The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/Neurrone on 2024-06-07 14:16:37.
Hi,
I'm currently looking to upgrade from an O11 air mini that only holds 4 drives because I realized it would be nice to have more drive slots and inadequate airflow causing some drives to run hot (ambient 28 C, idle 45, 51 under load). I made the mistake of choosing a case that only has as many drives that I had, so wanted to do it right this time. Use case is TrueNas with some apps, running on Ryzen 5700G to optimize for idle power consumption.
I don't yet have a rack, but will be getting one when I move. Hence, I shortlisted some 4U rackmounts to place vertically first on a shelf:
- Logic case sc-4316: US$350, 16 drives
- Sliger CX4712 : US$399, 12 drives. I'm leaning towards this
These 4u cases aren't available for me locally - so estimated shipping to get either of those is an extra US$200, though I'm trying to find out if I can reduce that somehow.
On the other hand,, a tower like the Fractal Meshify 2 (US$150) is much cheaper, and available to me locally, so I don't have to pay much for shipping. I could get 3 of these with the money needed to get the 4U.
In this situation, are there enough advantages of those 4U cases to justify the extra expense? If I get a rack, I think I could place the Meshify 2 on its side on a shelf so that it only takes 6U.
I'm new to rackmounted chassis, so these are the pros and cons I'm weighing, let me know if I missed anything.
Pros:
- Support for redundant PSUs, hot swappable fans and drives for less uptime in case of a failure
- Support for larger motherboards: I currently have an ATX, not sure how useful support for larger form factors would be if I upgrade to lower end server boards
- Designed for rack mounting, smaller footprint
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires fan swaps for silence
- Higher drive temperatures? I assume drive temps would be worse compared to e.g, the meshify
- Won't fit my 160 mm cooler
Thanks for reading!