Case for a home server

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Rajveer

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Messages
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I'm creating a home server and am looking for something that has good airflow and good dust filters (priorities), as well as good sound insulation (less of a priority), a cheaper alternative to the P182 I use for my desktop. I want to shove it in a corner and not have to maintain it all the time, just every few months. Does the Antec 300 fit the spec? What other options are there?
 
Antec 1200. Lots of air, lots of drive bays, relatively easy to remove filters.
 
2nd the Antec 1200, just remove 3/4 of the drive bay screws, thats what i did to allow me to clean the filters easier....I am using it now as my home server's case, when used as my desktop, I would clean it ever few months when i realized temps would start going up, or when I remembered....

great airflow as well for keeping stuff cool
 
The Antec 1200 may be a bit large (and expensive) for my liking, what's the Antec 902 like compared to it? I don't think the one less intake and exhaust will make much difference for a home server, although with the 1200 I could lower the fans and still have the same airflow with less noise.

Do these cases keep dust out as well as a P182? Using it as a benchmark as it's the one I currently use, and I love that I only have to maintain it every few months.
 
900 is loud and eats up dust like a dyson. At least the 6 I have dealt with do.
 
I would go with the Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case, it can hold 8x 3.5 drives cooled by 2x120mm fans, the case is a mid tower with a lot of sound dampening material and filters on the fans, with 4 optional fans in case you need more cooling . If you are interested on it, check the following the video, [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQsC9dHEX-A"]Fractal Design Define R3[/ame]
 
We have a home server in a Fractal Design Define XL and one at work in a Fractal Design Define R3 and we're very happy with both - the one at home needs the dust filters to be cleaned probably twice a month thanks to the cat+dog but I'd much rather be cleaning it off the front than from the inside.

Both are excellent cases and I would happily buy either again for a home server setup. Cable management is as good as I've seen and the built-in sound deadening works OK to cut down on vibrations in the panels.
 
Wow, that case ticks all the boxes for me. Not too large, good dust filtering, sound insulation, adequate airflow too.

Can those hard drive bays be removed? Not that I would need any extra space for a larger graphics card with a home server, but just wondering if maybe down the line I wanted to switch cases and had a long graphics card.

Also, what do you guys think of the stock fans, good airflow at low RPMs? For whichever case I was going to get, I was thinking of buying some SlipStream 1200RPMs for intake and exhausts, an S-Flex for the top (since SlipStreams don't do too well horizontal) and an Apache with PWM for the heatsink.
 
I'm using an Antec 300 for my server and I LOVE IT! Very quiet, lots of space, CHEAP! You can't beat it IMO.
 
Rajveer said:
Can those hard drive bays be removed? Not that I would need any extra space for a larger graphics card with a home server, but just wondering if maybe down the line I wanted to switch cases and had a long graphics card.
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The R3 i think you cant, but the XL you can remove the top cage to accomodate large video cards. leaving your still 6x 3.5 hdd slots on the bottom.

Rajveer said:
Also, what do you guys think of the stock fans, good airflow at low RPMs? For whichever case I was going to get, I was thinking of buying some SlipStream 1200RPMs for intake and exhausts
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On the R3, for a WHS i would go with Scythe Slip Stream 120mm x 25mm Fan - 800 RPM (SY1225SL12L) if no OCing or high end GPU are in, else your Scythe Slip Stream 120mm x 25mm Fan - 1200 RPM (SY1225SL12M) might be a good choice.

Rajveer said:
an S-Flex for the top (since SlipStreams don't do too well horizontal)
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On the R3, for the top exhaust the ideal fans would be Gentle Typhoons with their real ball bearings, there are available in a wide range of rpms, but hard to get a hold on them,

D1225C12B1AP-11 (500 rpm)
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B001Q6GSZS/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new"]D1225C12B2AP-12[/ame] (800 rpm)
D1225C12B3AP-13 (1,150 rpm)
D1225C12B4AP-14 (1,450 rpm)
D1225C12B5AP-15 (1,850 rpm)

Rajveer said:
and an Apache with PWM for the heatsink.
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New mobos are coming with PWM fan connectors, and Scythe has also released PWM versions of their SFLEX and Slipstream series, here are some examples,

Scythe Slip Stream 120mm x 25mm PWM Mid Speed Fan - (SY1225SL12LM-P)
Scythe Slip Stream 120mm x 25mm PWM High Speed Fan - (SY1225SL12H-P)
Scythe Kama Flex 120mm x 25mm PWM Fan w/ S-Fluid Dynamic Bearings (SA1225FDB12H-P)

If you like the signature of the slipstreams, the also consider Scythe MUGEN-3, already comes with a PWM slipstream.
 
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Antec Atlas 550.
comes with a solid power supply, effectivley making the case about $70 less than it is once you figure the PSU you wont be buying. the fact that

1.0mm cold rolled steel and lack of gaping holes will make this a quiet machine.
the only drawback (IMHO) is that you wont be able to install a 4 disk hot swap rack, should you plan on doing that, without sacrificing an optical bay

another is the Nexus Prominent 9. 0.8mm colled rolled steel, noise insulating foam pre installed, and 9 drive bays. i like this case because it offers lots of flexibility in the drive bay/front intake fan arrangment, comes with quiet fans, and has a good default airflow.
 
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If you want to avoid dust, create a positive pressure in the case (more intake than exhaust). filters slow down fan's CFM considerably.

Dont use filters on a quiet PC. there are better ways.

if you care about noise levels even a little bit, you are already going to be using slower rpm fans, and filters are even more detrimental to them, and basically murder their static pressure.
have 2 intake fans in the front, one along the airflow path of your cpu, and another infront of the hard drives, and then 1 exhaust fan.

as long as you dont buy a "gaming case" with gaping holes on side panels and top panels and etc, OR use the positive airflow method, dust is a usually a non issue.
the majority of dust will end up on the fins of the cpu cooler. use a cooler that allows you to use your own fan, i reccomend the enermax twister fans. very quiet, and the blades are removable for easy cleaning. they have some PWM versions.
 
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The early 900 didnt come with filters, but there been like 2 revisions to it, i think the 900v2 comes with fan filters, as the my 1200.
 
Rajveer said:
Wow, that case ticks all the boxes for me. Not too large, good dust filtering, sound insulation, adequate airflow too.

Can those hard drive bays be removed? Not that I would need any extra space for a larger graphics card with a home server, but just wondering if maybe down the line I wanted to switch cases and had a long graphics card.

Also, what do you guys think of the stock fans, good airflow at low RPMs? For whichever case I was going to get, I was thinking of buying some SlipStream 1200RPMs for intake and exhausts, an S-Flex for the top (since SlipStreams don't do too well horizontal) and an Apache with PWM for the heatsink.
Click to expand...

You can fit a long gpu without removing the cage in tthe R3. I fit a reference 6950 with enough clearance to stick my finger between it and the cage. Apparently a 6990 can be wiggled in there, but it takes some patience.

I honestly would not bother with top fans. I run the two stock 120s in the front, a low rpm 140 in the bottom (those 3 in included rheostat on minimum), and a 120 pwm in the back. My 2500k @ 4.3 doesn't go past 50 load, and my 6950 at 900mhz doesn't go past 65 load. I don't think a home server would get as hot as my rig.
 
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