Compact ITX build with 10+ Hotswap 3.5" Drives

[Muzza]

I thought I would share my latest server build for folks looking for a relatively small server case that could accommodate
at least 10 3.5" drives. My requirements required hot swappable bays accessible from the front. (I like blinking lights :)
After extensive searching and comparing cases, I decided on this iStar S-917 server case. I was a bit concerned about heat exhaust
but all temperatures are well within specs. (Drive temps with the HSGT's @ 40 degrees C - ambient temp @ 83 degrees F)
There is ample room within the case for all parts so it was easy to build. There are no welds holding the case together so it
can actually be taken completely apart. Although not completely silent, the fan noise in negligible. I tried replacing the fans
in the Supermicro racks and the system became silent. I opted however to stick with the stock fans as they pull twice as much
air. Searching the net for information on this case is sparse which is one of the reasons why I posted this. The case actually comes with an aluminium front
door which I removed. The hardware latches and hinges are bare metal underneath once removed. I painted these small areas with black touch up paint. The USB 2.0 connector was replaced with a USB 3.0 connector at the front top.

1 x iStarUSA S-917 Black Aluminum / Steel Tower Compact Stylish mini-ITX Tower
1 x iStarUSA T-7-SA 1 x 5.25" Bay Military Series SATA Mobile Rack - OEM
11 x HGST Deskstar NAS H3IKNAS40003272SN (0S03664) 4TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" High-Performance Hard ...
1 x Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5 SkyLake 3.3 GHz LGA 1151 80W BX80662E31225V5 Server Processor
1 x ASRock E3C236D2I Mini ITX Server Motherboard LGA 1151 Intel C236
2 X M391A2K43BB1-CPB 16GB DDR4-2133 ECC UDIMM 2RX8 1.2V -Samsung- (Memory.net)
1 X ATX 550W Power supply
1 x Noctua NH-D9L 92mm SSO2 Low-profile Premium CPU Cooler, NF-A9 PWM Fans
1 X Phanteks 500-1500RPM, PWM Frame/Blades, 12025, 120mm Case Fan Retail Cooling PH-F120XP_BK Black/White
1 X StarTech.com USB3SPNLAFHD 2 Port Panel Mount USB 3.0 Cable - USB A to Motherboard Header Cable F/F
2 X Supermicro CSE-M35T-1B Mobile Rack (Black)
1 X IBM SERVERAID M1015 ADAPTER PCI-E 2.0 X8 RAID CONTROLLER CARD 46M0861-LOW P
1 X ADATA USA Premier SP600 2.5-Inch 64 GB SATA III Synchronous NAND SSD ASP600S3-64GM

 

[Dice]

Cool!
Refreshing to see a mITX build without Atom.
Looking forward to see temperatures during a couple of hours into a scrub.

edit: Looked up some of the costs of the key components... mITX high density storage solutions sure comes at a premium!

 

[Muzza]

The cost of building a similar mATX or ATX system would be about the same. The case is more expensive then what I had hoped but in line with other server class cases. I already owned the supermicro racks, controller card, and power supply from an older server.
Most atom ( and lower performance) CPUs will perform acceptably in most cases but have their limitations. The parts I already had on hand were based on a Supermicro MBD-X7SPA-H-O Mini ITX Server which had a . Intel® Atom™ D510 processor and 8 GB of ram. The challenge (today) is space vs temperature. There are smaller cases which can accommodate 8 drives but lack the space for a more advanced CPU's cooling requirements, let alone 7200 rpm drives. You can actually fit a slim 120mm (15mm thick -Prolima Ultra Sleek Vortex 12) at the top panel of the case if you drill out an opening. I was going to do this but drilling the hole is not as easy as it seems on some You tube videos. Luckily it is not required.