NORCO RPC-170 Black 1U Rackmount Server Chassis 1 External 5.25" Drive Bays - OEM

Pros: Lots of room, large number of fans, great cable management

Cons: Fans are very noisy, but since its in a rack elsewhere not really an issue.

Came with several different back plates for motherboards, none fit my board, so I ended up going back plate-less.

CD rom drive bay is very very snug and the spring loaded door catches the lip of my CD drive when it tries to close.

Not all of the holes in the plastic that keeps the motherboard from grounding on the case are cut for the potential places you could put a motherboard mounting bracket, I had to use scissors and a screw driver to make my own hole while 50% of the unused holes were all ready to just be popped out.

Other Thoughts: cable design is great, there is a hole in the mounting wall on each side and in the middle for cables to go through to the hard drives and cd drive. Power cable from my PSU barely reached the first hard drive, then was exactly perfect to the next hard drive and perfect to the CD rom drive, very impressed with how well measured that was.

Lots of air moving across the board from the 6 fans separating the hard drives/cd drive from the motherboard.

Pros: The case is the perfect size to build a domain controller type of server. Plenty of space inside to accomodate most motherboard sizes. The workmanship is excellent. Norco trully takes care of all details when it comes down to the finishes. This is a full size 1U server case at a price that cannot be beaten.

Cons: None so far but please read "Other thoughts".

Other Thoughts: Be aware that the case pictured is not the one you will get. The front panel design is completely different from what is is pictured on Newegg's and Norco's site. If you are looking for a fully detachable 5.25" cover (as shown in pictures) you will be very disappointed. The case ships with a front panel that only contains a slot and a button to accomodate for an internal CD/DVD drive. When addressed the situation with Norco's support, I got the following reply:

Hello Martin,

RPC-170 you got is new version, we haven't updated pictures on website. Sorry for your inconvenience.

We don't have old version case now.

Thanks and Regards,
Mike Wang
Norco Technologies Inc.

I am a little disappointed but hopeful that an acceptable solution will be reached. I would really hate it if I have to return the case as there are very few choices for this case at the price listed.
This is the reason I give this case three eggs. When an acceptable solution is reached I will give the case i

Pros: Is actually a 1U case that will hold 3x3.5" disks or 2x3.5" disks and 1x5.25" device. Almost all edges are rolled or deburred, so it would be somewhat difficult to bleed on or in this case. The fans move a bunch of air. It's cheap.

Cons: Does NOT come with screwless, easy-to-remove top cover. Does NOT come with multiple I/O back panels.

Other Thoughts: I'd have sent this back if I didn't have an urgent need. The single I/O back panel that it comes with does not (of course) fit the SuperMicro mobo that I put in it. No big deal -- it works, but it looks ugly and unfinished. I'm also not happy with the top cover... There are no quick-release buttons, and the 4 screws are the standard tiny Phillips-head things that will strip out or be lost in very short order. OTOH, the top will _not_ come off by itself, as it's extremely tight.

Also, the fans are loud, but they're quieter than a lot of vendor 1U systems.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues you are experiencing with this case. Please contact us at 626-965-7470 or service@norcotek.com, so we can send you I/O back panel for your motherboard.

Best Regards,
Norco Support Team

Pros: This case is great! Very strong, well built, and looks real nice too. Doesn't look cheap.

Cons: SUPER LOUD!!! I work in a bank datacenter and these things would stand out in the center of the datacenter. Super high pitched noise. Do not, I repeat, do not buy this for your home! I still give it 5 eggs because this server rack has a purpose, and a place (Where noise doesn't matter).

Other Thoughts: FYI, In the video, I turned off the rest of the rack... thats just the 1U server

Pros: I now have 5 of these and they do the job.

If rack space is an issue these will fit a full atx mobo and you can use a PCI express riser with one slot on them no problem.

Cons: Fans are Extremely Loud. If you're rackmounting your cases chances are this is not important as it's in a data center somewhere and no one can hear it.

Pros: Well designed, sturdy case capable of handling ATX and eATX motherboards. Rolled edges on the chassis keep your cables from getting torn up as well as your fingers. The case cover slides on and off with relative ease.

Cons: The fan array PCB is flimsy and could have been supported better. The 5.25" bay could have been designed a bit better too. As it is, you have to pull out the 3.5" to 5.25" caddy and peel off the thin snap rail to use it on a CD drive. If you don't do this carefully, you'll ruin the little rail. The holes on the front don't line up with square hole racks, either.

Other Thoughts: The cons mentioned above are the only reason this case doesn't get five eggs. I've bought three of these so far.