RE: Drive cages for media server...

["Paul Gale" <groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I went for the WD RE2 series drives (500Gb) - they're incredibly quiet
and =
got really good reviews. Currently using 5 of them - 4 in RAID 5 config
and=
a hot spare off of the 3Ware 9590SE SATA RAID controller (PCI-Express). Ma=
inboard is the brand new Supermicro PDSBA board supporting Core 2 Duo (I
ha=
ve the 1.86GHz in this server). Board has 4x PCI-Express (in 8x physical
sl=
ot) and x16 for graphics or other card) also has on-board VGA which I
wante=
d as it's a server. Cost me approx =A3110 + VAT IIRC for the m/b.

By careful if you do go for a PCI-X or PCI-Express RAID card as I had some
=
problems when I tried to fit it in a x16 PCI-e socket on a cheaper ASRock
c=
rossfire eSATA m/b (called AGI on that board). The system was unstable and
=
wouldn't reboot properly. Apparently some x16 PCI-e slots are really for
gr=
aphics and although they say they can also support other cards, that
certai=
nly wasn't my experience with this combo. Hence why I looked around for a
d=
edicated x4 PCI-e supporting m/b (which are quite rare it seems). The
super=
micro board was perfect and coming from a server product background made
se=
nse too.

One other thing - as I mentioned in my previous post - bear in mind that
th=
e cooling solution *may* be slightly different in the 3 vs 5 drive (2 vs 3
=
5 1/4 drive bay) backplane cages due to sizes - The chenbro ones I've used
=
have an 80mm fan on the 5 drive cage and the axial smaller fan on the 3
dri=
ve version. Both have high performance, hence noisy fans - I think only
the=
80mm fan can be replaced as I have done. But noise may not be important to=
you? I built all components with low noise in mind and also used the Zalma=
n aero flower CPU coolers - great performance and low noise.

Paul.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Ian Lowe
> Sent: 27 August 2006 23:37
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Drive cages for media server...
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> Yeah, I'm looking at a cooler master stacker case, so it's pretty much
> designed to use these guys :)
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> It's basically the first time I have had an actual budget to do this
> right,
> (hooray for not running my own business any more!!) rather than scrimp
an=
d
> save on it. I'm planning to spend a bit of time hammering out the
details=
,
> then do it in October, probably with a budget of about =A31100.
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> The plan has morphed since I started looking at it (as you would
expect) =
-
> at the moment, I'm thinking about using 8 of the SATA 3.0Gb drives
(the
> Western digital raid edition 320Gb ones are looking pretty darn good,
and
> that might turn into the 400Gb ones by October) with a PCI-e or PCI-x
RAI=
D
> card for the main storage area, probably using 1 drive for fault
> tolerance,
> and a second as a hot standby (so, 1.8Tb useable if I am using 320's).
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> I'm planning to use the Cooler Master, with it's humungous eleven
front
> 5.25
> bays, with a "5 in 3" cage and a "3 in 2" cage
from the same range (looks
> like the supermicro ones) - lets me have all eight SATA drives in a
nice
> hot
> plug bay, one bay for a DVD, another two of the drive bays to host the
O/=
S
> drives, (a mirrored pair of 200Gb PATA drives from my old media
server).
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> That leaves me with 3 drive bays spare - enough for another "5 in
3" cage
> for expansion if/when I fill that lot up.
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> Then it's the big decision - do I go for a Core 2 Duo, or an Athlon 64
> x2...
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> I.
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> ________________________________
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> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Phil Harris
> Sent: 27 August 2006 22:19
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Drive cages for media server...
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> Just a quick point but if you are going to get one of these then check
> that
> your case actually has three clear 5.25" bays...
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> ...many cases have little formed "guides" every one or two
5.25" bays
> which
> will stop these going in unless you modify the metalwork.
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> Phil
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> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
]
> > On Behalf Of James Fidell
> > Sent: 27 August 2006 21:25
> > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Drive cages for media server...
> >
> > Stuart Poulton wrote:
> > > Hi Ian,
> > >
> > > Looks like these are the same cages 3ware re-badge
> > >
> > > http://www.3ware.com/products/ata.asp
> <http://www.3ware.com/products/ata.asp>
> > >
> > > Try www.tmc-uk.com for a UK supplier.
> >
> > Alternatively, I bought one of these for a similar purpose some
time
> > ago:
> >
> > http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=3D90116
> <http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=3D90116>
> >
> > James
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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