Best way to implement local storage enclosure using eSATA?

I'm contemplating the purchase of a fairly large local storage enclosure using eSATA/Port Multiplier technologies. I will connect to the enclosure using one or two eSATA ports. First of all, is there such a board which will mount inside a standard ATX-type case and connect several (8+) SATA drives to complementary Port Multiplier enabled ports (2 ports)? Otherwise, I take it I'm stuck with a pre-built drive enclosure, then? I'm looking to store ~5 TB ideally.

Something like this or this for the enclosure, and this or this for an interface card. Note that the cost is a lot, lot more for those cases than say these, but of course they're external and all that.

Planning on using raid 5? What kind of usage patterns?

Well, no, I already have an ExpressCard-based eSATA interface card. My question is, could I make an enclosure which supports more than, say, 5 drives using an ATX case and a specialized board with eSATA ports? Otherwise, the way I see it is that I'm basically stuck with whatever external enclosures are out there.

i have beebn wanting to do this for a while now.

but those are damn expensive wodner if theres another cheaper methode or way.

Get a pair of 1->5 port multipliers and attach them to the enclosures above. Is that what you mean? Build your own enclosure?

unhappy_mage said:

Get a pair of 1->5 port multipliers and attach them to the enclosures above. Is that what you mean? Build your own enclosure?

Click to expand...

I think he wants to take an old ATX case, and fill it up with drives and conenct it externally to another case. With the linked Port multiplier that should be doable.