File Server Build. Advice Needed

D

DiscreteMeat

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
150
Hey guys, I'm quite new here on [H] and would like to ask your advice with regard to building a file server. I'm starting to realize I need to do some type of organization and keep my documents, music files and videos in one central place and be able to access them from any PC in my home (including a HTPC, once I have the file server built and loaded with movies). I'm pretty sure I'll go with WHS as the OS but before I get the needed parts to build a file server, I have some questions.

1.) Would an AMD Dual-Core 2.1 GHz (45w) Athlon X2 CPU be enough to power a file server?

2.) Would This Antec Case be good for a file server?

3.) If I went with the AMD CPU listed above and went with an ATX style case, I was looking at This Motherboard to use with it. I want to try and keep costs down and also, this mobo supports JBOD which is what I want to use with WHS (I think). I really need some advice here. I noticed this mobo has no eSATA ports, though.

The other format I was considering was this Antec MicroATX Mini Tower and this Asus Mobo which has JBOD but only has 4 SATA ports. Nice looking case but I'd have to buy a PSU for it.

Well I know I threw several possibilities out there, along with several questions. I'm kinda new here and would appreciate it if you would comment on my choices or advise if I should look to other hardware for a file server build. And if I seem to not be on the right track, feel free to suggest the components you would use to build a file server. Thanks :)
 
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1. Yes it is. Technically an Atom is powerful enough for a "File Server" might want to look into thos combos if cheap is what you're looking for.

2. Any case can be used as a file server. It really just depends on features. Need/Want backplane? How many drives? What size drives? Rack mount or tower? How much cooling is required for its location? Etc...

3. The mobo at this point really depends on how many physical drives you want. Other than that it's just how many slots it has.

I'm in no way an expert compared to some of these guys in here, but thought I'd help out.
 
DiscreteMeat said:
I want to try and keep costs down and also, this mobo supports JBOD which is what I want to use with WHS (I think). I really need some advice here.
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You don't need a mobo that supports JBOD as WHS already has its own JBOD like feature: the drive pool feature. So strike that as a criteria.

Other than that, I agree with no_control's answers. The basic gist of his post is this How many hard drives do you want to use or need? That determines your case, PSU, motherboard, add-on cards (if any), etc.
 
Well I already have one of those Dual-Core 2.1 GHz AMD CPU's, so if that will do the job I might as well use it. And thanks for the JBOD info, I didn't know exactly how WHS works. Good to know I won't need a mobo that has that feature.

OK, well how am I suppose to know (ahead of time) how many HDD I may need? To get started, I ordered a couple of those green WD 750 GB drives that were on sale last week through the Newegg Shellshocker deal. I know I'll need more down the road though as I plan to use a HTPC and would like to stream movies to it from my file server. But in order to know how many drives i'll need, I'd need to know ahead of time how many movies I'll keep stored and how big each file is and... Well that's a lot of calculations! :confused: Plus what if I want to add more movies or music files; once all my HDD are filled up and there's no more room for additional drives in my case, then I'm done?
 
DiscreteMeat said:
OK, well how am I suppose to know (ahead of time) how many HDD I may need? To get started, I ordered a couple of those green WD 750 GB drives that were on sale last week through the Newegg Shellshocker deal. I know I'll need more down the road though as I plan to use a HTPC and would like to stream movies to it from my file server. But in order to know how many drives i'll need, I'd need to know ahead of time how many movies I'll keep stored and how big each file is and... Well that's a lot of calculations! :confused: Plus what if I want to add more movies or music files; once all my HDD are filled up and there's no more room for additional drives in my case, then I'm done?
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Well, just look at your current collection: how much is it in terms of GB/TB? Then figure out how much new content you're getting every week/month in terms of GB/TB. Then assume that you're using 1TB drives. That oughta give you a rough idea of how fast your stored content is growing and how much storage you will need to keep up with that rate.

Besides, you're not exactly done if there's no more room for additional drives in your case. There's always external eSATA cases, a second server, external hard drives, 4in3 bays, bigger case, etc.

Personally, I'd go for this case since it can fit 7 drives right off the bat rather than the 4-5 bays of the Antec Sonata III:
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 331 RC-331-KKN1-GP ATX Case

PSU wise, the Corsair 400CX should be enough for 7 drives. .
 
Danny Bui said:
There's always external eSATA cases, a second server, external hard drives, 4in3 bays, bigger case, etc.

