Black Ark Technology SR-8100 Server Tower Cases 14 Drive Bays USB Firewire and Audio Ports-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

I see several big positives:

-It's cheap
-It's hugely deep (extended-ATX capable )
-It has a stock 120mm exhaust

But it also has some nasty little drawbacks

-Horrible huge top-fan-ports-waffle iron assembly (how much of a gaping hole will need to be patched if I don't want it) I HATE top-mounted blowholes, ports, and such.
-Strange PSU mounting (evidently for redundant PSU-- is that little plate that comes on the back of Chieftech Dragon/Antec SX1000 cases and the PSU mounts on an adaptor?)
-Odd looking fittings on side panel (can someone explain or provide decent pics thereof)
-Possibly poor airflow through hard drive cage.

Any experiences? Pictures of an actual build in one?

Has anyone seen the white version shown in some pics on the page, which has a single PSU mount and no top fan assembly? I'd really love that

Quote: Originally Posted by Hak Foo Black Ark Technology SR-8100 Server Tower Cases 14 Drive Bays USB Firewire and Audio Ports-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com I see several big positives: -It's cheap -It's hugely deep (extended-ATX capable ) -It has a stock 120mm exhaust But it also has some nasty little drawbacks -Horrible huge top-fan-ports-waffle iron assembly (how much of a gaping hole will need to be patched if I don't want it) I HATE top-mounted blowholes, ports, and such. -Strange PSU mounting (evidently for redundant PSU-- is that little plate that comes on the back of Chieftech Dragon/Antec SX1000 cases and the PSU mounts on an adaptor?) -Odd looking fittings on side panel (can someone explain or provide decent pics thereof) -Possibly poor airflow through hard drive cage. Any experiences? Pictures of an actual build in one? Has anyone seen the white version shown in some pics on the page, which has a single PSU mount and no top fan assembly? I'd really love that

That is one nuts case, i would email the folks at directron, they are friendly, and see if they can hook you up with a white one w/o the hole in the top.

Personally i hate that style of HDD bays, i would just derivit it and turn it sideways.

The side panel fittings im lost on, can you circle the object in the pic and post it, lt looks like it just has a fan door for card cooling.


The top thing is a handle and usb


And i think you can get it from the Manufactuer

This one looks better (HDD cage is correct, and the front has a more window blind look.)
Ark Technology Inc.
and its on sale here (wish it was in stock)
Newegg.com - ARK SR-8100BG Beige DUAL XEON Ready Server Case 4 External 5.25" Drive Bays - Retail

I sent them a contact Us msg, to see if i can get one myself, if i can get one from them directly, i'll be sure to get you the hook up.

Coolermaster Elite RC-330 ATX Blk Case 4X5.25 2X3.5 5X3.5INT No PS 1X120MM Rear Fan Front I/O Panel - DirectCanada

thats the case i got i love it cut out the side and put a window in it with some silver accent it looks amazing :p and its cheap + amazing air flow u can put a cd drive in than have a 120mm fan taped on with double sidded tape so u can have 2 intake and 1 exhast

Quote: Originally Posted by s1ugh34d That is one nuts case, i would email the folks at directron, they are friendly, and see if they can hook you up with a white one w/o the hole in the top. Personally i hate that style of HDD bays, i would just derivit it and turn it sideways.

I'd be tempted, but doing so might compromise that glorious depth...

Quote: The side panel fittings im lost on, can you circle the object in the pic and post it, lt looks like it just has a fan door for card cooling.

At the far back of the side panel, there are two large "bumps" at about 25% and 75% of the height. Look at picture No. 4 on the Newegg slideshow. I think they may be tool-free latches now that I see better pics.

Quote: The top thing is a handle and usb And i think you can get it from the Manufactuer

The problem is that I don't WANT that module at the top. I'd be very tempted to just pull it out, glue an old port bracket I have somewhere else, and plug the top.

Quote: This one looks better (HDD cage is correct, and the front has a more window blind look.) Ark Technology Inc. and its on sale here (wish it was in stock) Newegg.com - ARK SR-8100BG Beige DUAL XEON Ready Server Case 4 External 5.25" Drive Bays - Retail

I saw that one... notice carefully... that version has no HDD cage... it's got two doors and SEVEN 5.25 bays.

Newegg offers a compromise version-- it's black and has the HDD cage, but a smaller top-port assembly with no handle. However, it's $87 and change shipped, and the one Directron sells is about $75 to my door.

