Small storage server (NAS) cases are hard to find!

[code65536]

I would like to custom-build a storage server with 4 HDDs. And I'd like for it to take up as little space as possible.

First, I looked at the pre-built storage servers.
* The Acer Easystor has an Atom CPU running Windows Home Server, 4 hot-swappable 3.5" hard drive bays, and is around 8 liters in volume.
* The HP StorageWorks X310 also uses an Atom, runs WHS, and has 4-hot-swappable 3.5" drive bays, and it comes in at around 8.6 liters.

Both have great (small) form factors, but I'd much rather build my own than use WHS...

Next, I found the Chenbro ES34169. It looked perfect. 4 hot-swappable 3.5" bays, and an internal 2.5" mount for a separate OS drive. And it's only 9.5 liters. But it has scary Newegg reviews: half of them were complaints about the shoddy PSU. And since the PSU is proprietary, if it dies on me, I am up a creek without a paddle. (I know that ATX PSUs are large, but what about Flex PSUs or one of those PicoPSUs with an external brick? I'll take anything that is reasonably replaceable by the end-user.)

After more searching, the best I could come up with is the Lian-Li PC-Q08. It has 6 internal bays (hot-swappability, while nice, is not a priority; I'd even be happy to commandeer a 5.25" bay if needed to get my 4-drive count), but it's huge (relatively speaking) at over 21 liters--over twice as large as the Chenbro.

I am surprised at the total lack of selection with respect to storage-oriented cases. Are there really no better options out there? What do folks here normally use for a project like this?

 

[Zap]

I was coming into this thread to recommend the Chenbro case. There is a height limitation for the CPU cooler. Other than that, with the PSU you can always use any of the embedded solutions like the Pico PSU or others. Sure, extra cost, but the case size may be worth it.

Another option is the Fractal Design ITX case. It is available in Europe, and maybe from NCIX in Canada. It is larger but a bit more flexible. It uses an FSP 300W SFX PSU, plus can hold SIX hard drives.

 

[deimos3428]

I couldn't find any really small ones, so I gave up and went with a Synology DS411. I'd guess it's about 4 liters. (it doesn't look larger than a jug of milk, anyway). I did look at the Lian Li PC-Q08, but didn't realize it was that big!

 

[code65536]

I was coming into this thread to recommend the Chenbro case. There is a height limitation for the CPU cooler.

I was looking at something like this Atom-based board from Super Micro (which I think should fit fine?) or a mobile Sandy Bridge-based Pentium or Celeron using this board (I don't know much about cooling options for mobile sockets).

Other than that, with the PSU you can always use any of the embedded solutions like the Pico PSU or others. Sure, extra cost, but the case size may be worth it.

Hmm, so I can use a picoPSU in lieu of Chenbro's built-in PSU? I wasn't sure if the case had any sort of proprietary power connectors (e.g., for the drive backplane) that I'd have to worry about...

I couldn't find any really small ones, so I gave up and went with a Synology DS411. I'd guess it's about 4 liters. (it doesn't look larger than a jug of milk, anyway). I did look at the Lian Li PC-Q08, but didn't realize it was that big!

According to the specs on Synology's site, it's 7.1 liters, which is still pretty small. There is a lot of space in a milk jug (the handle, the tapering at the top) that doesn't hold much liquid. But what I am aiming for is to have only one machine that is left on 24/7, so in addition to being my server, it will need to handle things like recording TV shows (using USB ATSC tuners), so I need more flexibility than a Synology.

And yea, the Lian-Li is pretty large. The specs on my desktop computer (Micro-ATX mini-tower) comes out to 25.4 liters. Lian-Li cases are usually pretty wide...

 

[Zap]

I was looking at something like this Atom-based board from Super Micro (which I think should fit fine?) or a mobile Sandy Bridge-based Pentium or Celeron using this board (I don't know much about cooling options for mobile sockets).

The boards will fit. What you have to worry about is the CPU cooler fitting.

Hmm, so I can use a picoPSU in lieu of Chenbro's built-in PSU? I wasn't sure if the case had any sort of proprietary power connectors (e.g., for the drive backplane) that I'd have to worry about...

That's a good question. I suppose I can grab mine and see. I bought the Chenbro case with this motherboard. Still haven't tried it yet. I picked that board because the CPU heatsink/fan seemed pretty low profile, plus the board has five SATA ports (AFAIK the chipset supports six, but most board makers only provide 4). The Chenbro case has an internal 2.5" drive spot. I was thinking of an SSD for a boot drive, and a bunch of 2TB green drives for data. I had picked up a Kingston 32GB SSD for around $40-45 after rebate that would make for a great boot drive.

 

[code65536]

From the Newegg pictures, it looks like the only fans in the Chenbro case are in the part of the case that houses the PSU and HDDs and that there are no fans in the section that houses the motherboard. Can you confirm if this is the case? I fear that the lack of airflow in that area might be a problem with boards that use passive cooling (all the Atom boards that I could find that support RAID are passively cooled).

That Zacate motherboard looks really nice, BTW. And at such a great price, too. It's a pity that AMD decided not to add RAID support to their chipset.

 

[Zap]

IIRC the motherboard compartment had a spot for mounting a (not included) 60x10mm fan.