I’m replacing an SFF PC (HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF) I’m using as a server with a larger one that’ll function as a server and a NAS, and all I want is a case that would have been commonplace 10-15 years ago:
- Fits an ATX motherboard.
- Fits at least 4-5 hard drives.
- Is okay sitting on its side instead of upright (or even better, is built to be horizontal) since it’ll be sitting on a wire shelving unit (replacing the SFF PC here: https://upvote.au/post/11946)
- No glass side panel, since it’ll be sitting horizontally.
- Ideally space for a fan on the left panel
It seems like cases like this are hard to find these days. The two I see recommended are the Fractal Design Define R5 and the Cooler Master N400, both of which are quite old. The Streacom F12C was really nice but it’s long gone now, having been discontinued many years ago.
Unfortunately I don’t have enough depth for a full-depth rackmount server; I’ve got a very shallow rack just for networking equipment.
Does anyone have recommendations for any cases that fit these requirements?
My desktop PC has a Fractal Design Define R4 that I bought close to 10 years ago… I’m tempted to just buy a new case for it and repurpose the Define R4 for the server.
Not ATX as requested, but I’ve had my eye on the Jonsbo N1 ITX for a NAS build. Sounds like you’re space constrained, so worth a look ?
The Jonsbo looks great! I wasn’t sure about thermals in a relatively compact case though.
I’ll definitely have to consider using a non-ATX motherboard. That’s probably what I’ll end up doing. Maybe a micro rather than mini motherboard though. I want two PCIe ports, which isn’t possible on mini ITX :(
Interesting… Looks like Jonsbo have a brand new case coming out: The N3. Similar to the N1 and N2 but is a little bit larger and supports 8 HDDs instead of 5.