2.5" HDD (laptop drives) case for a file server

L31mr0d

Wondering if anyone could give me some recommendations. Looking to build a fairly large fileserver (16TB+), probably RAID 6, I'm thinking about using laptop drives instead of standard 3.5" HDD's.

Does anyone know if I can get a tower case that supports 2.5" HDD's? (I would of thought I could at least find a NAS device that did) or another option would be a bracket to mount the laptop drives on their side in the 5.25" bays (could probably fit 5 x 2.5" HDD into 2 x 5.25" bays) if the drives could be removable from the front of the case also it would be excellent.

Has anybody seen anything like this? Or know what my options are?

Solitaire

I've seen SATA/SAS backplanes that can mount four 2.5" HDDs in a single 5.25" bay, but the downside is that they're enterprise parts and may not be on the open market - at least at a sane, rational price. Oh, and thanks to their wee 40mm noisemakers a few should make the server sound like a small aircraft carrier

Given the lack of supprt for such an obvious option I'm tempted to say "Dremel Time!!"

EDIT: Chieftec and Ultra seem to do some consumer-grade SATA backplanes but I'm not having any luck finding them for sale outside the US

EDIT: FFS!! :mad: That's only like a 400% markup compared to the US! :mad:

Just curious what are the advantages to 2.5" over 3.5" for a file server apart from the minimal power savings. I assume you are thinking of using 500gig/750gig 2.5" drives as 1Tb's are extremely expensive or is money not an issue with the build?

StopNotWorking

Solitaire wrote: »

any luck finding them for sale outside the US

EDIT: FFS!! :mad: That's only like a 400% markup compared to the US! :mad:

To be honest I was expecting worse than €80:P.

David I'd assume it's so he can get more drives into a smaller case. Thats the first thing that popped into my head anyway

Solitaire

What would be awesome was if someone took one of those combobays that take up three adjacent 5.25" bays and put in a 12-2.5"-drive array with hot-swap ports at the front concealed by a door with a foam filter, and a 120mm fan at the back...

StopNotWorking

Correct me if I'm wrong but dont HP have a new media server out with what you've described? Probably no 2.5" hot swaps but I'm sure modding it would be easier then trying to make it all up in a normal box

EDIT: Dang I was wrong about them. I was thinking of the mediasmart LX series ones but no hot swap.

L31mr0d

I see QNAP have an 8 x 2.5" HDD NAS device that's hot swappable. I haven't even looked at a price but as it has "pro" in the title I'm guessing I'll have to sell a kidney.

Building one myself would be cheaper and give me greater control. Those bay docks Solitaire linked look perfect though.

Also, Solitaire, your idea regarding 3 of those stacked with a 12cm fan at the back was exactly what I was thinking about. There's no way I'd suffer those 4cm fans.

Solitaire

+1. Although airflow would be far from perfect and you'd have to twist the left-hand drives' SATA data cables a bit to get them around the left edge of the fan! :P

Still, if there's one industry blind-spot its 5.25" bay utilization. Some tacky wee fan controllers are about as big a stretch in imagination as I've ever seen from anyone

You'll hit me for saying it, but... Dremel Time methinks? :P

vibe666

icybox do a 5 bay 3.5" backplane yoke that fits into 3x 5.25" bays and also do a double 2.5" bay that fits into a 3.5" slot, so if you could combine the two you might be onto a winner.

plus = WIN!

maybe.

might be worth asking them at any rate, tey do lots of handy stuff and maybe they have something along the lines of what you're after in the works?

Solitaire

Mmm. 10 2.5" HDDs in 3*5.25" bays = Yum

But probably horribly heavy on the pocket

Solitaire

Solitaire wrote: »

Mmm. 10 2.5" HDDs in 3*5.25" bays = Yum

But probably horribly heavy on the pocket

Ya, i dont see the logic in getting 2.5" drives over 3.5" drives. A €40 antec 300 will hold 8 hdd's with simple 5.25 to 3.5 brackets that cost 2 euro a pop.

vibe666

david7536 wrote: »

Ya, i dont see the logic in getting 2.5" drives over 3.5" drives. A €40 antec 300 will hold 8 hdd's with simple 5.25 to 3.5 brackets that cost 2 euro a pop.

if he's even contemplating 2.5" drives i doubt the cost is going to be an issue, but if its sound or power consumption would 3.5" green drives not be a good compromise?

if you found a case with 6x external 5.25" bays you could use 2 of those icybox yokes and have 10 hotswappable drives in your rig.

i was looking at something along those lines myself but i got the ready made thecus n7700 7 bay jobbie in the end. can't really reccommend it tho, its not nearly as good as they claim and the support is beyond woeful.

L31mr0d

Well, I won't be building this until I get over to Canada, and I may know someone with a Costco card

I really want to build something into a SFF case, so it's portable, energy efficient and quiet. But i'll be investigating whether to use 3.5" drives instead, I just wanted to know what my options where for 2.5" drives.

Solitaire

What kind of SFF case were you thinking of anyways?