8U Server Rack Chassis/Case

johnwinds on 01/01/2016 - 15:17
Last edited 01/01/2016 - 15:33

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for an affordable 8U Rack case for a server I'm building. In the past I used to get the 4U Norco case from Newegg (like this one, but maybe with a bit more depth: http://www.newegg.com/global/au/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8…), but the shipping costs from the US are quite expensive and I couldn't find any 8U cases on Newegg.

I also have the Chenbro CSPC-314AB RackMount Server Chassis (http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/81308/CASINGS_SERVER_-_3U/Chenbr…) which lags far behind the Norco in terms of robustness of the rails and dust filtering.

The case doesn't need to have any fancy hot-swap drives up the front. But it does need to accept a standard PC power supply (i.e., not the expensive slim rack PSUs; and standard PC components). This needs to be rack-mounted with rails (not free-standing).

Ebay doesn't seem to have any second-hand/new options.

Does anyone know where I could get these?

Computing

Comments

  • DrDollar on 01/01/2016 - 16:15
    +2

    I have had the Norco 4Us before with 20 hot-swaps, great value from TechBuy.

    Looks like TechBuy has sold an 8U in the past, but that thing was pretty serious business with 50 hot-swaps and I don't think you would be able to fit a standard power supply in it so likely useless and over-priced for you. Also unavailable so you would need to ask if they would order in special if possible at all.

    http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/147130/CASINGS_SERVER_-_5U/TST/T…

    I am wondering what you would be filling this thing up with being so large and not caring too much about hot-swap bays. Not filling it with hard drives?

    I think you will have no choice but to freight one over from the US. I think even after the possibly ridiculous freight cost, likely it will still end up cheaper than buying anything you might find in Aus. Prices in Aus for things like this are extremely inflated and options are fairly sparse as far as I can tell. Not an expert, I have just looked for things like this before and that is the feeling I get.

    Do you have a price range in mind for your 8U case?

    A quick search brings up this, but unsure whether they ship to Aus. It looks like it would fit a standard PSU.

    $488 USD + $135 USD for the optional rails + $### freight (unknown). http://www.rackmountmart.com/rm8u/rm8006.htm

    According to their site, they may ship internationally but you need to contact sales to get a quote: http://www.rackmountmart.com/contactUs.htm

    • johnwinds on 01/01/2016 - 16:41

      Thanks! That case looks tasty.

      Unfortunately the motherboard is mounted high up in the case (http://www.rackmountmart.com/prodspics/rm8006-03.jpg).

      As I already have a few 4U/3U cases, I found they are a bit cramped for space if I want to fit a big cooler in there (see photo here with the cooler sticking out of the 3U chassis; I have to keep the lid open because of that http://i.imgur.com/CXQeWWQ.jpg). I used to have 20 drives in the Norco case, but the power bill was painful! I want to consolidate to a single 8GB drive to save money on power.

      My budget is around 300-500 AUD (would have been nice to get a second-hand case from Ebay), but can flex upwards a bit.

      • DrDollar on 01/01/2016 - 17:31
        +1

        I see, I think your only bet might be constantly monitoring graysonline, ebay, gumtree to see if a second-hand one pops up as I don't think you will find anything new for close to that range.

        Is your sole motivation in looking for a new 8U case just due to the cooler height and your current workaround being annoying (lid off), or do you have another purpose in looking for a new case?

        If you are just looking to essentially be able to cool your CPU and keep your lid on, then maybe you would consider water cooling instead rather than having a giant fan (I assume you are having heat issues or OCing) - You might find this will cool more efficiently and take up less height space (more space elsewhere in the case though). Also cheaper than a new case.

        You likely have other reasons for wanting the new case also but figured I would mention it in case water cooling hadn't crossed your mind.

        Otherwise, if you do need the 8U case for other reasons also, I suppose you could consider the case I mentioned and also replace your giant fan with water cooling to get around the height issue since the mobo is mounted in the middle.

        But, that would be way above your budget.

        • johnwinds on 01/01/2016 - 18:19

          I always thought water-cooling was a bit risky, having heard stories about leaks etc. But I guess these days they've improved them to the point where they're pretty safe.

          I like the bigger cases because they're easier to work on, need less ventilation, can fit big things like a big cooler, big video cards etc. And they also look cool! I factor in my enjoyment of looking at gear as well as usability.

          I'm also a big fan of "set and forget". The big cooler proved itself when the fan on it died, and the computer kept working fine without the fan (since the heatsink itself was big enough to cool the CPU without the fan). I bought these cases almost 10 years ago and barely had to do anything to keep them running. I wonder if a water cooler would run for that long without maintenance.

          I think of the 8U case as future-proofing this system, so that I would never need to get a new case (just replace the components). It should be able to handle anything I throw at it. One of the downsides of the 20-drive Norco chassis is that the hot-swap drive bays are probably incompatible with the latest SSD drive connectors; same as the USB 1.0/2.0 chassis connectors which can't be upgraded to 3.0/3.1 even if the new motherboard supports it.

        • DrDollar on 01/01/2016 - 21:44

          @johnwinds: Unfortunately it always ends up you cannot future proof everything. When it comes to a server chassis the USB connectors and backplanes (SATA/SAS) for drives will become obsolete eventually.

          Sometimes you can get newer connectors to replace the old, however that is fairly rare. The USB connectors maybe, but backplanes are a very specific size and fit that generally once the case is old enough, the company that manufactured it does not care enough to provide newer backplanes. I had an older chassis with backplanes rated for SATA2 however my SATA3 drives still ran fine and actually connected at SATA3 speed anyway.

          You will probably find that the newer SSD drives would still connect fine to the backplane you have, can't confirm for you though (as long as they are not PCI SSD cards).

          Good luck finding a box, hope you find something affordable!

  • Davo1111 on 01/01/2016 - 19:01

    have you had a look on gumtree? I see 2 for <$200

    • DrDollar on 01/01/2016 - 21:36

      Care to share the links?

      • Davo1111 on 01/01/2016 - 21:44

        ahh never mind, i just realised they're 8U road cases.

  • johnwinds on 09/01/2016 - 19:36
    +1

    Just an update, I ended up buying this Norco 4U case from TechBuy. I'll have to go with a smaller heatsink/fan.

    1 x Norco RPC-470 Rackmount Server Chassis, No PSU - 4U<br><i>10x Tool less HDD Bays<br>Supports mATX, ATX, CEB, EEB Motherboards<br>4x 80mm BB Middle Fans</i> @ $215.75 ea.
    1 x Norco 20" Sliding Rail Kit - 3 Section, Ball Bearing, Supports from 2U to 5U chassis @ $69.30 ea.
    [Total Cost WITH delivery charges: $325.15]

    Thanks for everyone's feedback!

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