Personally, I'd go for this case since it can fit 7 drives right off the bat rather than the 4-5 bays of the Antec Sonata III:
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 331 RC-331-KKN1-GP ATX Case

PSU wise, the Corsair 400CX should be enough for 7 drives. .
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Thanks for the case suggestion. I haven't really seen any mobo that has the capacity to support more than 6 disks. Please feel free to suggest a mobo. And I take it that an ATX case is the way to go vs. mATX, and I reckon having a MB with a dedicated eSATA port is good for expanding HDD beyond the case's capacity, correct? And please explain 4in3 bays, never heard that term before.

Oh, and no_control mentioned "Need/Want backplane? Rack mount or tower?" I don't suppose I need a rack mount case but what is a backplane?
 
If you want support for more than 6 disks in general you're better off buying an add-in card like one of the Supermicro SASLP-MV8 to add more ports. You will find lots of full size ATX boards with 8 or more ports but not much beyond that. You can add eSATA ports with an add-in card as well if your motherboard of choice doesn't have any.

I recently built a new server and used these parts:

Antimatter said:
COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (combo w/cpu)
AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory
Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Intel EXPI9301CTBLK 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI-Express Network Adapter 1 x RJ45
Antec earthwatts EA430 430W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.wiredzone.com/itemdesc.asp/ic/10018973/model/AOC-SASLP-MV8
+ a lot of SATA cables from Monoprice.com
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I suggest reading through the stickied "Storage Showoff" thread for some ideas on cases, hard drive brackets, and SATA add-in cards.

Oh and the 4-in-3 he referred to was this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817993002&Tpk=cooler master 4 in 3

There are many brackets like this out there that allow the use of 5.25" drive bays for mounting more hard drives.

A backplane is a circuit board that is located at the rear of a hot-swap enclosure. It's what the hard drives connect to when you slide them in.
 
Wow, thank you so much. Lots of great info and explanations. I really don't see the need for hot-swap as the only time I can see the need to swap out a drive is to replace one that has died or upgrade to a higher capacity drive. Hopefully that won't be frequently needed.

Ya know, something else just came to mind. Do people ever use a file server for HTPC duty? Not sure I'd really want a big mid-sized tower sitting next to my nice Hi-def TV in the living room. Not sure though about WHS as a proper OS for HTPC. I think I'd rather use Windows 7 in a dedicated HTPC box. But I reckon it wouldn't hurt to get a mobo with on-board video and a HDMI port, like the one you linked to. And will any mATX mobo fit properly in standard ATX cases? By the way, I kinda like the looks of this case for a file server.
 
I think people prefer the RC-590 over the Centurion 5 due to the abundance of 5.25" bays; it even comes with one of the 4-in-3 modules standard.

I wouldn't use WHS as a frond end for an HTPC but I'm sure someone here has tried it...I'd stick with Windows 7 32 bit as the best option to date.
 
DiscreteMeat said:
Thanks for the case suggestion. I haven't really seen any mobo that has the capacity to support more than 6 disks. Please feel free to suggest a mobo. And I take it that an ATX case is the way to go vs. mATX, and I reckon having a MB with a dedicated eSATA port is good for expanding HDD beyond the case's capacity, correct?
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-=Antimatter=- is correct about support for more than 6 SATA ports: You're better off buying a seperate controller card. Anyway, whether or not you should go with a ATX or mATX case depends on how many drives you want/need and whether or not space is a concern. But generally for most servers, ATX cases are the better choices.

eSATA is nice to have built it BUT there are plenty of eSATA adapters out there. So it's not that major of a factor.

DiscreteMeat said:
Ya know, something else just came to mind. Do people ever use a file server for HTPC duty? Not sure I'd really want a big mid-sized tower sitting next to my nice Hi-def TV in the living room. Not sure though about WHS as a proper OS for HTPC. I think I'd rather use Windows 7 in a dedicated HTPC box. But I reckon it wouldn't hurt to get a mobo with on-board video and a HDMI port, like the one you linked to. And will any mATX mobo fit properly in standard ATX cases? By the way, I kinda like the looks of this case for a file server.
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Some people do use their HTPC as file servers and vice versa. However it is not an optimal solution as a file server tends to have many hard drives that requires active and a lot of cooling or you risk heat buildup. So you need additional fans to keep those hard drives cool which means more noise. In addition, the hard drives themselves add a bit of noise. A large number of hard drives means more noise. That's not that good for a HTPC thats suppose to be quiet during video playback on a TV. In addition, there's also the issue of aesthetics as many file servers are tower style while many decent HTPC cases are desktop style casesthat do not have that much HDD bays. So while people do it, it's not an ideal solution.

