4 pc's in 1 case...server

[Outlaw]

Here is the link (http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=6631887) to my wish list on newegg.

I plan on having a lan party(just have to find funds and people to attend) and this is what I was looking at for hardware. I remember seeing a mod where someone did this before and thought...genius! lol. They didn't have any really good pictures. Just of the back. The chenbro case I selected is one I am currently using. I would be purchasing another one. This case is huge, after all it is a server case. It supports upto 8 HD's(can have hot swap bays in it). Only 3 cd-rom drives though:(. But for this size of case with what I want to do, it is pretty cheap. I guess my question would be how would you mount the free standing motherboards? Get some steel and create a back plate for the motherboard to mount to? Also, I have a small 24port switch I would plan to mount inside the case(with the ports facing out) so that I can just run a single cable from the case to the switches housing the lan pc's. The 24port would also serve the staff to connect to, to keep the wiring down and not having to use up more ports on the main switches. I was thinking of installing the switch in the upper/middle side of the case. It would be in between the PSU's and the cd-rom drives. From working in this case in the past it should be ok. What do you guys think? Any advice for cutting steel? other placement of hardware? Different case(around the same price) that might work better? I hope this is in the right area, I think it's more of just a different type of mod, not sure if it's advanced or not. Sorry if it's in the wrong spot.

Thanks in advance,
Outlaw

**Note- If anybody even notices. The power supplies I picked out, I do realize they are only 20pin and the motherboard is 24. I will be getting an adapter for that(I don't want to build that :)). Also does anybody know why they put the sticker over the last 4 holes on the main power of the motherboard?

[Outlaw]

Haha, the ideas pour in faster then the paychecks. lol, I was thinking, and part of this came from another poster talking about a robotic arm. I wasn't going to go into that much as having the arm controlled, but just like a swing arm with a swivel for the monitor to be attatched to the side of the box and use a KVM to switch between servers with a wired/wireless keyboard/mouse.

The robotic would be cool though, turn the PC on and the arm swings up and out to the last set position....nice! Now to have it build and pay for itself. haha



Sorry for double posting, though it would just add to the last post since it was me.

[simon275]

Sounds expensive but cool. Steel is very hard to work with but it can be cut with a dremel or even some beardy jigsaws but you are in for a long time and many blades. You are better off with an angle grinder though. I would suggest unless you are fine with working with metal and dangerous power tools seek the help of some one in the know or a professional. Robotics kits can be sourced and programed easily in this day and age. We even have a few experienced robot creators on the forums so you are in good hands here.

This should really go in the idea zone.

[Outlaw]

can someone please move this to the Idea zone?

simon275- Thanks for the input. It is kind of expensive. All the parts come to a little over $2000(US). That's 4 of everything pc related, 1 24port mini switch, and 3 24port rack switches. Being that it is steel and not a light duty steel it might be more trouble then it's worth. Is there a different case that would be able to house everything I need with room to cool it all?

Thanks again

[simon275]

Also remember this case would way a tone. You would better going with a rackmount style setup with each computer in its own rack case and then the switches fitting in above or below as there own units.

What I am getting at.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/itnew/images/serverroomkresge.jpg

Check out some of these cases they are great for lan parties
http://www.caseclub.com/rackmount.htm

[B1Gtime]

Sw33t Idea, now make it happen, lol

[Outlaw]

Having everthing in a rack would way a ton, I guess there really is no easy way to do this. But If i used a case and put the stuff in it, I can change out the stands on it for casters so I can push/pull it. I wouldn't need anything really big for a server rack, I would just need spots for 4 switches, and 4 servers. I think they make small ones that have wheels on them since I wouldn't need on of the huge ones like in the picture. We use some aluminum ones that just have the mounting holes on the sides, but a chunck of aluminum like that I can't see is cheap.

I would love to just have a big rack mount setup like that picture though!

[XcOM]

question, how comes you need 72 10/100 ports and 24 10/100/1000 ports?

