Antec Take 4 + 650 4U Rackmount Server Case 650W Power Supply 2 External 5.25" Drive Bays

Pros: Great for Core2 Quad generation; have not yet tried with Sandy Bridge, but next on the list. I have 3 of these and all work flawlessly. To the other reviewer, big fans are quieter than row of little ones... this is a quiet case, not really server case. It is quiet. Not much else on the market like this, and hence why I keep buying them.

Cons: Door hinges are ABS so don't let it flop open or rest DVDs on it when open. It will break after about 18 months. However, with long warranty, I got 2 replacement doors from Antec (!) and now am more careful. I did have to remove the side fan and replace with smaller Antec with a big Zalman on the processor.

Other Thoughts: Case is big, but not super deep, as with a server case which needs rails and/or rear support. This doesn't need rear support. Have 1 in my design studio, and one in my music studio with MacPro 8 core next to it. Fits in my mixer rack just fine. Also have 2 Take 3 models but these are much trickier.

Pros: This case is really rugged construction. It has nice hard drive trays that are released with thumb screws and buffered from vibration by rubber grommets. It is spacious on the inside and can probably take most ATX standard motherboards and just about any video card known to man. It's also nice that a 650W power supply was included. The front panel is VERY rugged and is lockable with a real key.

Cons: It requires a 4 prong header for the power LED. The 120mm stock fan is too close to the motherboard to allow for the stock Intel i7 cooler. Adding and removing 5.25 bay items is somewhat of a chore. Also, for as much space as this thing has, something could've probably been done to up the drive capacity.

This case seems to be geared towards DAW work but it's EXTREMELY long and I bet thatat it won't fit in quite a few racks, especially cheaper portable ones. Also, with the notions of it being a closed rack DAW machine, why did they put only ONE exhaust fan on the back of the unit? It could've used a nice row of smaller fans along the top of the rear of the case.

Other Thoughts: For the price, around three hundred, it could've used a few more perks. No one buys a 4U server case unless they are looking to build a custom machine. It makes more sense to buy prebuilt servers than to build them yourself and few companies actually do this. This case references it's studio application intentions in name and in marketing, but really doesn't seem to offer too much in that area, outside of the grommets on the hard drive caddies, to dampen sound. The metal used on the case is very thick and sturdy, so that will help to reduce case vibration, but there is no treatment applied to the case to muffle the ambient case noise from fans and whirring hard drives and optical drives.

Pros: Wonderfully built, beautifully designed

Cons: Nowhere on the new egg product page does it list which types of motherboards this particular case will be compatible with. This is also true on the Antec product page for this item.

Be advised that even though other websites state that this case will accept Extended ATX type motherboards, it in fact does not!

Other Thoughts: just wish i was notified or that the compatability information was displayed correctly before i spent all the money on the motherboard and this case to fit it into.