OS wise, people have tried WHS as a HTPC front-end but it isn't that good of a solution as WHS does not support hardware acceleration of HD content AFAIK.

So keep the HTPC and file server separate if you can.

Yes a mATX mobo will fit properly in a ATX case. That's not a good case since it only has a front 80mm fan, not sufficient enough cooling for many hard drives. In addition, that 80mm fan is pretty loud. In addition, the RC-590 is a better quality case due to better cooling and the fact that you can fit up to 12 hard drives in it.
 
Really helpful info and thanks for pointing out the benefits of the RC-590 over the Centurion 5. I wasn't really thinking in terms of cooling but now I have a good idea of why certain cases are better than others for a file server. Ya know, it just all of a sudden kind of came to me about a file server pulling HTPC duty when I seen the HDMI output connection on the mobo that -=Antimatter= had listed in the components he used. But yeah, I definitely want a nice small little box for my HTPC running Windows 7 32bit.

One thing I noticed with the components -=Antimatter= listed was the PCI-Express Network Adapter 1 x RJ45. Yet the mobo he used has an onboard LAN Chipset (Realtek 8112L) with a Max LAN Speed of 10/100/1000Mbps. so why buy and install a separate Network Adapter?
 
only use an addon nic if its an INTEL PCIe multi port and your using teaming or something cool
 
DiscreteMeat said:
One thing I noticed with the components -=Antimatter= listed was the PCI-Express Network Adapter 1 x RJ45. Yet the mobo he used has an onboard LAN Chipset (Realtek 8112L) with a Max LAN Speed of 10/100/1000Mbps. so why buy and install a separate Network Adapter?
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Because some onboard NICs can't actually fully use up a Gig-E connection. Hit up this thread for more info on why you'll see separate Intel NICs in many file servers:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1367842
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the help and suggestions. I was looking around and came across This Case from Chieftec. Looks like a good case for a file server to me, but what do you guys think?
 
Looks decent enough. There's room for 5 x 90mm fans in front of the hard drive bay meaning that the hard drives will be cool. Wouldn't be too bad of a file server case. It'll be able to fit in about 12 drives using a 4in3 bay and two drives in the 3.5" external drive bay. Though 90mm fans are a bit louder than 120mm fans.

However factor this:
$60 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$20 - 2 x Coolermaster 621013210-GP 4in3 Device Module
--------
Total: $80 plus tax and shipping.

$20 cheaper (if you were to get a 4in3 bay for the Chieftec case), fits 12 hard drives, will uses 3 x 120mm front fans meaning that'll be quieter than 5 x 90mm fans.

However the Chieftec does look a bit more file server like :). And it is more roomier.
 
OP have you checked out all of the Antec cases that include the Earthwatts power supply? You could save the extra bucks to help pay for some of the other goodies mentioned, unless you need space for a zillion drives that is.

Antec NSK 4480B http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129060 ($10 off with that promo code = $75 shipped)

Antec NSK6580 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129033

Antec Sonata III 500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024

I find that your typical storage drives don't run too hot to begin with, especially all of the "green drives" running at 5400rpm. So i'm not sure that a million fans are necessary to begin with, i know my file server doesn't need them.

Going into the future, and in light of recent price drops, figure that the smallest drives you'll buy in the future will be 1.5TB. Just today Fry's had them on sale for $79 (!!!)
 
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Danny Bui said:
Though 90mm fans are a bit louder than 120mm fans.
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Wouldn't it be possible thought to run the 90mm fans at like half or 2/3 speed? Wouldn't that make them very quiet (vs if they weren't running full blast) yet still provide excellent cooling?
And look how the HDDs are mounted so that they sit facing the side panel in front of the 3 x 90mm side-panel mounted fans.

The Antec and Cooler Master RC-590 cases suggested here all look decent. But I just think this looks like an excellent server case.

lbx4.jpg


lbx3.jpg
 
have you looked into the norco cases? they are rackmount and farily inexpensive


that case above reminds me of my college roommates PC from 1999
 
DiscreteMeat said:
Wouldn't it be possible thought to run the 90mm fans at like half or 2/3 speed? Wouldn't that make them very quiet (vs if they weren't running full blast) yet still provide excellent cooling?
And look how the HDDs are mounted so that they sit facing the side panel in front of the 3 x 90mm side-panel mounted fans.