One thing I'm not a huge fan of is that vent on the right side, just because I might want to do something like a lit cutout on the right side, and I don't want the light leaking out there and spoiling the effect.


Honestly, all I really want is an E-ATX case with at least as many drive bays as a modern desktop, and a 120mm exhaust. I wish there was a computer graveyard I could go to and buy an old PII server for the case still. (my local one shut)

Newegg.com - ARK SR-8100BG Beige DUAL XEON Ready Server Case 4 External 5.25" Drive Bays - Retail

i can get them for 47$ +shipping, i have been talking to the actual company guy

If anyone wants one let me know and i'll forward the info to him. I'll let him contact you guys so you know its legit.

it has a 3 bay HDD cage in there, its just centered, so all those huge PCI e cards can fit.

*@*$%. I sent for the one at Directron for fifty-six dollars plus postage. It's due to arrive Monday (why exactly it takes five days to go 1000km is beyond me).

Meh, I preferred the black one with the 3.5 cage anyway. The white one looks like it's a 3x5.25 cage at the bottom (hence the front plates for it... I suppose it would be spectacular for a server which had a huge selection of optical or tape drives and needed the 5.25s more.)

It arrived Monday. Naturally, my digicam batteries are shot (NiMH AAs I bought when I got my first proper digicam, probably 2002 or 2003), so they die before I can take pics. It's not hugely heavy considering the size-- the Chieftech Dragon feels heavier (although the shipping weight was 31 pounds)

Bullet points:

-Size-- It's as deep as you think it is. It's easily 2" deeper in the "non-bezel" area versus a standard ATX Enlight tower, and the front bezel is pretty deep. I was, in fact, taking a picture of this factor when the camera gave up.


-Filters-- the front panel 120 intake is filtered, as is the side panel 80 intake for the hard disc cage. But there's a large intake going the length of the other side panel, no filter.

-Revisions-- This one is clearly the version sold at Newegg-- it's black, it has the smaller port cluster on the top, and the rear fan is pre cut with a wire grille. It's also got normal ATX cutouts at the PSU opening.


-Front Bezel -- it comes off easily (so no ugly cutouts for rails, a la Chieftech Dragon)... but interestingly, I suspect the front bezel is common for the 4x5.25 and 7x5.25 version-- mine has the three drive bay slots, but the door is glued down over it. The silver trim on the door is plastic that looks way less metallic when you see it for real.

-Obscenity -- there's a metal frame standard which has two 80mm grilles in it, it folds over the card area. However, it was punched in on mine (shipping damage). It actually has a guide to install two more hard drives ON it, if you aren't happy with the cages it comes with.


-Nice touches: The parts (rails and screws) come in a box which is plastic, very well made, and stuck inside the case with four screws, so you could theoretically leave it forever. It has a chassis intrusion switch (which I'm sure is supported on my $79 motherboard ). 120mm, 3-wire fan included. The side panel latches are cleverly designed-- the base stays still, and a top part slides to activate the latch-- so it won't wear on a paint job by sliding directly on it. Thumbscrews are provided for the sides. Tool-free slot clips are provided for cards. Paint finish seems comparable to the last black case I bought (Antec SLK1650B) if not slightly better. Front panel is "decorative" (no LEDs or switches cabled directly to it) so case can be used even while front panel is off for service.

-Annoying touches: speaker is not a part of case, just hangs on little wires from mobo socket. Ports are, sigh, on top. Top is riveted on so it cannot be removed for seperate painting or modding easily. (very few cases allow that). Layout may forbid certain configurations (i. e. hard disc in hard disc cage and Zip in floppy area on same IDE chain) Airflow area above slots is largely monopolized by the tool-free assembly. Airflow in front may be hindered by having three unneeded 5.25" blanking plates and a fake door, but there's a decent intake cutout.

Overall, decent especially for a $56 case... easily a match of almost anyone else's $80-90 case, and better than some.

Outside of it being repeated a dozen times in the specs, what exactly about this case makes it Dual Xeon Ready?

It doesn't look like it has particularly good airflow, noise dampening, special drive mounts, or anything else one would normally associate with a server chassis.

It just looks like a chunk of steel with some plastic stuck to it and a few randomly placed holes.

It has eight or so holes which I think match up with some holes in specific dual-Xeon boards so you can bolt the heatsinks down through to the motherboard tray.

The only other server-specific features I saw:

-Very deep
-Card "cover press down thing" to trap long cards.
-Drive mounts are tool-free
-Chassis open switch