Custom case build

rustycaps · 9th February 2007, 8:13 PM

I currently have a dilemma of sorts, as to whether or not I should act on an idea I've had a few times, using the 2 cases into 1 concept. By this I mean, either getting 2 generic std ATX boxes and joining them side by side, or getting another of the Antec Titan cases my main system is in now (which has been somewhat modded already) and stick another along side it. The main reasoning for this is to try and keep the HDDs separate from the main components, and hopefully make everything just that little bit cooler. This case currently has been modded with 2x120mm fans (just!) between the PSU and the 5.25" bays. The only problem with using this case, is that to get the door off (to access the front, rail mounted drive bays and the rest of the front), you need to take the left side panel off, then have the panel swing to the right - meaning side-by-side layout could cause serious issues with that side of things. I had looked at using 2 CM RC-330 cases, with the mesh fronts, but they use a tool less drive mounting system only accessible from the left side, and I'd rather have the HDDs on the right side case.

My current server case is an Aopen H700 which has been modded with 3 120mm fans up the top (front, top and rear) with a Stacker module at the front, so I can mount up to 8 HDDs if need be (currently only have 6 in it now), but it doesn't quite work with the cables I use in here (those orange SATA2 cables don't quite reach far enough, and not sure of whether "normal" cables will work as well). I tried to mount this system in there not too long ago, with limited success, but it uses a good idea of keeping the drives above the PSU, thus keeping the m/b area cooler.

So.... if they made 75cm or so SATA2 cables (the ones with the clips), I could swap with the server case. Or I could still keep thinking about doing the 2-into-1 mod?

alvarez · 9th February 2007, 8:37 PM

Well i do know you can get rather long SATA cables but they also have a limit just like PATA cables did and 75cm is probably close to it
But that sounds like your cheapest option.

Side by side cases sound like they would do everything you want but there heavy expensive and youll have to dedicate some time, but these might not be problems for you

Finaly maybe its time to investigate a new case coolermaster stacker sounds like it could be what youre looking for and its nice and airy so nice and cool.

If you decided to go the mod way (which im not putting down) be sure to keep us informed

rustycaps · 9th February 2007, 9:35 PM

I actually have some of the long cables in use in the server case, which I could use, but I wasn't sure of their top end, as far as speed goes, though they should still be fine for SATA2, maybe.
I've seen those YY cubes, but they're like $450+ or something, and depending on the model, I'd prefer something with mostly 120mm fans. I was sorta looking for more like <$200, and there's the fact that I've got 5 boxes in this room as it is, so I don't really have room for any more.
I used to have a Stacker not too long ago, but it was the original dual PSU model, and after a while it had gotten too big for what I was using in it, so I'd sold it.

Butcher9_9 · 9th February 2007, 10:45 PM

ive seen a case like the one you want to make but with 2 pcs in it and a lcd screen built into the front

rustycaps · 9th February 2007, 11:19 PM

I'd already seen that when I was looking for more info on the cube cases in here, but that was about all I'd found.

slamaa · 9th February 2007, 11:24 PM

thats kronics server case, hoboman has that now

rustycaps · 9th February 2007, 11:44 PM

The only problem with doing any modding for me is either having to do it in sections, or do it all in a day, so I don't have to do without the pc for too long, as well as the fact that there isn't anywhere in here to leave all the drives and other components.
So I think for now, unless I can find a cheap cube case, in black, that would do the job, I'll probably pop down to the pc market on Sunday and see what they got in the way of SATA cables and front mounted ports (IR/Firewire, etc).

hobo man · 10th February 2007, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slamaa

thats kronics server case, hoboman has that now

That I do

you shall se a comeback soon but without the LCD

rustycaps · 11th February 2007, 5:36 PM

Well, that was a woman's style shopping trip that one.... went off with a list of what I was going to look for/hopefully buy, and came home with a few things that I wasn't after, but I have now. No-one seemed to even have normal SATA cables, let alone the SATA2 ones, and not many cases I could have used for modding either. I think I'll do the big switch 2moro, between server and this system, case-wise that is.

So, it's "ask the audience" time here..... what cases should I get to be joined together (e.g. generic, Antec, CM, etc) or anyone know where I'd be likely to find a black cube case cheap enough? I'd want something with mostly 120mm fans front/rear/top (or room for), and room for 7HDDs.

slamaa · 11th February 2007, 5:45 PM

dual antec 900's, that would be cool, if you want to safe money and make it mostly custom, use generic cases but if you have the money go for antec's or aopen cases are they are the best qaulity.

cheers
slamaa

hobo man · 11th February 2007, 6:19 PM

dual stackers would also be cool

<3 big cases

slamaa · 11th February 2007, 6:23 PM

dual http://www.thermaltake.com/product/C...1000_index.asp

edit: this is a joke...unlessssssssss

rustycaps · 11th February 2007, 7:44 PM

Well..... initially it looked like a good idea, but then, essentially, it will end up like my server case - HDDs mounted above the m/b with the cables having to go from the bottom of the case across the board and to the drives up top. If they made it so the HDDs were mounted down the bottom right (behind the m/b), if would be ideal, except for the $350-odd price tag! Though, those YY cube cases, which don't have as many cooling options, are like $450 or something I think.

