Case Recommendation - Home Server

[driekus]

My current server is an Antec three hundred case and uses three antec true quiet fans to cool. My air intake is filtered through a modified furnace filter resulting in a completely dust free case. The temperature within the case is kept very cool and averages around 42C. The case is fairly quiet and the aging power supply and cpu fan contribute to most of the noise.

 

The server is primarily used for torrents and xbmc with little gaming.

 

The problem is that the case is starting to get a little cramped. I have six hard drives in the case and am looking to add another two in the near future.

I am therefore looking to replace the case and expand my system. I will replace the old AMD processor with a new intel i5 as well as upgrade the power supply. The graphics card is an asus gt640 silent.

 

What I would like advice on is the selection of an appropriate case for this build. My budget is under $400 and I have no problems paying for high end cases like the Cosmos II if it is the most appropriate.

 

My criteria are:

1.) Large - I like lots of room to play with

2.) Quiet - I want something that is fairly quiet, ideally no more noisy than my current system.

3.) Good airflow and the ability to add air filtration as needed

 

[Waco]

External SATA boxes go a lot further than buying cases with gobs of 3.5" bays.

[dr_bowtie]

for full ATX I like the Fractal Design Midi-R2

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352031&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Computer+Cases-_-N82E16811352031&gclid=CLC6_aiO0rYCFfNxMgodkGoAUQ

 

 

Or if you like mini-itx i prefer the Fractal Design Node-304

 

http://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Design-Mini-ITX-Computer-FD-CA-NODE-304-BL/dp/B009LHF4FO

 

Newegg is OOS

[driekus]

Thanks for the replies.

My preference is to keep everything in a single case and not go for additional enclosures.

 

The other two cases recommended are definitely nice, but I am looking for something with more room on the inside. I know that I can fit all my components into the fractal case but it would be a tight fit. The dimensions of the case are slightly smaller than my exisiting case which is 22.2*11.4*20.7

[Prunes]

Two real quiet cases would be Fractal Design R4 and Corsair Obsidian 550D. If you want it bigger there's Fractal Design XL R2, which has sound dampening foam as well. 

 

I know it's not the question. But to save space, you could sell your gfx card and go for a APU from AMD? It'll handle light gaming and free up some space in your case (I rhymed ). Or an Intel chip with 4000 integrated graphics. Works rather nice as well. 

[driekus]

Two real quiet cases would be Fractal Design R4 and Corsair Obsidian 550D. If you want it bigger there's Fractal Design XL R2, which has sound dampening foam as well. 

 

I know it's not the question. But to save space, you could sell your gfx card and go for a APU from AMD? It'll handle light gaming and free up some space in your case (I rhymed ). Or an Intel chip with 4000 integrated graphics. Works rather nice as well. 

 

Thanks for that Prunes, the Fractal Design XL R2 is what I was looking for and as a bonus it is less expensive than the coolermaster by a factor of three. Even though the case is similar to my current case the layout and cable management should help with my space concerns.

Definitely keen to keep the video card, I used to have integrated graphics and it did not work well with xbmc. The GT640 is flawless in XBMC with no artifacts at all. Great card and silent.

[d6bmg]

You can always add 5.25'' SATA hot swap bays to any chassis. Each of those hot-swap bays would cost ~$20-30, depending on the build quality and re-branding company. Otherwise a mid-tower chassis like R2 or R4 would be perfect choice. A full-tower chassis as a server would be totally overkill.

[driekus]

Thanks for the advice, grabbing the R2.

On another note I am tossing up between AMD and Intel for the processor. The AMD FX 8320 seems fairly equivalent to the i5 but works out a lot less expensive. My only concern is that the FX 8320 puts out more heat and is less efficient. Anyone care to comment on this?

[d6bmg]

^^ Talking about heating, yes they emit a bit more heat than I5-3570K. Bu you see, the stock cooler of AMD is good enough to run the 8350 without any overclocking. And 8350 is same or more efficient than I5 equivalent. In no way it is less efficient.

Edited April 30, 2013 by d6bmg

[Prunes]

I'm usually an Intel guy, but I don't see an incentive not to choose the AMD chip. It'll perform the job well enough, the stock cooler is decent and you'll save the dough.

[driekus]

Just received my Fractal Design R2 XL today.

It is a great case and was exactly what I was looking for.

The airflow of the case is excellent and the sound dampening should mean this case is a little quieter than my existing case.
The space is a little bigger than my current case and the improved cable management adds to the interior space.

Thanks for your help, now to build the system.

[Hyper]

Nice sleek looking case, good luck on your build