Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!noao!ncar!ico!rcd
From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Larger than usual computer cases
Summary: Monolithic Systems?  (maybe)
Message-ID: <1990Aug30.034359.3085@ico.isc.com>
Date: 30 Aug 90 03:43:59 GMT
References: <88@rsoft.bc.ca>
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 51

frank@rsoft.bc.ca (Frank I. Reiter) asks about cases to hold more than the
usual complement of drives...

> While it is possible to mount hard drives outside of the main computer case
> I'd much rather not.  Can anyone point me to a source for tower cases that
> have more than 6 half height drive bays?...

I've got a clue, but I'm posting rather than emailing to him because I
think it may take a little digging to get to something useful.  Monolithic
Systems, in Englewood, CO, shows a "system platform" which is essentially
the sort of box Reiter is looking for, with a power supply and high-end
motherboard.  I *think*, from the one time I talked to them, that they also
sell the case and power supply without the board.

The case takes ten half-height bays.  It's a tower with the bays one above
the other, so you can use whatever combination of half and full height you
want.  Up to six of the bays can be open to the outside.  It will also take
a motherboard with up to 14 slots (which will guarantee you run out of
interrupt vectors before you run out of slots:-).

> Should one also be looking for a larger power supply for a system like this?

They seem to think so; they use a 450-watt supply.  (For comparison,
regular AT boxen are 200 or a little more; towers tend to have 220-230 min
and up from there.  450 is a lot.)

Since your goal for a larger box is more drives, I wouldn't skimp on power.
If you use SCSI drives, at least some of them power-sequence themselves;
that's a consideration since it's the start-up power requirement that's the
most demanding.  But you really need to check the specs for the particular
drives you're going to use.  Add up the starting power for all the drives,
add the board requirements, add some for expansion, add some more to be
conservative.

Now, the downside on MSC:  They're a manufacturer, not an end-user vendor.
I don't know who's selling their boards, and I've not had much luck trying
to work with them or get much info out of them, beyond the glossies I got
at a local expo a couple months ago.  (You're welcome to chase them if you
have the urge...Monolithic Systems Corp, 7050 So. Tucson Way, Englewood, CO
80112, 800-525-7661 or 303-790-7400.  Tell 'em you heard about 'em on
USENET.:-)  They have some other interesting boards.  They may be kind of
expensive, from what I could guess.

As you can tell, I have no connection to them; I'm not even a "satisfied
customer" or anything like that.  I just saw some of their stuff and
thought it might give Frank Reiter, and others, a chance of a place to
start looking for what they need.  Maybe some other netfolk have run across
places that resell MSC?
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   ...I'm not cynical - just experienced.