The main reasoning for wanting the HDDs down the bottom right is to make the cable clutter a lot neater - cables can just go through a hole in the m/b panel near the bottom, and can have PSU mounted "next door", as only need like 3 cables to go to the m/b, and the rest are for the drives and fans.

fref99 · 11th February 2007, 8:04 PM

Hi,

When you as YY do you mean Yeong Yang case?

I'm using one for my server at the moment and I wouldn't agree with the "limited cooling options". In the case I have you can mount 3 120mm (2 in the front of the motherboard compartment and on at the back of the PSU/harddisk compartment) and a 92mm fan at the back of the motherboard compartment. All without any modding or case hacking.

I think I paid about 190Euro for it through EBay.

Here's a crappy picture of the case http://home.teleport.ch/idobson/comp...rver-front.jpg

Note the LED's at the bottom (15 in total) are a VU meter for my network card.

Regards
FREF99

rustycaps · 11th February 2007, 8:35 PM

I think it must have been just the particular case I'd seen or something, that didn't quite look like it had enough fans slots, but maybe not. I think it had the right idea, just not the right price

If I was going to design it how I'd like, I'd have just the m/b and DVD burner on the left side (easier for the cable to get to), and have about 10 3.5" bays for the HDDs at the front, with the PSU and a couple of 120mm fans at the rear/top. It would likely end up not much bigger than 2 m-ATX cases side by side, but maybe just a bit longer.

EDIT: take the top left (HDD bay) from that TT case, and put it down the bottom right, and it'd work for me - would like end up with m/b on bottom left, 2 5.25" bays above it, HDDs down bottom right with PSU above - or something like that.

9th February 2007, 8:13 PM	#1
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	Custom case build I currently have a dilemma of sorts, as to whether or not I should act on an idea I've had a few times, using the 2 cases into 1 concept. By this I mean, either getting 2 generic std ATX boxes and joining them side by side, or getting another of the Antec Titan cases my main system is in now (which has been somewhat modded already) and stick another along side it. The main reasoning for this is to try and keep the HDDs separate from the main components, and hopefully make everything just that little bit cooler. This case currently has been modded with 2x120mm fans (just!) between the PSU and the 5.25" bays. The only problem with using this case, is that to get the door off (to access the front, rail mounted drive bays and the rest of the front), you need to take the left side panel off, then have the panel swing to the right - meaning side-by-side layout could cause serious issues with that side of things. I had looked at using 2 CM RC-330 cases, with the mesh fronts, but they use a tool less drive mounting system only accessible from the left side, and I'd rather have the HDDs on the right side case. My current server case is an Aopen H700 which has been modded with 3 120mm fans up the top (front, top and rear) with a Stacker module at the front, so I can mount up to 8 HDDs if need be (currently only have 6 in it now), but it doesn't quite work with the cables I use in here (those orange SATA2 cables don't quite reach far enough, and not sure of whether "normal" cables will work as well). I tried to mount this system in there not too long ago, with limited success, but it uses a good idea of keeping the drives above the PSU, thus keeping the m/b area cooler. So.... if they made 75cm or so SATA2 cables (the ones with the clips), I could swap with the server case. Or I could still keep thinking about doing the 2-into-1 mod? Last edited by rustycaps; 2nd March 2007 at 6:20 PM.

9th February 2007, 10:45 PM	#4
Butcher9_9 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Perth , East Vic Park Posts: 1,676	ive seen a case like the one you want to make but with 2 pcs in it and a lcd screen built into the front __________________ I7 3820 ,X79 UD3, 4X8GB@1600mhz, GTX680, 3X Dell 3008wfp 30" LCD/ Spyder3Express , Adaptec 51645, 256gb Vertex 4 , 61.56TB Internal, 750GB External & 40TB Backup Sever, Z2300, G19 and M950 Acer 1430 11" notebook with 4GB DDR3 and 500GB HDD Sales $3200+, Purchases $500+

9th February 2007, 11:24 PM	#6
slamaa Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mill Park, Melbourne Posts: 2,037	thats kronics server case, hoboman has that now __________________ \| 2010 Apple MacBook Pro \| GAMmods

11th February 2007, 5:45 PM	#10
slamaa Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mill Park, Melbourne Posts: 2,037	dual antec 900's, that would be cool, if you want to safe money and make it mostly custom, use generic cases but if you have the money go for antec's or aopen cases are they are the best qaulity. cheers slamaa __________________ \| 2010 Apple MacBook Pro \| GAMmods

