Athena Power CA-SWH01BH8 Black 1.2mm Metal, ABS Plastic (front bezel) Pedestal Server Case

Pros: 8 hot-swap SATA bays

Cons: The SATA hot-swap modules have virtually no documentation.

Other Thoughts: I have this case loaded with 8 2TB drives in a RAID6 configuration (3ware controller).

I had a hard drive start failing almost immediately -- a handful of sector reallocations almost every day. Once SMART failed I removed the drive from the array (logically, not physically, from the 3ware controller) and then powered the drive off using the appropriate button on the SATA hot-swap module and physically removed the drive. Replaced with a good drive, inserted the carrier, and powered the bay back on. The 3ware controller detected the new drive and started rebuilding. Perfect.

A word of warning: each SATA module has 6 buttons (well, 5 actually) 1 is reset, 4 are for the 4 SATA bays and 1 is the fan health indicator. The top button is the reset, not HD1. Take your time removing a failed drive. I almost instinctively pressed the top button (since HD1 had failed). That could have been very bad. Not really sure why there is a reset button, but there is.

Pros: 8 Very usable sata/sas hit-swap bays plus plenty of room to work make this a winner. Reasonably attractive and serious look, so it doesn't look like a gamer's fantasy.

Cons: As mentioned elsewhere:
- Mediocre fit and finish. I/O panel is very tight. I was able to use it, but barely.
- Pathetic rear fan. Needs immediate upgrade if you are going to run it fully loaded w/ disks.
- Flimsy front door.
- Awkward bay placement.

Other Thoughts: The cons are blown away by the pros. Best thing at its price point.

Pros: I am using an ATX motherboard and I have tons of room. Two four drive SATA backplanes that really do work. Serious if not exciting appearance.

Cons: As mentioned elsewhere, the packing could be better. Medioclre fit and finish. The cutout for the IO shield was a hair too small. I was able to install the shield, but with substantial effort. Plasitc parts are a bit cheesey.

Other Thoughts: Considering what one gets for the money this case is a solid buy. It will not win any beauty contests but it is, afterall, a server case. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Pros: Very nice case. Lots of expandability with 8 hot swap hard drive bays. Good and heavy.

Cons: The fans on the back of the hard drive bays protrudes over the motherboard area. If your motherboard has connectors or screw holes on either front corner you will have to remove the drive bays to get to them.

Front door panel mounts are fragile and easy to break off.

Other Thoughts: Overall a pretty good case. Would buy again if need a 12x13" motherboard capable tower case. Normally prefer ATX for towers.

Pros: This is probably the best built case I have ever owned. It is very well built and HEAVY!! Drives slide in nice. Comes with plenty of screws and 8 Sata cables.

Cons: Not Cheap!!

Other Thoughts: The drive fans are a little loud, but hey, it has to keep 8 drives cool, so better than than heat issues.

Pros: Excellent Case. Tons of space. The 2 SATAx4 Hot-Swap HDD bays are awesome. Individual power control for each drive, hot-swappable, easy to install the drive in the tray. These are easily $100 each by themselves, and the added bonus of the case is an awesome deal. I did a lot of research before I bought this case, and I couldn't beat the price at all.

Cons: The blue power LED is very BRIGHT. Not a major problem, but notable. Also, the drive trays use the drive's SATA and power connection rather than providing another one on the tray, so don't slam the drives in. If you break one, it's all over but the crying.

Other Thoughts: This is an awesome product.

Pros: The hot-swap SATA drive backplane cages are definately worth the money. Each drive tray slot has a power button that doubles as an activity/power LED. Molex and SATA power connectors on the back for flexible hook-up. Sturdy case design that works well with the Athena Power redundant P/S purchased separately.

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: The Athena Power redundant P/S models require removal of the standard power supply mounting bracket from the case. I had to install a secondary side bracket on the PSU after removing the power modules. Too bad Athena Power doesn't include instructions with their power supplies. I had to figure everything out myself even though it's their case and their PSU.

Pros: Hot-swap drive bays are nice. If you were to buy them by them self you would pay about 100 bucks. They give you two of them so you are able to use those in other cases if you wish. Build quality is fine. I would not expect to be able to sit on the case, the metal is on the thinner side.

Cons: Case maker does not provide enough padding around case and was not able to handle the huge canon UPS shoots their packages from. My case arived damaged and needed to be RMA'd due to a crushed corner from shipping.

Other Thoughts: As usual, newegg goes the extra mile. Returned case and purchased a different one.

Pros: Very solid case. Comes with everything you will need to get up and running (eg, SATA cables, screws, etc.). It is very well built, and no noticeable sharp/jagged edges.

Cons: The only problem is that even though the board supports the large E-ATX motherboards (12"x13"), it doesn't really give you room to attach peripherals on the outer perimeter of motherboards because the SATA hot-swap enclosures hang over about 1/2" of the motherboard.

Other Thoughts: This is a solid buy.

Pros: The case is really well built. It looks great and everything fits together well. The case came with extra 3.5" to 5.25" drive converters in case you want to remove one or both of the 3-Bay (4-HDD) units and mount the drives directly in the case. The case had 6 of these converters plus two already installed in the remaining 2 5.25" slots. The hot-swap mounts are very nice. Lots of room for big (long) power supplies.

Cons: The chosen hot-swap bays integrate into the case well but the power adapters (each have 2xSATA and 2x4-pin MOLEX) are so close together that it makes it hard to connect cables that have release grips or have two SATA power connectors on one cable. For systems with cables that have connectors mounted in line (and not passing perpendicularly) there shouldn't be a problem. It's tight but I fit mine which do pass sideways.

Other Thoughts: The case comes with everything - 8 SATA cables for the bays, adapters for all the 5.25" bays for mounting 3.5" drives, all the screws you could ever need. Surprisingly not as heavy as I'd expected. Lighter than my Xaser II case but still not fully populated. I'm waiting on an out-of-stock motherboard so I can complete the build. I was concerned that the door felt a little weak (plastic with plastic posts hinged) but it's held strong so far. I'm more than happy with the quality of this case.