I'm thinking about renting a half of a rack. However, I don't like those Unit rack server cases.

Anyone know how many mid towers can fit in a standard half rack?

depending on the width of the rack. Rack comes with 2 different width sizes, 19" and 23". I think most NOC use the 19" standard industrial rack. The width of ordinary mid/mini/full tower case is about 7.5"-9" (too bad, I haven't seen a mid/mini/full tower with less than 7" wide) which mean you can put 2 mini/mid/full towers on a row. The height of a mini/mid/full tower varries a lot... But the height of a standard rackmount is about 42U=73.5" tall (each U is 1.75" tall), so you can do the math. But remember, for one reasons or another (e.g. you need to put switches, etc on the rack to), the effective height of a rack can be only around 38U-40U.

So let's say half rack is about 20U (35" tall), then using the 19" wide rack, you may only be able to put about 4 mid/mini towers in that half rack (assuming the height of your mid/mini towers is about 10"). If this is the case, then you might want to consider having a desktop with 4U size (7" in height) so that you can have about 5 of these on a half rack.

Also Some racks (e.g. inside VDI) are only 34" tall (may have less effective height also). So less servers for this kind of rack. BTW, anybody knows why VDI's rack is only 34" tall?

Some NOCs do have 23" wide rack, which mean you can put about 3 mini/mid/full towers on a row... So, you can put an extra 2 mid/mini tower (for a total of 6) for a half rack. I think these figures might be quite right since I have seen a rack holding about 12 mini/mid towers.

Anyway, that's why most NOC like to have standard rackmount servers since it is cheaper (more cost efficient) for them to put these servers on their rack (a full rack can have 40 1U servers!). The differencen between a standar rackmount case with the ordinary PC case (desktop or mini/min/full tower) can be as little as $125-$150 for each case. So in the long run, it might be cheaper for you to have rackmount cases...

Having said all these, building a rackmount enclosuser server is more difficult that building a standar PC enclosure server, but once you get used to it... it's easy...

Good luck.

cheers,
:beer:

check out www.rackmountpro.com they're specialist in rackmount cases

check out www.rackmountpro.com they're specialist in rackmount cases

Hey, drhonk! Registering the name "rackmountpro.com", does not make them pro's. They are reselling Chenbro cases, with low-end integrations. This is a subsidiary branch of Yang Ming distributions corp. that spent months not making any money at all. It is a bunch of PC clone guys with a job thrust on them!
Talk to your boss, bubba. He knows me, and knows I am speaking the truth. Inexpensive, yes. Affordable, yes. High-End, no. Professionals, no. How many on-site installations have they done??:rolleyes: Post us a list of referral companies, and contacts. :bawling: Come on, man! There are a lot of good folks in here trying to get decent, solid info. If you are going to SPAM us, then SPAM us, I can accept that. Please don't come in here peddling information you know to be false, in the hopes that a fish will bite the baited hook.
This is also for my own good! I don't want to have to spend 16 days in the Hardware & Technical Issues section of WHT trying to help someone get that unit into production. :eek:

I'm sorry if I gave a wrong information,

I'm just a consumer... I don't even work for that company .. and don't have any kind of affiliation with them. I bought few rackmount cases from them .. because they have a lot of different choices. I don't really care if they reselling chenbro or not. Plus they are local to me... it's easier for me.

I'm just trying to help here...

Originally posted by IPC PRO


Hey, drhonk! Registering the name "rackmountpro.com", does not make them pro's. They are reselling Chenbro cases, with low-end integrations. This is a subsidiary branch of Yang Ming distributions corp. that spent months not making any money at all. It is a bunch of PC clone guys with a job thrust on them!
Talk to your boss, bubba. He knows me, and knows I am speaking the truth. Inexpensive, yes. Affordable, yes. High-End, no. Professionals, no. How many on-site installations have they done??:rolleyes: Post us a list of referral companies, and contacts. :bawling: Come on, man! There are a lot of good folks in here trying to get decent, solid info. If you are going to SPAM us, then SPAM us, I can accept that. Please don't come in here peddling information you know to be false, in the hopes that a fish will bite the baited hook.
This is also for my own good! I don't want to have to spend 16 days in the Hardware & Technical Issues section of WHT trying to help someone get that unit into production. :eek:
Well, are we upset today or what ?

I was just about to suggest this case http://rackmountpro.com/productpage.cfm?prodid=345 I actually have a couple of those and they are great if you don't like the confinements of a small case

I use rackmounpro myself, and I have to say, those guys are actually very nice, and a pleasere to deal with

Does it mean I am afiliated with them ? nope