The Antec and Cooler Master RC-590 cases suggested here all look decent. But I just think this looks like an excellent server case.
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Well first things first: Not hotlinking of images directly from the manufacturer's website without their permission. It's against forum rules.

Yes it would be possible to run the 90mm fans at 2/3rd or half speed and be quiet but it wouldn't cool the well. A 120mm fan at low speed (roughly 1/3rd IIRC), will be quieter and provide more cooling.

Ehh, its up to you man. Assuming that you can get the noise and cooling to be about the same, it's up to you if $20 is worth the extra costs for a case that looks more like a real server.
 
CPU: AMD 5050e or the AMD 235e/240e
Frys has the 5050e in stock at their B&M stores. Newegg will have the 235e and 240e available mid October around the Win 7 launch.

HSF: This heatsink will allow you to run passive without a fan.
Scythe Ninja 2 Rev. B

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H

Expansion Card: In case the mobo doesnt have all the SATA ports that you need, consider this.
Supremicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Case: http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=BA25067
PLUS: Three of these Supremicro CSE-M35T-1B

PSU: The Corsair 400CX or 520HX are great depending on the deal you get.

If you want an Atom server, this is the king of Atoms.
Supermicro MBD-X7SLA-H -O
 
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Danny Bui said:
Well first things first: Not hotlinking of images directly from the manufacturer's website without their permission. It's against forum rules.

Ehh, its up to you man. Assuming that you can get the noise and cooling to be about the same, it's up to you if $20 is worth the extra costs for a case that looks more like a real server.
Click to expand...

Woops, I guess I should have took more than a quick second or two to read the forum rules. Ignorance is bliss. :D Sorry, I shall conform to [H] rules from now on.

$20 is not a deal breaker. What I really like about the Chief case (besides it looking like a server) is how the drives mount. Seems very easy to remove/replace one drive from the pool if needed. You guys seem to really like CM cases though, so there must be something about them. I'll continue to evaluate. Too bad there aint some killer deal w/free ship. Sometimes CM cases have excellent discounts via Newegg coupon codes. No doubt if i buy a CM case the egg'll have a smok'n deal a week later. :rolleyes:
 
If you really think you're going to fill 20 bays then by all means get the norco, if not the lian li + super micro solution will be a smaller profile, weigh less and I would think better airflow dynamics. lower db + higher cfm with a more clean entry to exit path.

if hot swapping capability doesn't mean much to you, then you could step down to three of these giving yourself 9 spaces for drives at a reduced cost.
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556088127.html

Or throw 5 drives into 3x3.5 space at a reduced cost.
http://www.servercase.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BR2U19.

Just throwing around some suggestions for the OP to think about.

I like the norco myself, but would never rack it. I would take off the mounting tabs and stand it up pedestal/tower style myself. But I just prefer the size, look and functionality of the lian li if I didn't need to fill 20 bays.

BTW that Chieftec Bravo case is win! I have used the smaller version in the past and it kicks butt if you could care less about how swapping drives. With the proper cage adapters you can stuff around 18 drives into that sucker.

pc2im2.jpg
 
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BurntToast said:
If you really think you're going to fill 20 bays then by all means get the norco, if not the lian li + super micro solution will be a smaller profile, weigh less and I would think better airflow dynamics. lower db + higher cfm with a more clean entry to exit path.
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For some reason, your link to the Lian Li case did not show up for me in your post above. It's totally blank after the word "Case:" But when novadude quoted you, then I could see it. (weird, I almost was about to ask which case you were talking about)

Man I like that Lian Li case A LOT. :cool: Thanks so much for pointing this case out to me (and thanks to novadude for quoting you).

BurntToast said:
if hot swapping capability doesn't mean much to you, then you could step down to three of these giving yourself 9 spaces for drives at a reduced cost.
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556088127.html
Click to expand...

Um, correct me if I'm wrong (I'm new to this stuff but learning fast) The hot-swap thing is useful for RAID arrays but if I'm going to use WHS then its not really something I need, correct? I mean it really looks cool and if I wanted to, I could use a hot-swap device like you linked to in a WHS environment, or is it not really a good idea to use w/WHS?