11th February 2007, 6:23 PM	#12
slamaa Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mill Park, Melbourne Posts: 2,037	dual http://www.thermaltake.com/product/C...1000_index.asp edit: this is a joke...unlessssssssss __________________ \| 2010 Apple MacBook Pro \| GAMmods

9th February 2007, 8:37 PM	#2
alvarez Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Geelong 3218 Posts: 2,565	Well i do know you can get rather long SATA cables but they also have a limit just like PATA cables did and 75cm is probably close to it But that sounds like your cheapest option. Side by side cases sound like they would do everything you want but there heavy expensive and youll have to dedicate some time, but these might not be problems for you Finaly maybe its time to investigate a new case coolermaster stacker sounds like it could be what youre looking for and its nice and airy so nice and cool. If you decided to go the mod way (which im not putting down) be sure to keep us informed

9th February 2007, 9:35 PM	#3
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	I actually have some of the long cables in use in the server case, which I could use, but I wasn't sure of their top end, as far as speed goes, though they should still be fine for SATA2, maybe. I've seen those YY cubes, but they're like $450+ or something, and depending on the model, I'd prefer something with mostly 120mm fans. I was sorta looking for more like <$200, and there's the fact that I've got 5 boxes in this room as it is, so I don't really have room for any more. I used to have a Stacker not too long ago, but it was the original dual PSU model, and after a while it had gotten too big for what I was using in it, so I'd sold it.

9th February 2007, 11:19 PM	#5
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	I'd already seen that when I was looking for more info on the cube cases in here, but that was about all I'd found.

9th February 2007, 11:44 PM	#7
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	The only problem with doing any modding for me is either having to do it in sections, or do it all in a day, so I don't have to do without the pc for too long, as well as the fact that there isn't anywhere in here to leave all the drives and other components. So I think for now, unless I can find a cheap cube case, in black, that would do the job, I'll probably pop down to the pc market on Sunday and see what they got in the way of SATA cables and front mounted ports (IR/Firewire, etc).

11th February 2007, 5:36 PM	#9
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	Well, that was a woman's style shopping trip that one.... went off with a list of what I was going to look for/hopefully buy, and came home with a few things that I wasn't after, but I have now. No-one seemed to even have normal SATA cables, let alone the SATA2 ones, and not many cases I could have used for modding either. I think I'll do the big switch 2moro, between server and this system, case-wise that is. So, it's "ask the audience" time here..... what cases should I get to be joined together (e.g. generic, Antec, CM, etc) or anyone know where I'd be likely to find a black cube case cheap enough? I'd want something with mostly 120mm fans front/rear/top (or room for), and room for 7HDDs.

11th February 2007, 6:19 PM	#11
hobo man Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SE, Queensland Posts: 417	dual stackers would also be cool <3 big cases

11th February 2007, 7:44 PM	#13
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	Well..... initially it looked like a good idea, but then, essentially, it will end up like my server case - HDDs mounted above the m/b with the cables having to go from the bottom of the case across the board and to the drives up top. If they made it so the HDDs were mounted down the bottom right (behind the m/b), if would be ideal, except for the $350-odd price tag! Though, those YY cube cases, which don't have as many cooling options, are like $450 or something I think. The main reasoning for wanting the HDDs down the bottom right is to make the cable clutter a lot neater - cables can just go through a hole in the m/b panel near the bottom, and can have PSU mounted "next door", as only need like 3 cables to go to the m/b, and the rest are for the drives and fans.

11th February 2007, 8:04 PM	#14
fref99 Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Switzerland Posts: 820	Hi, When you as YY do you mean Yeong Yang case? I'm using one for my server at the moment and I wouldn't agree with the "limited cooling options". In the case I have you can mount 3 120mm (2 in the front of the motherboard compartment and on at the back of the PSU/harddisk compartment) and a 92mm fan at the back of the motherboard compartment. All without any modding or case hacking. I think I paid about 190Euro for it through EBay. Here's a crappy picture of the case http://home.teleport.ch/idobson/comp...rver-front.jpg Note the LED's at the bottom (15 in total) are a VU meter for my network card. Regards FREF99 __________________ Walking on water and writing software to specification is easy, if they are frozen home of the mobile webcam - OCAU thread

11th February 2007, 8:35 PM	#15
rustycaps Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Narangba Posts: 698	I think it must have been just the particular case I'd seen or something, that didn't quite look like it had enough fans slots, but maybe not. I think it had the right idea, just not the right price If I was going to design it how I'd like, I'd have just the m/b and DVD burner on the left side (easier for the cable to get to), and have about 10 3.5" bays for the HDDs at the front, with the PSU and a couple of 120mm fans at the rear/top. It would likely end up not much bigger than 2 m-ATX cases side by side, but maybe just a bit longer. EDIT: take the top left (HDD bay) from that TT case, and put it down the bottom right, and it'd work for me - would like end up with m/b on bottom left, 2 5.25" bays above it, HDDs down bottom right with PSU above - or something like that. Last edited by rustycaps; 11th February 2007 at 9:10 PM.