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Using Norco 3216 as main rig

L

lone wolf

Gawd
Joined
Feb 4, 2003
Messages
705
Hello,

Does anyone use the Norco 3216 or a similiar case as their main rig? I currently have 10 2tb har drives in my cooler master case and I am wanting to build up my server, but at this point not wanting to build another pc for my desktop use. I have heard that the fans are pretty loud so I have quieter fans that I can install.

thanks all!
 
The main thing to understand is that rackmount server cases are built on different design priorites from desktop ones. They are designed to cram as much stuff as possible into as few U as possible and all air mustflow from front to back (unlike on tower cases which often have airflow through the top and sides as well as the front and back). However the front is usually covered in drive bays and the back is usually pretty crowded too.

The result is that airflow is mostly provided by a row of 80mm fans in the middle of the case assisted by a handful of fans at the back (one in the PSU and two 60mm fans above the ATX IO plate). The question is can you find 60mm and 80mm fans that are quiet enough for you while still providing sufficient airflow for your components. You will likely also be limited in your choice of CPU coolers by the limited available height.

Finally note that if you use a standard ATX PSU in that case then only the first four expansion slot positions are usable so you need to think carefully (in particular remember that many ATX boards have no slot in the first position so you may well be better off with a microATX board). Also if you want to actually use all those drive bays you will probablly need to use expansion cards for that too so you will need to think where those will sit in relation to your GPU.
 
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You might consider a 4220, which is a 4U case; provides you with lots of drive slots as well can be upgraded to 120mm fan wall instead of the screamer 80mm's . As plugwash mentioned though, you still need to pull in enough air to keep everything cool, the case is pretty much just one big wind tunnel.

The 4220 also has room for full ATX board and you don't need to worry about heatsink height quite as much. Either way you might consider a server and a desktop separately, the case is huge :)
 
The Norco is a good budget buy. If you go down this route make sure you stress test your backplanes ASAP - I've had terrible issues with mine. As others have mentioned, if you go down this route this isnt something that sits besides the TV :)
 
Just connect the backplanes and use them for a while - transfer whole bunch of files, etc.
 
Blackdragon said:
You might consider a 4220, which is a 4U case; provides you with lots of drive slots as well can be upgraded to 120mm fan wall instead of the screamer 80mm's . As plugwash mentioned though, you still need to pull in enough air to keep everything cool, the case is pretty much just one big wind tunnel.
Click to expand...
agreed the 4220 looks a much better case than the 3216 for this use. It has 80mm rear fans, the option for 120mm central fans and 7 expansion slot positions so you can have some space between your GPU and your raid card(s).
 
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