BurntToast said:
Or throw 5 drives into 3x3.5 space at a reduced cost.
http://www.servercase.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BR2U19&Category_Code=Acce.
Click to expand...

See, that link showed up at least, but it doesn't work for me. I get "Fatal Error" when I click on it.

BurntToast said:
Just throwing around some suggestions for the OP to think about. But I just prefer the size, look and functionality of the lian li if I didn't need to fill 20 bays.

BTW that Chieftec Bravo case is win! I have used the smaller version in the past and it kicks butt if you could care less about how swapping drives. With the proper cage adapters you can stuff around 18 drives into that sucker.
Click to expand...

Hey I really appreciate the suggestions. its definitely an interesting alternative to the CM cases others have suggested. I appreciate the CM suggestions as well but for some reason I don't care much for the CM cases, just personal preference I guess.

Glad someone actually likes the Chieftec Bravo besides me, and sees its potential. I know it doesn't have 120mm fans but to me, I just think it's more along the lines of what I'm looking for in a file server. But man that Lian Li case is also very nice. Please feel free to open up my mind to other suggestions to think about. :D

By the way BurntToast, is that the BRAVO in the pic above? Damn that thing looks like it kicks ass. Nice looking server case for sure.
 
Hot swap works if you install windows with ACPI enabled in the bios prior to installation. In ACPI hot swapping will work. The advantage to hot swapping is easily being able to add and remove a drive to the pool without opening up the case. Say a drive goes bad, take out the bad drive and install the new drive in its place. WHS will do the rest.

Another advantage to cases like the norco or cases with the supermicro hot swap bay installed is that they normally only requier 2 power connectors for 5 drives. Also with SAS you only have 1 SATA cable for 5 drives. Do the math and this saves you from a lot of clutter.

The link should work now.
http://www.servercase.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BR2U19

BTW there is an even larger version of the lian li case here.
http://www.xoxide.com/lianli-pca77-case-black.html

And yes, the pic above is a bravo with a hybrid of IDE and SATA drives. Its a 2+ year old build from someone on this board.
 
BTW the coolermaster 590 is a kick ass budget case. Throw in 3 cages and you can hold 12 drives in that sucker. I was actually considering one some time ago. The only reason I didnt bite was because they ran out of inventory for the 4 in 3 cages. Now that they are in stock I may give that case some consideration. But the lian li option looks a LOT more sexy :D

For the money the 590 + 3 cages is hard to beat. If you have a Frys b&M around you the 590 goes on sale for $49 every now and then.
 
BurntToast said:
CPU: AMD 5050e or the AMD 235e/240e
Frys has the 5050e in stock at their B&M stores. Newegg will have the 235e and 240e available mid October around the Win 7 launch.

HSF: This heatsink will allow you to run passive without a fan.
Scythe Ninja 2 Rev. B

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H
Click to expand...

I have a couple question regardung the items suggested above.

1.) I have already been informed in post # 2 that the AMD Dual-Core 2.1 GHz (45w) Athlon X2 CPU I own will be sufficient to run a file server. Is there any reason I should consider upgrading to any of the CPUs listed above?

2.) I have a Very Similar Heatsink to the one suggested above. Would the Mugen 2 be just as good?

3.) The mobo listed above has a lot of features but one feature I can see I don't need is dual PCIe x16 slots. Any reason why This ASUS mobo wouldn't be a good board for running a file server?

4.) And if the ASUS board is sufficient, would 2GB of This Crucial SDRAM be enough for my file server?

Everything else I can pretty much figure out and decide for myself. I really appreciate all the help you guys have offered. I know I asked a lot of novice questions, but it really helps when I can ask smart people so I get it right the first time. :)
 
1) No reason unless you don't already have a spare 45W AMD CPU
2) The Mugen, I think, is a bit lesser than the Ninja and can't be run passive. Still, the Ninja isn't worth buying if you don't need absolute quiet
3) No reason why that Asus mobo isn't a good choice besides the lack of a second PCI-E x16 slot.
4) It'll be enough
 
Danny Bui said:
No reason why that Asus mobo isn't a good choice besides the lack of a second PCI-E x16 slot.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I really didn't see any need for two x16 slots in a board used for a file server. Just wanted to make sure the board I linked to is sufficient. IMO, I don't see a need for even a single X16 slot since both boards have on Onboard Video Chipsets since I have no intentions on running a hi-end video card in a WHS box.
 
