GD08 in 2022 (HTPC w. EEB/EATX). Anything Better?

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lopoetve

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So I'm FINALLY building out the ultimate man-cave, including a professional designer. I've been running my HTPC in a HAF XB Evo (which I LOVE), but it's... well, not pretty is putting it mildly. Thing is a chonker. I'd like something cleaner looking, but I do have some hard requirements -

4x 3.5" drives (the more the better - I'd prefer 6-8)
1-2x 5.25" bays (converts to 4x 2.5" drives)
EEB motherboards (my HTPC doubles as a plex server, VM machine, control center, etc and is currently a Threadripper box, as it has a LOT of drives and other parts to do its job)

So far, the GD08 looks like the best fit... but are there any other options I'm missing? Do want something horizontal - windows/etc are pointless though.
 
It looks tempting, but that's a very old case. And while cases outlast the build, I would suggest something else. Maybe check the smaller brands to see if that have bigger all-in-one options. Also, have you considered having a separate machine for your system and your hard drives? How much space do you have for two small boxes vs just one? The Fractal Design Node cases are nice, albeit still not the lastest
 
I have, but with the amount of storage I tend to burn through (design for this is close to 60T after redundancy), even with 10G networking it tends to be annoying. Plus the HTPC system has a 2080ti for transcoding and other stuff (it doubles as a 4k gaming box), so it would ~still~ need a goodly chunk of storage space for transcoding drops. And even then, you have all the extra stuff that this machine does (it's the central control system for a LOT of things on top of being the HTPC and plex server for the house).

In other words - I'd still have a big case for the system itself, and then a second big case for all the drives... might as well combine them since 3.5" drives are getting so bloody big.
 
In that case, I'd avoid the ancient GD08. Have you looked at other small form factor cases? It sounds like you just need decent cooling and space for a full sized gpu in a pretty package. There are a lot of options there if you can get away from the large drive bays.
 
Oh, and the nodes stop at mATX - which, well, just isn't enough horsepower as the needs on this system grow. :( I'm waiting for whatever the next generation of HEDT stuff is, and then this will either inherit my x299/10980XE setup or my sTRX4/3960X kit. The 1950X in it can't handle the cpu needs at times already.
 
bananas1 said:
In that case, I'd avoid the ancient GD08. Have you looked at other small form factor cases? It sounds like you just need decent cooling and space for a full sized gpu in a pretty package. There are a lot of options there if you can get away from the large drive bays.
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Any other ideas? I've built exactly one ITX system, well, ever - and one mATX. Everything else tends to go for "chonker" (two O11-XL, a 1000D, 400d, 800D, etc) - most with huge motherboards and a LOT of stuff hooked up.
 
It would help to see how much space you're really working with. For example I have a low powered 4690k in my HTPC. It's in a simple Lian Li PC36 from over a decade ago and while it's generally built and machined well, it's lacking features that I would want from a newer case. No USB 3.0 or above, no fan filters so I have to manually tape them on, etc. It's perfectly fine for my humble use as a glorified Windows 10 video player. I would assume the GD08 would have the same lacking features that are not worth buying into for a current build
 
Can you really get by with an ITX build? If so, I think that's the easier way to go. More options to parse through, many of them definitely have good cooling if that's a feature you need. Otherwise, you're in chonker status and may as well get the latest big think that goes horizontal.
 
bananas1 said:
It would help to see how much space you're really working with. For example I have a low powered 4690k in my HTPC. It's in a simple Lian Li PC36 from over a decade ago and while it's generally built and machined well, it's lacking features that I would want from a newer case. No USB 3.0 or above, no fan filters so I have to manually tape them on, etc. It's perfectly fine for my humble use as a glorified Windows 10 video player. I would assume the GD08 would have the same lacking features that are not worth buying into for a current build
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That part is still being designed. I'm looking for something clean that will go well with almost anything, rather than the XB which is huge in every dimension - and looks like a lan party case, rather than something clean and professional (if that makes sense). Big handles, huge mesh front, etc. I'll take a pic as it currently lies, but know that everything in this area is getting redesigned in the next few months (I'm planning ahead).

Oddly enough, external connectivity isn't that important - it's hooked up to 30T of backup drives from time to time (once a month), but that's just USB 3.1 on the back panel anyway. Front sometimes has an Xbox 360 controller or KB/M setup hooked up, but those would work fine on USB 1.0, never mind anything newer.

This is really, in order:
1. Server (currently runs 4 VMs - DC, PFSense gateway and IPSec control, VCSA, and nested ESXi host)
2. Plex machine (including transcoding)
3. 4k Gaming box (for things that really should be played on the big screen from a comfy chair - about twice a month).
 
Remember. This is all temporary. But shows how big the HAF is.
 

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With all that vertical space, why not consider a traditional tower? Just because of the looks? Or the dimensions as well?
 
Without an idea of what the limitation is for the case size, it's hard to give help! But it's clear you have pretty high demand for good cooling for the cpu and gpu. Get the biggest package you can stick those in without it being an eye sore. The cooler and quieter the whole system will be. It's worth considering some ITX cases can be a pain to take apart, with vertical cases you have the most options to look at. I did some quick searching and couldn't find any full sized horizontal ATX HTPCs. Also do you have a need for a blu ray drive?
 
No need for optical. The other issue is that ITX has only two ram slots. I’m at 64G today and need more.
 
Perhaps mATX? I have a feeling you're going to end up with a tower anyways! Just consider my feedback on the GD08 having outdated features like not being covered in fan filters, etc. Small stuff like getting dust in the case gets annoying really quickly.
 
bananas1 said:
Perhaps mATX? I have a feeling you're going to end up with a tower anyways! Just consider my feedback on the GD08 having outdated features like not being covered in fan filters, etc. Small stuff like getting dust in the case gets annoying really quickly.
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True on the dust; that's valid. Might have to see if there are good aftermarket options there.

mATX - no where near enough slots :( I build mATX boxes from time to time as servers, since they tend to just need a 10G card - but anything that has local storage needs a minimum of 3 real slots, and I prefer 4. Plus, most of them are lower quality - hard to stuff 128G of RAM into the things :-/
 
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