Recommend a server case

[moocow]

I may be getting a 3ware RAID card for free and thinking about building a VM server using ESXi. Is there any benefits of using a 4U case over a regular ATX case with 8+ HDD slot and plenty of fans? I'm not looking into hot swapping drives.

[Caldezar]

The simplest answer is "layering and expansion". The whole point of a rackmount is that individual portions can be added/removed/replaced without effecting the unit on a whole. If your intent is to run a small home server that will likely have the same/similar hardware for years, then a rackmount is likely a waste of money and space. However, if your thoughts are leaning towards a larger scale project or global domination, then rackmount may be the way to go.

[Arinoth]

I am currently using this http://ncix.com/products/?sku=48398&...nologies%20Inc. for my server case as it offers me quite a bit of hard drive space for my home server. Unfortunately it appears to be on back order....