Project: OCModShop server in a 2U

[Deleted member 19858]

My server for http://www.ocmodshop.com is actually in transit right now to a new colocation and should be up and running by Saturday, hopefully with no downtime or problems. I had to do a fair amount of modding/tweaking/praying to get all this hardware to fit into a 2U since I didnt get the hardware to fit in a rackmount originally. So below are pictures of the hardware in the server with some modifications done. I will post more pictures when I pull them off my camera.

Hardware
Enermax ICS 298 2U rackmount chassis (Donated by Enermax)
MSI K7D Master-L (reviewed)
Dual 1.2GHz Athlon MP
2 Dynatron BH-625 heatsinks w/ Deltas
1GB Corsair registered ECC PC2100 (Donated by Corsair)
GeForce MX440
SilenX 400w PSU (reviewed)
LSI 20320KIT SCSI RAID card
(2) 18GB Maxtor Atlas III 10,000RPM SCSI HDD
30GB Western Digital 7200RPM HDD
52x LiteOn CDROM
Floppy drive

I knew I would need some new tools for this project so I went to the hardware store and picked up some new toys (some of the stuff isnt for this mod)

Added a black brushed aluminum Coolermaster bezel to the white LiteOn CDROM to match the case (towel under the server so I dont scratch my desk like I did the coffee table)

This was the most tricky part of getting everything in the 2U. I switched to a LSI LSI20320RKIT SCSI RAID card from an Adaptec 19160 so I could have hardware RAID 1, 66 MHz bus, and because its low profile. I had to get a 64-bit relocation riser card to even have a possibility of fitting it into the case.

I wasnt able to use the regular shield or the low profile one so I got out the dremel and started cutting the regular height one. After about 30 minutes of cutting and testing I finally got it so I could properly attach it to the case. Another problem I had was fitting a video card in this 2U. Luckily the low profile GeForce MX I had was able to fit into the AGP slot but not without some more modding. I had to cut out some of back piece of the case so the VGA connector would fit. Since the VGA is in the way of the lower slow I wasnt able to put an I/O shield in it but that doesnt really matter.

Since the case isnt designed to take a vertical card there was no where to screw the card in. So I removed the sheild all together and zip tied it through a perfectly placed hole in the card to the venting slots on the case. This may look a bit ghetto from the inside but from the outside you cant even tell, look at the picture above.

The next problem was the I/O backplate being in the way of the upper slot for the RAID card. For some reason it stuck out a little too much making it so the SCSI cards shield wasnt able to slide all the way in. Again I took out the dremel and made some cuts, then the LSI card went right into place.

With that cutting done I finally fit most of the hardware in the case and was able to hook everything up.

The wires for the ATX connector on the PSU that came with the case wern't long enough to reach to the connector on the motherboard. I tried a Vantec Stealth 520w PSU which was the PSU that I orginally used for the server in a tower but it didnt fit into the case. I then tried a SilenX 400w PSU that I reviewed in January which was able to reach.

Now the problem with this PSU was that it didnt have enough connectors for everything in the system. I was able to hook up almost everything but wasnt able to power the 60mm in the back or the 3 80mm fans in the middle.

So again I made a trip to the hardware store to pickup some more hardware needed for this project.

 

[Deleted member 19858]

Well since I was in a hurry to get my server out the door I guess I only took 1 more picture. Basically I cut the 4 ping Molex off the middle 3 fans and soldered on 3-ping connectors and hooked them to the free headers. I also cut a Berg (floppy connector) off the power supply and soldered a 4-pin Molex onto the wires so I could hook the 60mm fan in the back of the case to it. I then used some zip ties to keep some wires in place and a little neater. I also had to convert the power LED header from 3 pins to 2 because the case didnt match the motherboard layout.

 

[Bookmage]

Props for the rackmount goodness!

Is that one hard drive or two under the WD drive?
I know some can hold two and some can hold three.

So, when are u going to wrap all the wires and add a uv blacklight

 

[Deleted member 19858]

There are no drives under the WD just cables. I actually already shipped the server to colocation which was damaged by the shipper during transport. Can anyone guess who the shipper was?