Modified Obsidian 750D running cool as a Vmware server with 18 drives and 8 fans [Not gaming related but still worked really well]

[v12]

I had a need for a bulk storage unit for big data experiments at home.  Since I already had a pile of drives I chose to build a ESXi server around them.  Paired up the 18 2TB SAS disks with 128gb mem and a server motherboard running on a single 750 watt power supply.   For the 750D case the internal 5.25 drive bays were removed with a Dremel to make room.  It runs silent on a single 750watt power supply and has no heat issues at all even under constant load.  Temperature wise it runs way cooler than I was expecting so now it sits over there in the corner with only 1 cable to the wall for power for a fully self contained unit.   There is a LED strip around the edge on window side of the case that cycles colors.

The only thing that would have made this better would have been a case without the 5.25 drive bay modification but one wasn't available at the time of purchase for the price range I was looking at.

[Technobeard]

Nice build! Why 18 x 2 TB - availability, speed, redundancy, other?

[v12]

I have a need for large amounts of reasonably speedy space and I already had the drives pulled from a throw away, so to keep costs low the idea here was to put them to work.   Sure 4x new 10tb drives would get me to the same amount of usable space but that would have also added $1k to the costs.   Admittedly, there is an element of will this work in there and doing is how I found out.

Edited December 14, 2021 by v12