Norco Mini-ITX Form Computer Server Storage Case Support 8 X Hot Swap Drive Trays

This review is entirely about the product, regardless of the major issues I had with the seller.EDIT: Updating my review to reflect hard changes and other thoughts.Hardware Configuration:FSP Group Mini ITX Solution / Flex ATX 80 Plus Platinum 500W Power SupplyASRock E3C246D2I Workstation MotherboardIntel Xeon E-2186G w/ Dynatron K630 CPU Cooler (7000 rpm 2U CPU cooler)Nemix 32GB ECC Unbuffered DDR4 RAMLSI Broadcom SAS 9300-8i 8-port 12Gb/s SATA+SAS PCI-Express 3.08 x 10TB Seagate IronWolf NAS HDDsCorsair Force GT 120GB SSD2 X 10Gtek Internal Mini SAS HD SFF-8643 to Mini SAS SFF-8087 Cable2 x 80mm SuperMicro 9500rpm case fans.Note: With the power supply, ensure it's the right size. I got a 1U Single ATX as it says in the description and it was too large. The Mini ITX/Flex ATX power supply I listed worked well.What I like about it:Small form factor fits very nicely on my desk and is very attractive looking. I plan on putting into a server cabinet later on, but it holds very well appeal.The build quality is very good. The front is a little flimsy due to its plastic nature but just be careful. The lock is barely even a lock. It's just for false security and appeal really, but I don't care about that.The drives mounted in very nicely, easily, and securely. I filled up all 8 drive bays, just don't be like me and forget to put the screws in the sides, as it makes it difficult to pull the drives out.The case came preinstalled with 2 80mm PWM 4000rpm fans, this was what the bios showed me. It runs decently cool. CPU runs between 65-70C on full load, all 8 drives are sitting at roughly 35-40C.Surprisingly, except for the initial 5 seconds after boot, it runs really quiet for something in its class.What I feel could be improved:I don't really feel there were any cons to the case, except lack of any instructions. However, it is very much common sense to work with it. So better instructions would help.Cooling and airflow are very limited in this case, which is why I added the high-performance fans. My CPU cooler hits 7000rpm and still ends up reaching peak temps of 90C. Although in most cases the CPU cooler cools it down pretty quick. The two high powered fans are helping keep my drives and motherboard a lot cooler.The Molex cables are in a bad spot that blocks fans that are thicker than the stock fans. The fans I put in barely fit because of that.Other thoughts:There are a LOT of screws, keep track of those, I'm still stepping on them on my carpet. The case can be broken down pretty far which made installing everything a lot easier. It can be tedious though.I'm running FreeBSD 12.0-STABLE with a RAIDZ-2 ZFS system and the Corsair Force for the OS.Enjoy the pictures.

Got it today and installed it today.A few minor things to be aware of...It does have 2 male SAS connectors and 2 old-style Molex HDD power connectors on the backplane. The SAS connectors each serve 4 slots but both power connectors feed all 8 slots. The clearance between the fans and the backplane is a little tight so the HDD Molex connectors, which are mounted facing the back, are a little hard to get in. The SAS connectors are mounted facing the side to there's plenty of clearance thereThe unit comes with screws for mounting 3.5" HDDs. If you plan on mounting 2.5" SSDs on the trays, the holes are there but you'll need to stock up on M3 screws.

liked the case smallish foot print for small areas with the ability for large storage with is 8 drive tray cage however don't count on the front USB 2 and USB 3 port to work properly not sure what is up with that since by now USB 2 now pretty much has a standard for wiring configuration and USB three is a Standard with its plug to motherboard but all my USB flash drive will not work in those ports and yet they work just fine on the on board USB 2 and 3 ports on the Motherboard. it was a let down but not a deal breaker since most of the time it will only be a headless server in the closet

You can read all about this case here and look at all the pictures:jaimenow.blogspot.com/p/norco-itx.html

Love the size, didn't try using the fans that came with it, but if you're going to run 8 drives all at the same time (like a raid) I would suggest getting some pretty powerful PWM fans (4 pin header) that can do 4000 rpms or more. I put in some 2000 rpm fans and my drives went all the way up to 50C before I turned it off. Keep in mind that using 2x 80mm fans at high speeds make a fair bit of noise. So don't expect this to be the most quiet build, though with the right fans it can be livable, just not whisper quiet.

This is my second unit. It is configured with Gigabyte Z370N WiFi mini-ITX board, LSI 8-port SATA PCI-Ex controller, I5 8th Gen. CPU, 16GB RAM, and Intel Optane 32GB SSD. Running FreeNAS LINUX as RAID operating system with some plug-ins to do multi-media streaming to my local network. Ordered two mini SAS cables to connect LSI controller to the hard drive enclosure (ASIN: B00NOEY3OS ). Also ordered a pair of Noctua fans which seem to be slightly quieter than the supplied chassis fans.

Great Seller. Norco answered questions quickly Via email. NOTE: This case has a SAS input on the HD backplane. You will need a controller card with a SAS output. Norco has a reverse breakout cable they recommended after I asked "if they have a case like this that has SATA connectins on its back plane". So I ordered the cable for SATA to SAS connections but I have tried a similar cable in the past but it didn't work. I'm hopping Norco's cable for only $9.00 is different in some ways and works otherwise it a $170.00 Internal SAS controller card.

Fits all my components perfectly. Very pleased.