To build a perfect NAS, an ordinary PC case would not suffice. We need a case which could hold more hard disks rather than having some empty space for extra cooling and clean looks. Usually normal PC cases have the hard drive bays at the back of the case where the heat management for the hard drives is not adequate and they usually do not have more than two 3.5 inch hard drive bays.
Here I am suggesting some of the cases which could be satisfactory in building a NAS by installing a NAS operating system like TrueNAS and adding ample hard drives.
These cases are arranged in order of their increasing pricing available in India.
1. Deepcool Matrexx 30 SI
Deepcool Matrexx 30 SI is the most basic case you can use for building a NAS. It has 3 3.5 inch hard drive bays which would serve for a basic home NAS for file sharing. The specifications are listed below.
Motherboard Support – Micro ATX/Mini-ITX
PSU Support – ATX PS2 (maximum length: 170mm)
Dimensions – 405.8 x 193 x 378.2 mm
Net Weight – 3.62 Kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 1 Not compatible with Micro-ATX(244mm×244mm or bigger motherboards)
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 2
Rear Fan Support – 1×120mm
Front Fan Support – 1×120mm
Top Fan Support – N/A
PCIe Expansion Slots – 4
2. Cooler Master K380
Cooler Master K380 is the best budget case you can get which has a lot of hard drive bays. You can build a full fledged home server with a lot of hard drives as it has more than 7 bays in it. This is also a mid tower so cooling should not be a problem. If you are looking for a budget option from a good brand then this could be the choice you should go for. The specifications are listed below.
Motherboard Support – Micro ATX, ATX
PSU Support – ATX PS2
Dimensions – 209 x 445 x 479 mm
Net Weight – 4.7 kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 3 (exposed)
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 2 (exposed), 5 (hidden)
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3 (hidden)
Rear Fan Support – 80/90/120mm fan x 1
Front Fan Support – 1×120mm
Top Fan Support – N/A
PCIe Expansion Slots – 7
3. Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01
This case from Corsair will offer some decent amount of space for your hard drive and can replace your 4 bay NAS easily. It also comes with a good cooling solution so that your hard drives stay cool. It can also hold ATX motherboards easily. If cooling is one of your priorities then this case can be you go to. The specifications are listed below.
Motherboard Support – Micro ATX, ATX
PSU Support – ATX PS2 (230mm Maximum)
Dimensions – 447mm x 200mm x 428mm
Net Weight – 4.8 kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 2
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 4 (included with 2.5 inch)
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 4 (included with 3.5 inch)
Rear Fan Support – 1 x 120mm
Front Fan Support – 1×120mm
Top Fan Support – 1 x 120mm
PCIe Expansion Slots – 7
4. Deepcool Kendomen
Deepcool Kedomen has space like Cooler Master K380 and cooling like Corsair Spec-01. If you want both the features in your NAS machine then you can consider this. It is a little bit more heavy than the two but it will offer the benefits of both the cases mentioned earlier. The specifications are listed below.
Motherboard Support – ATX/MICRO ATX/MINI-ITX
PSU Support – ATX PS2
Dimensions – 491 x 200 x 486mm
Net Weight – 5.76kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 3
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3 + 3 (included with 3.5 inch)
Rear Fan Support – 1 x 120mm
Front Fan Support – 2 ×120mm
Top Fan Support – 2 x 120mm
PCIe Expansion Slots – 7
5. Cooler Master Masterbox CM694
Cooler Master Masterbox CM694 is an all rounder case with good looks, good space and good functionality. If you are looking for a sleek looking case which can hold a lot of drives with modular drive cages and good overall cooling functionality then CM694 by cooler master is the case to go for. It has also a graphics card holder if you are considering to also use it as a normal PC case.
Motherboard Support – ATX/MICRO ATX/MINI-ITX
PSU Support – ATX PS2
Dimensions – 491 x 200 x 486mm
Net Weight – 5.76kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 3
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 3 + 3 (included with 3.5 inch)
Rear Fan Support – 120mm x 1
Front Fan Support – 120mm x 3 / 140mm x 2 (without ODD) and 120mm x 2 / 140mm x 2 (with ODD)
Top Fan Support – 120mm x 3 / 140mm x 2
PCIe Expansion Slots – 7
6. SilverStone CS380
SilverStone CS380 is a NAS case designed by SilverStone for enthusiasts. It supports eight 3.5inch hot swaps so that you can change the hard drives on the go. This hot swap compartment also has two 120 mm fans for the cooling of hard drives and also a full PCB which has SATA and SATA Power connectors for easy cable management.
Motherboard Support – ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
PSU Support – ATX PS2
Dimensions – 215.3 x 426.5 x 487 mm
Net Weight – 9.35kg
5.25 Inch Drive Bays – 2
3.5 Inch Drive Bays – 8
2.5 Inch Drive Bays – 8 (included with 3.5 inch)
Rear Fan Support – 120mm x 1
Front Fan Support – N/A
Top Fan Support – N/A
Side Fans for Hard Drives – 120mm x 2
PCIe Expansion Slots – 7
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