DiscreteMeat said:
Thanks for the reply. I really didn't see any need for two x16 slots in a board used for a file server. Just wanted to make sure the board I linked to is sufficient. IMO, I don't see a need for even a single X16 slot since both boards have on Onboard Video Chipsets since I have no intentions on running a hi-end video card in a WHS box.
Click to expand...

Well the main reasons why I'd want one or two PCI-E x16 slots for a file server is for the PCI-E hardware storage controllers for additional drives. Get two SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 PCI-Ex4 8 Port SATA Controller Card and you can have around 21 to 22 drives
 
Ah, I forgot about the add-on storage controller. For sure at least on x16 is needed.

Ya know, I can see now that you really need to put some thought into this; determing your needs and so forth. So here's my thinking; if I got to the point where I needed a second controller card for an additional eight drives (like if 12 to14 drives weren't enough) perhaps it would be time to start thinking new server box entirely. I mean I can't see me ever needing more than 9 or 10 drives. But I suppose down the road that could change. If it did become necessary to go beyond 14 drives, I think by that time that a completely new build would be the right way to go. Certainly if I were to go with a case like the Chieftek Bravo or Cooler Master RC-590, a new build would be needed because 12 drives seems to be the max for those cases. So It doesn't seem like a mobo with two x16 slots is something I need at this point. And so I've concluded why buy equipment that's overkill?
 
Thanks, I still haven't ruled out the Cooler Master cases. I'm starting to think budget build and bang for the buck. I was specifically looking at These Models. (the RC-330 has free shipping that expires tonight) Is there any advantage to having the PSU mounted on the bottom of the case? I've noticed some are top mounted and others on bottom. Is one way preferable?
 
DiscreteMeat said:
Thanks, I still haven't ruled out the Cooler Master cases. I'm starting to think budget build and bang for the buck. I was specifically looking at These Models. Is there any advantage to having the PSU mounted on the bottom of the case? I've noticed some are top mounted and others on bottom. Is one way preferable?
Click to expand...

Theoretically, the PSU would be cooler with it being placed on the bottom as it is not exhausting the heated air from the CPU. Also, most bottom mounted PSU cases have a fan or vent directly above the CPU area so it should be a a bit cooler than the normal top PSU mount. Another advantage is that the case will be bottom heavy meaning less chance of the system tipping over when you put your feet on it :D
 
DiscreteMeat said:
Thanks, I still haven't ruled out the Cooler Master cases. I'm starting to think budget build and bang for the buck. I was specifically looking at These Models. (the RC-330 has free shipping that expires tonight) Is there any advantage to having the PSU mounted on the bottom of the case? I've noticed some are top mounted and others on bottom. Is one way preferable?
Click to expand...
What makes the CM 590 hot are the 9x5.25 bays in the front. With the CM 4-in-1 cage you can put 12 drives in that small case, each cage being cooled by its own 120mm fan.

The other cases you mentioned have nothing special going for them. I'm not exactly why they are even a consideration. At this point you might as well be open to all other mid tower cases.
 
BurntToast said:
The other cases you mentioned have nothing special going for them. I'm not exactly why they are even a consideration. At this point you might as well be open to all other mid tower cases.
Click to expand...

Well the CM RC-331 was suggested to me by Danny Bui in post # 5 on the first page of this thread. He also suggested the RC-590 in post # 15. So I was comparing the RC-331 to the RC-590 (then I threw the RC-330 into the mix since it had a free ship coupon). That's the only reason those other cases were a consideration. No, I don't want to open up a can of worms by looking at all other mid tower cases. Truth is I've already probably over-analyzed the "which case to go with" sitch. :rolleyes:
 
All I gotta say is thanks for starting this thread Discrete :)

I've been pondering the idea of building myself a solid but semi-wallet friendly WHS server, and this thread is exactly what I needed to get me on track. Lots of good ideas and recommendations in here. And thanks to those who contributed some info.

Got my stuff ordered yesterday and hope to get it up and hardware stress tested by the weekend.
 
l337zax said:
All I gotta say is thanks for starting this thread Discrete :)

Got my stuff ordered yesterday and hope to get it up and hardware stress tested by the weekend.
Click to expand...

Glad this thread helped. Please be sure and come back to give us an update on how it worked out. The people who contributed had some very good suggestions. By the way, I'm interested in knowing what components you decided to go with for your build.
 
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