The Ultimate Linux Box: A Case Study

Source: Linux Journal

Once again, it's time to consider how to build the Ultimate Linux Box. This time we're going to do things a bit differently: I'm going to analyze one element at a time, write a web article on it, take readers' feedback from that, add the next component and so on, until we've built the entire box together. A little open-source project, if you will.

This year the idea is to build a multimedia workstation. We want a dual-head video card, professional quality USB sound, the latest in serial ATA RAID storage, a DVD recorder, some serious horsepower to drive it all and, of course, a nice case.

So, let's get down to cases. For this sort of project we want a case that can hold as many ATA drives as possible, for future expansion, but that is still something approaching a normal size. It also should have good cooling, because all that hardware will tend to get rather warm. I looked at three different mid-tower cases: the Chenming ATX-601AW, the Thermaltake Xaser III V1000A and the Lian Li PC-65B.

The Chenming is a rakish looking thing, available in several different colors of anodized aluminum. It has four 80mm fans--two in the front and two in the back--four 5.25" bays and six 3.5" bays, the lower four positions being internal-only. The external bays are concealed by a hinged plastic cover. The side panel is unique in that it is not held into position with thumb screws; instead, it locks into place with a key. (I'm not sure this is an advantage for tinkerers who are apt to lose their keys.) The fixed motherboard tray accommodates the extended-ATX-size motherboards (12 x 13), although the largish bar across the open end of the case (an artifact of its being all-aluminum) is going to make getting the motherboard in and out rather interesting. On the other hand, getting 5.25" devices in and out is a breeze. No having to pop the front bezel; simply unplug from the back, then unclip and pull. No problem. Street price: $85.99.

The Thermaltake is the giant of the group, nearly 21" tall. It sports, among its other accents, a blue Thermaltake logo that lights up when the machine is powered on. Both the front and side covers lock, which is good for the security-conscious. The front panel has a built-in Hardcano 7 display, which has a Firewire port, two USB sockets, a temperature readout and a fan speed control for the seven fans. As for fans, there are two each in the front, side and rear, a seventh one in the top. Twelve drive bays lurk under the cover, with the usual four-and-two accessible from outside. This cavern of a case takes the E-ATX motherboards with room to spare. It's almost completely tool-less inside, from the drive bays to the PC card holders. The drive and card holders are plastic, however; having shipped a lot of Linux machines in a previous incarnation, I'm a little dubious as to how well that would stand up under shipping. It lists for $169.99.