Questions about server build in Fractal R3

[Defcon1]

I have this case and want to build a server (unRAID/TrueNas). It will use an Intel Arc A380 gpu (not too hot) and a AMD Ryzen 5 cpu. No gaming.

Had a few questions -

- case has 8x3.5" bays and 2 more in the 5.25" bay
- is it possible to mount sata ssd in back of motherboard tray (like in newer cases). I suppose velcro can be used?

for cooling, what is recommended? the case has 2x120mm intake in front and options to add fans in bottom/top. I'm assuming high static pressure fans are recommended. Is Thermalright K12 or Arctic P12 enough as intake? both have very similar specs. I'm planning to use all 10 drives.

 

[ptf]

No experience with this case but from this pic of the back of the motherboard tray it does not looks as though there is any mounting point for a 2.5" drive

But why do you need to given that any vaguely modern motherboard will have M.2 slots which you can use for (eg) boot.

 

[Defcon1]

But why do you need to given that any vaguely modern motherboard will have M.2 slots which you can use for (eg) boot.

yes my motherboard does have an nvme m2. But I also have old m2 sata's that I don't really use and don't want to waste a 3.5" bay to mount them. Frankly I don't even think a storage server needs nvme speeds, ssd should be plenty fast enough.

is double sided tape the best way to attach them?

 

[ca3y6]

Just 3d print some holders for your SSDs (I presume you mean 2.5 sata SSD not m.2?):

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/so-how-many-2-5-disks-can-you-put-in-a-chenbro-nr40700.48938/post-487266

For power cable, you can clip sata power connectors onto the PSU cables directly some you don't have some huge cables coming out of the drives. For SATA data cables, use angled connectors.

SATA SSD don't heat up too much (particularly retail). I would just replace the fans with 140mm fans to get ample airflow, but you don't need to run those fans at high speed, so that your server remains quiet. U.2 SSD is a different story.

 

[RachelBennett]

Just to clarify: I actually do have a couple of old M.2 SATA drives (pulled from old laptops) that I want to use for the unRAID cache/appdata without taking up the main NVMe slot on the board. I'll probably just use a cheap PCIe or SATA adapter for those.

However, for the main storage, I’m planning to fully populate all 10 bays (8x3.5" + 2 in the 5.25" bay). Since the case is going to be packed, I have a few specific concerns:

1. SSD Mounting: I don't want to waste the 3.5" bays for SSDs. Since this is an older chassis without dedicated mounts behind the tray, I’m leaning towards using heavy-duty Velcro or 3M dual-lock to stick them to the back of the motherboard tray or any flat surface. Given that they are SATA SSDs and won't move, is there any reason not to do this?
2. Cooling & Static Pressure: With 10 HDDs blocking the front intake, I definitely need fans with good static pressure. I’m looking at the Thermalright K12 or Arctic P12. They seem very similar on paper—would these be enough to keep the drives and the Ryzen 5 / Arc A380 build cool in such a cramped config? Or should I step up to something like Noctua IPPC or Phanteks T30 for the front intake?
3. GPU Airflow: The Arc A380 isn't a furnace, but with the bottom of the case potentially restricted by cables, should I add a bottom intake fan to feed the GPU directly?

Curious to hear if anyone has run a similar 10-drive setup in this specific layout

 

[ca3y6]

For SATA SSDs, as long as they get a bit of airflow they should be ok. Doesn't really matter how they are attached to the case.

Before stuffing the case with fans, I would try with a minimal setup first and measure the drives temperatures (available using crystaldiskinfo or smartctl). Only if they heat up then add more fans. You otherwise quickly end up with a noisy case without being quite sure if this is doing any good. I think the general rule of thumbs is that bigger fans push more air with less noise, so I personally always use 140mm fans in the front.

I personally have a 15 HDD set up with a similar layout (Fractal Design Define 7 XL, all the HDD at the front). I had to remove the front panel which obstruct the airflow. But other than that, just having 3 big 140mm fans at the front is enough for the case. Don't have a graphic card in there but I do have some U.2 SSDs, a SAS HBA and some 10gbe / 40gbe NICs, all require some cooling. I keep a 120m blowing down the PCIe area from above to cool all those guys.