PC Cases with Side or Top Mounted Drive Bays?

Coplan asks: "I'm a computer musician, and I have a couple of those drive-bay interfaces in my computer. While it is nice to have such cables and ports easily accessible, they can easily get in the way on the front of your case. Ideally, the ultimate case would be one where there were drivebays on the sides or the top of the case for this purpose (or even a special shaped case). I'm not into modifying my cases with dremel tools and the like, but I havn't exactly found a commercially available solution either. I believe that someone in the slashdot community might have similar needs, and might have found such a solution. Does anyone have any recommendations?"

Comments

Computer Musician

[Hank Reardon]

Being a keyboardist myself, I understand the problems with finding computer cases for my gig kit.

After searching in vain, I finally gave up and bought a rack mount case. Supermicro has a nice 2u case that has 6 (six!!!) spaces on the front for removable HD chassis.

There are pleanty of SCSI removable chassis for $25 or less, and a couple of solutions for ATA drives. I'm using a SCSI system myself, but the new ABIT board with the over abundance of ATA interfaces (something on the order of 14 devices IIRC) would probably be a good match.

The only drawback is the lack of ports on the front. I fixed this by making a 1u plate out of annodized aluminum with all of the jacks that I'd need on the front.

This all sits in a nice anvil-like case that I built out of MDF and carpeted. There's a trunk-like spot in the top that holds my 15" LCD, keyboard and trackball.

I don't use the computer too much for gigging, but when I'm recording with the band, it comes in handy.

Good luck!