Norco 4020 case

T

theDreamer

2[H]4U
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Oct 11, 2006
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I figured this might be the best place for some questions about this case, as I know many here use it.

~What order does the SATA backplate follow to the actual drives?
~Did anyone else have problems with the fan divider, getting it in/out?
~The power cables for the hard drives and the fans, it seems my fan that goes directly behind the power connections will not fit. Same for anyone else?
~Do I need all the fans to cool all 20 hard drives? Would putting them on the other side work just as well?

So far the case looks great, and has exactly what I want. My only concern was, still is, this middle fan divider and how little room is between it and the hard drive enclosure. It took me a bit to get the fan divider out, any suggestions on what you did? Any other comments/suggestions about this case?

Thanks.
 
Hmm, are your fans like way closer than mine? See this pic:

http://box.houkouonchi.net/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=706

I took out the fan devider (wasn't that hard but putting it back in or taking out with the mobo already in probably would be).

I did take it out first to hook up the SATA/power cables but I actually later ended up having to redo the SATA due to the ordering not being what I wanted. I wanted it reading order (left to right, top to bottom) from the perspective of looking at the case from the front.

You can see how i had to hook them up to get this order from this pic:

http://box.houkouonchi.jp/newraid/dsc_5338.jpg

Following the port order written on the backplane itself gave me right to left (port 1 being on the right).
 
My divider is the same distance it looks like, and your cables seem to have a bit more flex. I have a Corsair 1,000HX and the cables when installed are pretty stiff. I decided to move the divider back a bit (towards the PSU) and it looks and works great. Also, my motherboard will fit nicely still with a more even division between the two areas. Thanks for the layout of the SATA cables, should help in how I setup everything.

Here is what I have done so far, took some better photos:
IMG_0294.jpg

IMG_0295.jpg
 
that looks really nice.

Last weekend I put together my backup server using the Norco 4020 case, and connecting the power to the backplane was a nightmare. I was able to connect it once I removed the fan right behind the power connections. I might try to move it back a little like you did. Did you have to mod the case at all to move it back?

BTW, are your activity LEDs blue? This was my second 4020, and my other one has red LEDs.
 
I have not powered on the case or anything yet, waiting for the rest of my parts to arrive and then will see. I will take some pictures once everything is online to share (and compare).
To move the plate back, I took it completely out and when putting it back in I just got it in between the two areas. A bit of a push towards the PSU and it was stuck in place. I do not think there are any bottom screw holes, but the elevated part of the case in the middle helps secure it a bit. There are side screws though that will make sure it stays in place.

A bit more cable work with just though few power cables and I think it will clean up nicely around that area. Plus I can now have all fans attached and working.
 
Mine are blue and quite bright. I bought it last week from Directron. I'm guessing the blue led's are the newer version. I agree the fan backplane is a little close if you're not using an extended atx mobo. I don't have too much of an issue on the sata connector side, but the power connectors are pretty tight. I intend to remedy that by creating some custom power cables using these connectors:

http://http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7616/ele-345/4_Pin_Low_Profile_Easy_Install_Molex_Connector_w_Cover.html?tl=g44c155s642
 
slight hijack.....

Are you using the stock fans on this case? I've been eyeing it for a server upgrade but it will be going in an office room in my house that is right on the other side of the living room so I don't really want a small jet engine running in there ;) I'm curious how loud it is when powered on. My current file/media server is running in an Aerocool Mastige case with 3 80mm fans and two 120mm fans.
 
farscapesg1 said:
slight hijack.....

Are you using the stock fans on this case? I've been eyeing it for a server upgrade but it will be going in an office room in my house that is right on the other side of the living room so I don't really want a small jet engine running in there ;) I'm curious how loud it is when powered on. My current file/media server is running in an Aerocool Mastige case with 3 80mm fans and two 120mm fans.
Click to expand...

I have one the old ones when they first came out and I dont think its very loud but some people who have bought them recently said they were.

That said I replaced the two 80mm fans on the back of the case with just your avg 4 dollar fan because I wanted 3 pin connectors, and they were a little quieter so you can always replace them with ones that are not loud
if your looking for a rackmount case generally the fans will be louder then in a desktop.
 
The Norco RPC-4020 certainly is a nice case; I personally plan to get one myself once the need arrives for more drive bays and hot-swap...one question, however, and it is related to farscapesg1's question as well the stock 80mm fans are probably loud and meant for datacenter/server environments and not for home use sanity. ;)

I've shunned 80mm fans a long time ago with the advent of the ever-so-common 120mm fans...is there a quiet (and reasonably priced) 80mm case fan on the market? Is it possible at all even to mount 120mm fans in this beast? :D
 
I don't see any headers for activity leds on the backplane...
How do the act lights on the drive bays work?

I was under the impression it wasn't trivial to pull an act signal off a sata connection.
Does the backplane make use of the reserved sata-power pin11 that some drives use as an act out?

Also, the power leds.. are they always powered or only when the bay is occupied/drive powered?

I would be using ICH10R to connect some drives and then later move on to some add-in raid board(s).
Pretty lights? or no? ;P
 
As I posted above, I recently purchased the 4020 from Directron and I believe I got the newer version, blue activity led's vs. red and no SAS connectors.

The fans that came with my case were not jet engine Delta fans, but they were close. I picked up 7 Panaflo L1A's for $2 a piece in Directron's showroom when I picked up my case. The Panaflo's make the case effectively silent in my home office and still move a decent amount of air.

The drive led's in the more recent version of the case are quite nice. The drive power led is green, not like the cheap green led's with green lens, but the ultra bright green led's with clear lens. The drive power led on each sled is only lit when a drive is inserted. The drive activity led is an ultra bright blue with clear lens. The backplane has some logic IC's on it that I assume handle the activity led's. However they pick up up the activity, it seems to work just fine.
 
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