It looks like a good spec, i like the idea

[si-skyline]

if you are going for a case setup rather then a rack.. would recommend for mobility..

have the mobos laying flat in the case and then get spaces and stack one on top of another.. i think that has been the most succesfull way of doing it :D also cooling is a serious factor to include in there.

for the fittings i would use big rods just smaller then the mount holes on the mobo. and then attach it to the floor some how.

also i would recommend looking up on how to split the power of the psu's to goto 2 or even the 4 mobos to save space

il try and find you a link i have some were on my network :D

[Outlaw]

XcOM- I have updated the parts list since posting to the following below. It is now all Gigabit. I thought I explained some of it in my first post but I'll try to clear it up. 3 of the switches are the standard rack mountable, 1 of them(not realizing it was 24 which isn't entirely necessary) is like a mini switch, its like half to quarter of the size which would fit into the case with all the other components. I am only planning to host about 50pc's but the extra 24 would be there for backup incase one took a crap. Don't need 24 pissed off people coming after me. :) Hope that clears it up.

si-skyline- What case would you recommend to lay them flat in there. There aren't too many cases that have enough room for that. And for the power, each "pc setup" would have it's own PSU(shuttle style psu (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817374002)). I will see if I have time tonight, and get some pics of my idea's on here for you guys.


Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1 CHENBRO SR10769-BK Black 1.0 mm SECC Server Case - Retail
Model #: SR10769-BK
Item #: N82E16811123076

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$149.99 -$25.00 Instant $124.99
4 PC CHIPS A13G V1.0 Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: A13G V1.0
Item #: N82E16813185093

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$50.99 $203.96
4 IN WIN IP-P300F1-0 TFX12V 300W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: IP-P300F1-0
Item #: N82E16817374002

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$25.99 $103.96
4 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Windsor 2.0GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3800CUBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3800CUBOX
Item #: N82E16819103735

Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

In Stock
$79.99 $319.96
4 APIDA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AMX10ALNMSH-P2 - Retail
Model #: AMX10ALNMSH-P2
Item #: N82E16820340029

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$84.99 $339.96
4 Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1600YS
Item #: N82E16822136062

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$59.99 $239.96
4 Western Digital Caviar SE WD400JD 40GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD400JD
Item #: N82E16822144173

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$39.99 $159.96
3 LINKSYS SRW224 10/100/1000Mbps Switch - Retail
Model #: SRW224
Item #: N82E16833124046

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$183.99 $551.97
1 LINKSYS SR2024C 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Switch - Retail
Model #: SR2024C
Item #: N82E16833124070

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$324.99 $324.99
4 LINKSYS EG1032 10/100/1000Mbps PCI Network Adapter - Retail
Model #: EG1032
Item #: N82E16833124120

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$24.99 $99.96
Subtotal: $2,469.67

[si-skyline]

si-skyline- What case would you recommend to lay them flat in there. There aren't too many cases that have enough room for that. And for the power, each "pc setup" would have it's own PSU


hmm good question, i think the ones iv seen are self made. but the case used for galaxy 4.0 i think the latest one looks like it could support mobos that way.

cool about psu's, i rescently seems a topic were a guy used one psu between 2 computers. i thought it could of been of use for saving space

what set up of os and use do you have for this? im getting really interested :P

[Outlaw]

Thats cool....The psu's is a good idea, but like the switches I would rather have 1 for each that way if a psu goes out, it only takes out 1 server. It would be used for gaming servers and to run DHCP/file server. Probably linux for the game servers and/or windows server 2003 for the DHCP/file server. If I went with server 2003 though, I would have to figure out the licensing for server 2003, i have 2 copies with 25CAL's each but not sure how to get the CAL's on 1 copy.

[si-skyline]

sweet, yeah good idea with the psus and knocking outs.

another problem with what i have said is with the mountings.. if they were stacked ontop of one another it was be madness to get to computer 2 or 1 xD

i would say your own made case were you carfully think of were all the computer are going to go

[Outlaw]

I agree, I'l see what I can come up with what I have picked out. And if I can come up with something custom. With the case I had, I was looking at doing something with them standing on end in a row. If I need to get to the back motherboard, the other 3 would somehow swing out of the way.