1. Hard Drive Shipping Case
2. 16 Hard Drive Case Black
3. 16 Hard Drive Case Holder
4. External Hard Drive Enclosure

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UGREEN Hard Drive Case 2.5 External Protective Shockproof EVA Power Bank Storage Bag 8.4 7.9 8.5 7: 3.5' USB 3.0 SATA SSD Hard Drive External Enclosure HDD Mobile Disk Box 8.0 7.5. I took a Dremel and cut a hole in top of one and bottom of another, fired up the mig and spot welded 2 cases together. 2 $20 cases with 9 5.25 bays. Using those with 4 of those 3bay to 4 3.5' converter thingys, 16 HDDs with a fan in front of them., and 2 5.25' ports open for more crazy ideas.

Most of the mid-tower to full-tower ATX computer cases in the market offer a sufficient number of bays for normal storage needs. However, if you want to build a home server, NAS server, backup server or media server then you need a case that can accommodate a lot of hard drives, preferably 10 drives or more. Also, if you are a professional who is into video editing, sound editing and works with a huge amount of raw data then having a case with lots of hard drive bays can come very handy as you can easily expand the storage capacity of your PC or workstation by adding more hard drives. So, if you are looking for such cases that come with 8 to 10+ HDD cages or bays then here I am going to list some of the best ones out there in the market right now. These are non-server chassis and are standard ATX PC cases that also have good airflow so that your hard drives / SSDs and other components remain cool during continuous operation under heavy loads. Also, some of these PC cases do come with hot-swappable drive bays or cages for easy access to the drives.

Best SFF Cases for NAS

Here are some of the small form factor cases that come with a greater number of drive bays. These compact cases are great for building a home NAS server or compact workstation.

SilverStone CS381 Micro-ATX Case

[Supports 12 Drive Bays, Hot Swap Drive Bays, Door Lock]

SilverStone CS381 is a compact High-Performance NAS Chassis that comes with some extra features. This is only a 30-liter chassis that supports Micro-ATX, Mini-DTX and Mini-ITX motherboards and up to 12 hard drives. The case comes with 8 hot-swappable 3.5-inch drive bays that support both SATA and SAS drives. Also, it can support four 2.5-inch drives. For airflow, the case has got metal mesh panel at the front and comes with two 120mm fans with dual ball bearings pre-installed at the rear. Optionally, it also allows you to install two 120mm fans or three 80mm fans at the side too. The front I/O panel consists of a power button, audio ports, two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports and two LED indicators that report the case and drive status. The front door can be locked along with the power button with a special key that comes with the case for added security, even though it supports Kensington lock too.

The case supports CPU cooler up to 59mm in height which means you have to use a low-profile CPU cooler or an AIO (up to 240mm radiator) with it. It can accommodate graphics cards or high-end RAID cards up to 267mm in length and supports SFX or SFX-L power supply only. The case can be placed both horizontally and vertically, based on your choice or requirements. The build quality of the case is good but it is a little bit on the pricier side. So, if you are looking for a high-quality NAS case that comes with additional security features and offers great performance then this is the one for you.

SilverStone DS380 Mini-ITX Case

[Supports 12 Drives, Hot-Swappable 3.5” drives, Lockable Front Door]

Hard Drive Shipping Case

Here we another small form factor NAS ready case from SilverStone but this only supports Mini-ITX and Mini-DTX motherboards. Like the above SilverStone CS381 NAS case, this one also supports eight 3.5” SAS / SATA hot-swappable drives and four fixed 2.5” drives. Also, it comes with the lockable front door using the included special key, and a power button lock for added security. For airflow, the case comes with two 120mm fans at the left side that work as intake fans and blow fresh air directly onto the 3.5-inch hard drives. A 120mm rear fan is also included that works as an exhaust fan.

The clearance for CPU cooler is 57mm and for graphics cards or expansion cards, it is 279mm for length and 111mm for width. It only supports SFX or SFX-L power supply that you have to buy separately. Other features include magnetic dust filters and Kensington lock. The case is cheaper than the above mentioned SilverStone CS381 and is great for building a compact NAS server for your home or office. The exact model number of the case is SST-DS380B.

Fractal Design Node 804 Micro-ATX Cube Case

[Supports up to Ten 3.5” Drives, Great Room & Airflow]

When it comes to computer cases then Fractal Design is one of the best manufacturers around. Here we have Fractal Design Node 804, which is a micro-ATX Cube Case that may seem small but has enough room to fill almost all the high-end components. The case can support up to ten 3.5-inch drives and up to four 2.5-inch drives. The case offers good airflow and you can mount up to ten fans; four 120mm fans at the front, four 120mm/140mm at top and two 120mm fans at rear. Three Fractal Design 120mm Silent Series R2 fan comes included with the case along with a fan controller. The front panel includes two USB 3.0 ports, audio ports, and one slim slot-in optical drive bay.

The build quality of the case is solid and it can support CPU coolers up to 160mm in height, graphics cards up to 320mm in length, up to 240mm radiator and ATX power supply. The case features a transparent left side panel and has got removable dust filters for all intake fans including the PSU fan. Overall a high-quality case, which can be used to build as NAS or a relatively powerful workstation.

Other Similar Options for SFF NAS Case

• Norco ITX-S8 Mini-ITX Case – Supports 8 hot-swappable SAS 6G or SATA III drives and one 2.5” drive.

