Silverstone RM600 and RM61-312 - enthusiast grade cooling meets 6U server capability, optional rack mounting. Similar offerings?

[RanceJustice]

I've been looking for a new case for my NAS/home server rebuild project, and recently became aware of these two new cases from Silverstone - https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/computer-chassis/rm600/ and https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/server-nas/rm61-312/ - the latter is built on the same chassis as the former, but adds NAS/drive cage focused features to the lower area instead.

These seem to be the 2024 successor to Silverstone's previous 5U sized cases with similar aims, but those aims themselves seem relatively niche in that they combine both server-focused, layout, and design features, with enthusiast level cooling such as up to 3x 360mm radiators on the top level and other high performance elements. Rackmount optional cases are somewhat rare, and even stuff like test bench modes are rarer than they used to be a a decade or so back, but the vast majority of server style cases made for SOHO/small business/enthusiast use are exclusively for such configurations and, in absense of expensive custom configurations typically don't also include the kind enthusiast cooling or other features shown here. While other rackmount-capable cases seem to be focused from 1U up to 4U, Silverstone's willingness to go 5U or even the new 6U layout is definitely ambitious and not often found elsewhere.

While the feature set seems impressive, there are a few potential concerns from the possibly minor (the usage of steel - hopefully it is high quality, but I grant that it would have been nice to see high end aluminum for weight, aesthetic and which brings me to...) larger concerns of price. The MSRPs , according to a press release posted - https://www.techpowerup.com/320423/...00-and-rm61-312-rackmount-workstation-chassis - start at $650 for the RM600 and a whopping $800 for the RM61-312 in light of its hotswap backplanes and drive cages. Given the somewhat niche configuration - this is not likely to be a high volume item for Silverstone - I understand the price being a bit higher, but maybe I'm just having a moment of "old man yelling at cloud", but it is a bit difficult to justify those kind of prices for a mass market, likely China manufactured, steel chassis enclosure even if we assume there's a surcharge for the word "server/rackmount/workstation' being anywhere in the use case. If I did purchase these from Silverstone, I'd expect a degree of moduar upgrad capability- incuding things ike the front I/O, that I am unsure are made with upgrade in mind. However, it does seem they have a variety of accessories for other usage so that's someting. I'd definitely want to be sure I picked up some casters for it as it would likely first be used in the vertical orientation stand alone, as opposed to mounted in a rack.

When it comes to rackmount, one of the others I was looking into was the Sliger CX4712 - https://sliger.com/products/rackmount/storage/cx4712/ - their largest 4U case that also has 10x 3.5" SAS/SATA backplanes among other storage features The Sliger comes to $400 and is designed and manufactured in the USA of USA materials, which combined with Sliger's relatively small business status (they are not making the wide array of components that Silverstone markets) , makes the price easier to justify. The Silverstone certainly has some nice features, but at twice the price of Sliger's it stings a bit in concert with the above. Then again , it seems in the past several years we've seen mainstream, major brands starting to charge for cases amounts that in previous eras were considered extreme and only justifiable due to specialized boutique manufacture, materials, and customization such as those created by CaseLabs.

What's everyone's take on these latest Silverstone cases? Do you think the cooling potential and layout both above and below are sufficient? Is the price reasonable for what they're asking? At the moment, I don't see either on sale as of yet as they are new products but hopefully they'll show up soon and we'll be able to see prices direct from Amazon, Newegg, Microcenter and others

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I didn't realize they had a 6U unit.

Like you I've been looking at workstation replacement rackmount cases, and I've been eyeballing the RM-51 and RM-52 for some time.

Having used Silverstone cases in the past, in bless something has changed, I know them to be very good quality.

But like you I've found these rack mount cases to be shockingly expensive for what they are, which has given me pause.

Having spent a lot of time is inside my server's 4U Supermicro case I know I wanted something just a smidge bigger, so 5U seemed ideal, but heck, 6U might work too. (I'm nowhere near running out of space in the rack)

I plan on using external MO-RA radiators mounted to the right side panel on the outside of the rack, so I don't necessarily need the internal space for cooling, but if I'm spending this much on the case, I kind of want to have options for the future so it can easily be repurposed, and in that case more space is probably better.

(Unless I fill up the old beige Wright Line (34U? 36U? I don't know I've never measured/counted) rack.

Right now I have two servers (2U and 4U) one switch (1U), one PDU (1U) , two UPS:es (2U each) and two very heavy steel shelves, one of which has some sundry non-rackmountable stuff ziptied to it on it and has to stay)

I also have a LCD/KVM/"keyboard shelf" unit I have been meaning to install forever, but haven't gotten around to, in part because the mounting holes don't line up with the depth of my rack, so I have to drill my own, but I don't have enough arms to hold it in place, and mark the drill spots at the same time, and in part because since I got the damn thing, both of my servers in the rack have been upgraded with motherboards that have IPMI/BMC, so I don't really need it anymore....

...but I bought the damn thing (heavily discounted on the servethehome FSFT sub forum) so I am goddamn well going to use it


Right now my enormous Corsair 1000D is sitting on the floor right next to the rack with my workstation build in it.

I have been meaning to move it into the rack for several months, but something or other keeps getting in the way that messes up the budget and/or time available for the project.

(Most recently basement flooding and the need for some sort of mini-split or central AC system)

It will happen. And when it does Silverstones cases are the top contenders. Just damn. Why is a little bent sheet metal so expensive? It makes no sense. Must be pretty low volumes to spread out R&D and Tooling costs over, but still.... That's pretty insane.

Then again, back in the day, the crazy huge Silverstone tower case that everyone salivated over (something like Temjin TJ-07?) was also crazy expensive. $350 in 2006 if memory serves. (with inflation that would be like $535 today...)

...so maybe that's just a Silverstone thing?


I'm a little nervous about putting a water loop so close to my server stuff, but I figure if I move everything else up a little, and put the wrostation in the bottom, and then hang the radiators (I'm thinking two Watercool MO-RA 420's, just to be good and overkill) on the side of the rack, and seal the drill holes with rubber washers, chances are that even if there is a leak, nothing will get on anything important.


I guess this is just a very long version of "subbed!" as I am interested to hear what others recommend.