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Form over function, Rackmount it all!

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Adragontattoo

Trailer Chasing Senior
Ok so most of us here have multiple machines, does anyone go for Form over function and just use rackmount cases. This is assuming that many of your machines are all located in the same general area (I have 3 currently surrounding me).

Admittedly you cant show off your case as easily, and modding it is confined mostly to the front of the case but still.

Reason Behind this is pretty simple. Typical tower cases usually come in a variety of sizes and shapes, if you have more then one computer you usally have to stack them haphazardly or side by side. With the three I have now, I either lose a lot of desk space or I lose floor space under my desk. I am debating picking up a few 4-6U racks and just mounting the HW in them instead. Roughly a 22" footprint and depending on size you only loose basically a 24-30" space (not using a full rack) instead of a 22"x10" foot print per machine.

This make sense at all?
 
I have also thought about doing it, but periodically I work my way down to only 1 or 2 computers and then start building back up from there, so I havent done it yet.
 
While that would be nice, portability goes out the window....;)

And don't you mean function over form? Function=useful, form=pretty.
 
The high-end home theater place up the street where I sometimes walk in and watch full movies has a setup like some of you descibe.

It's easy if you have 1 room to say, buy a rackmount and stack EVERYTHING (computers, amps, EQs, i mean everything) up, but for most having a rackmount for servers only is cheaper.

I was thinking about it many moons ago for a folding farm, but it's really not practical.

7
 
I had a rackmount case for a while but they are a pain to work on once you start filling them up.

I personally wouldn't do it because half the fun of having more than one computer is that they can all be different or in different locations. Whats the point of having 3 computers all on the same desk?
 
Why not? with a little thought and creativity it could be the best setup for you. Hell, here's a thought...get the rackmount setup and then add in easily removable side panels of acrylic or lexan with a frosted image and backlighting. You can basically think of it as a large case with room for multiple mainboards.
 
Isnt rackmount FUNCTION over FORM??
EDIT: yeah saw someone else beat me to it -- DOH!

And yes, there were several times i wanted to consolidate all my hardware and networking stuff onto a single rack or two.

The costs of a lot of rack mount servers seem a bit high... whenever i entertained the idea, i had always thought of moving them into a rack - in desktop cases set on shelves of the rack.
 
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I am still thinking of picking up a few empty 5U(would need to measure to fight my rig in one) cases and just doing that instead.

Yes I flipped the words and should have had them the other way OOPS.

So far still winning these servers so I am hoping that I will be unboxing 2 servers in about a week.

Im thinking of setting one up to use as a centralized hub for Home automation (need to research more into it though).
 
Home automation sounds like either a massive headache or a sweet reward, and i think a bit of both in the end.

Also -- ur making me think about the rack mount thing again. Thanks :D
 
Home automation is rather feorign to me... at least i see enough automation with a programable thermostat and house lights and garage door openor and water heater and coffie maker not to see need to consolidate it all into one thing.
Personaly i have little disire for much else... and i kind of like pushing buttons and throwing switches to see things happen.


As for rack mount...
Two servers, 24 port 10/100 switch w/ 2x gigabit uplinks, laptop on slide out shelf / drawer, even the 500W 5.1 sterio reciver -- Those all seemed to fit the idea of rack mount fairly well.

It was the rather bulky UPS, two linksys routers (Viop, and Wireless), and odd shaped cable modem that seem like they would be hard to mount propperly.

Maybe I'll be rowsing Ebay latter today.
 
You live in NoVa right?

Because there is a local electronics shop like 5 min down the road from me in MD that sells used server racks to cheap... like $150 or so if i remember right.
The name of the store was Mark Electronics I dont recal the street adress though.

You've likley already moved onto those kind of alternative sources, but i tohught i would throw it out there just in case. Generaly i found that buying server racks through normal avinues that a corperation would use are simply beyond what a home user can justify.
 
Yeah Im in Alexandria about 8 miles from DC.

I have heard of them a few times now, I think I may get up around the Beltway and go check them out.

I dont really want or need a full rack. I may try to find a half height enclosed rack. That way I could mount the gear and then stick the TV on top hehe.
 
I don`t ahve all my systems in a rack, but I did take an A/V unit and put 2 rackmounts cases in there, one P3 and my smoothwall rig, as well as my stereo receiver and tuner. saves me a ton of space. But I still have my main rig on my desk...I have some pictures at home, I'll try to get em up
 
Adragontattoo said:
.... and then stick the TV on top

See this is why i know this project has the right goals.


As to the guy with the above post... i am calling you o_0 from now on as the glasses take too long to draw out. But i look foreward to those pics should you ever find them.
 
well right now I am using a 16' long 7' tall bookcase as my entertainment center, bookcase AND DVD library.

1 4' bookcase is for DVD's
1 4' bookcase is for the reciever, DVD player cable box and the TV is sitting on a seperate entertainment center in front of that due to the tv being a CRT.
2 4' bookcases are for books
 
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