Mid Tower Case

Here are some of the best mid-tower cases that support a decent number of hard drives and can be used for building a NAS, Server or Workstation.

SilverStone TJ04-EW Mid-Tower Case

A pretty solid mid-tower case from SilverStone that can accommodate up to nine 3.5-inch drive and up to six 2.5-inch drive. The case features an innovative hard drive cooler, which is basically a heatsink that attaches to the hard drive bay assembly. It also supports four 5.25-inch for more expansion. For airflow, it comes with a 120mm exhaust fan at the rear and a 120mm intake fan at the right side of the case. You can also install more fans if you want to increase the airflow and cooling performance. The front I/O ports include two USB 3.0 ports and audio ports.

The case has CPU Cooler clearance of 168mm, which means you can fit most of the tower cooler in it. The graphics card length supported is up to 431mm. The case supports standard ATX PSU and up to 240mm radiator for AIO liquid cooling. The case includes two custom SATA cable and offers a decent amount of cable routing & management. Other features include a large transparent side window panel and easy access removable dust filters for intake fans. Overall, a simple, effective and no-nonsense case for building a professional workstation, server or maybe a NAS unit.

Fractal Design Define R5 Case

[Silent Case, Good Water Cooling support]

Fractal Design Define R5 is a silent case for building a quiet PC for work or gaming. The case offers a ton of room for all the high-end components including high-end graphics cards and bigger radiators. It can fit eight 3.5-inch hard drives, two 2.5-inch drives and has got two 5.25-inch bays. For airflow, you can install up to nine fans, and two 140mm Fractal Design Dynamic GP-14 fans come pre-installed, one at the front and one at the rear. The top of the front panel comes with two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, power & HDD LEDs and audio ports. A three-speed fan controller is also integrated on the front panel for changing the fan speed manually. For quiet operation, the case comes with sound dampening material installed at the front and other panels.

The case supports 180mm tall CPU coolers, up to 440mm long graphics card and can up to 420mm radiator for AIO Liquid Coolers. The build quality of the case is very good and it has got dust filters at the front and bottom. Also, the cable routing on this case is pretty good for an uncluttered layout. There is a quick release system on the left side of the case that allows quick and easy access to the components. Overall, a classy looking solid and high-quality case that supports a good number of drives and is great for building a silent workstation.

SilverStone CS380 Mid-Tower Case

16 Hard Drive Case Black

[Dedicated HDD Cooling, Hot-Swap HDD drives, Front Door Lock]

SilverStone CS380 is a NAS or Server grade compact Mid-Tower case that comes with a good number of features. The case supports eight 3.5-inch SAS/SATA hot-swappable drives and two 5.25-inch drive. The 3.5-inch hard drives are cooled down by two 120mm fans located at the side of the case that also functions as intake fans. A rear 120mm fan is also provided that functions as an exhaust fan. The case has a lockable front door and lockable power button for extra security. The front I/O ports include two USB 3.0 and audio ports. On the front, the LED indicator is also present to notify the hard drive activity.

This is a classy looking case with clever styling and has pretty good build quality. It can support CPU coolers up to 146mm tall and graphics card or expansion cards that are up to 241mm long. Frankly, the case is not water cooling ready but somehow, you can put a 120mm radiator, replacing the fan at the rear. The case includes filters for side and bottom to keep the dust from getting inside. Overall, an affordable and very usable mid-tower case for NAS, compact workstation or server use.

16 Hard Drive Case Holder

Antec P101 Silent Mid-Tower Case

[Quiet, Great Quality, Value for Money, 11 Drives Support, Spacious]

A high-quality silent computer case that supports up to 11 drives and offers the best value for your money. It is a spacious mid-tower case that supports up to E-ATX motherboard and comes with all the essential features and goodies. The case is roomy and can support eight 3.5”/2.5” drives, two 2.5” drives, and a 5.25” drive, where you can also fit a 3.5”/2.5” drive. For cooling, the case comes pre-installed with two 140mm fans in the front and one 140mm fan at the rear. The fan speed can be controlled using the in-built fan speed controller inside the case.

The case has a swing-open front panel that opens up like a door for easy access. For noise reduction, the case front and side panels are fitted with sound dampening foam. The front I/O ports include two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio ports, and a fan speed controller switch (high/stop/low). The front USB ports are illuminated with White LED that lets you spot them easily in dark or low lighting conditions.

The case can support up to 450mm long graphics cards (270mm with HDD tray), 180mm tall CPU Cooler, up to 360mm Radiator, and up to 290mm ATX PSU. It is a good-looking case, and other features include removable dust filters (front/rear), cable management, and tool-less drive installation. Overall, an excellent case for building a silent workstation or server and is also very affordable.

Full Tower and Super Tower Cases for NAS/Server

Full Tower and Super Tower Cases can be a little too big for server use for some of the users. However, if you still want to go with them, then here are some big ATX cases that support a good number of hard drives.

Full Tower Cases

Super Tower Cases

See also:

Final Words

External Hard Drive Enclosure

So, if you are looking for an ATX case with lots of hard drive bays to build a NAS server, backup server or a workstation then you can pick any of the above mentioned ATX cases, based on your specific requirements (that generally include form factor and features). Some cases come with hot-swappable drive bays, some are silent, some are compact while some have dedicated cooling over the hard drives. These cases are generally meant for professional use and not for gaming as such. If you have any queries regarding the topic or the case then please ask me in the comment section below.