too so a big case doesn't have to weigh like one. But the OP specified cheap, so the blue one fits the bill - at least a far as EATX cases go.

.bh.
 
The Uber Chakra looks nice, but it still doesn't have enough 3.5" bays.

I'm thinking now I may just spend a little extra and get a Yeong Yang cube case. I know, I know. 😉 But I've been able to find some stuff on Ebay cheaper than I'd planned, so that helps.
 
Extra cost, shrug. I need 10 hard drives, so that'd be two modules, so say fifty bucks with shipping.
 
Well, I got the best of both worlds. 😀

I got a Cooler Master STC-T01-UW on Ebay for $89 shipped. Have to get a couple of 4-in-3 modules, but the price was hard to pass up.
 
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