Cheap but reliable NAS chassi

[ekke]

So due to Chia NAs chassis are damn expensive.

I found this 19" chassi with 24 bay SAS3

Zhenloong 4u 24 Bay Rackmount Server Case Hard Disk Hot-swap Storage Chassis Sas Sata With 12gb Backplane Sff8643 Data Interface - Buy 4u 24 Bay 4u 24 Bay Rackmount Case Chassis mini Sas Sata 12g Backplane Hot Swap Hard Disk Drive Case Chassis Product on Alibaba.com

Zhenloong 4u 24 Bay Rackmount Server Case Hard Disk Hot-swap Storage Chassis Sas Sata With 12gb Backplane Sff8643 Data Interface - Buy 4u 24 Bay 4u 24 Bay Rackmount Case Chassis mini Sas Sata 12g Backplane Hot Swap Hard Disk Drive Case Chassis Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

what do you think about that chassi and backplane?

I only really need 12-15 bays

There is also this tower option

Zhenloong Full Tower Nas Computer Case Support Itx Matx Atx Eatx Eeb Mb 15 Bay Hot Swap 4 Gpu Server Graphic Workstation Chassis - Buy Gpu Tower Case Chassis Nas Full Tower Pc Case full Tower Nas 15 Bay Eatx Atx Case Chassis nas Full Tower 15 Bay Gpu Itx Matx Atx Eatx Server Graphic Workstation Case Chassis 15 Bay Hot Swap Case Product on Alibaba.com

Zhenloong Full Tower Nas Computer Case Support Itx Matx Atx Eatx Eeb Mb 15 Bay Hot Swap 4 Gpu Server Graphic Workstation Chassis - Buy Gpu Tower Case Chassis Nas Full Tower Pc Case full Tower Nas 15 Bay Eatx Atx Case Chassis nas Full Tower 15 Bay Gpu Itx Matx Atx Eatx Server Graphic Workstation...

www.alibaba.com

 

[pricklypunter]

It doesn't look any worse in terms of build quality than any other cheap bare chassis on the market. I would be wanting to buy at least one spare backplane board for it though, to keep on the shelf just for peace of mind. These kinds of things are often limited production runs and spares are nowhere to be found a couple of years down the road

 

[randalldeflagg]

I have one of these when I could not find a cse-846. I had to realign the backplanes (two separate boards 12 drives each, one sff-8643 port per 4 drives), and uhhh beat the frame with a hammer and sand down some of the drive rails. not sure what they used for fitment, but nope once you put drives in the trays. The walls are screwed into the top and bottom of the frame. Load 8 2tb drives into trays and put 4 at the top and bottom while the walls were slightly loose. Everything lined backup and tightened back down.

Anyhow, some guy sold me his cse-846 the other day for $200. So... if you are in the CO area... boy do I have deal for you on that Chinese case.

 

[mattventura]

These are okay for hobby-grade stuff if you just need something that works, but upgrades and parts availability can be spotty.

Compared to a used 826, 829, 846 or 847, it's harder to find good backplanes, and you'll pay more for PSU capacity. Even more true if you want NVMe backplanes.

Even ignoring future upgrades, be sure to factor in all the things you'll have to pay more for:
1. No PSU included, and you can't grab a cheap CRPS or other common PSU format.
2. Backplane doesn't have an expander, so you'll either need to buy an HBA with more ports, use multiple HBAs, or provide your own expander.
3. You'll also have to buy a few extra cables to connect up to the BP.

Right here, you can buy a 2U chassis with 16 3.5" bays (4 of which can do NVMe) and 2 rear 2.5" bays, with PSUs and the minimum necessary cables included, all for $375 shipped. These are higher quality backplanes, and there's upgrades available too.

But I will say, the fact that they use 120mm fans instead of 80mm can make it nice for a quiet homelab.