Discussion of 5-in-3 Drive Cages

Do you already have the Supermicro 5-in-3s?  If not, I suggest the Norco SS-500 instead as it is both cheaper and a bit better quality.  I will soon be building a server for a client using these cages and the Azza 910 case.  I can't yet confirm that they work, but I have no doubts that they will.

Can you provide more information or point to another thread with reasons on why the Norco SS-500 are better quality.

I have 4 of the Supermicro's and I'm happy with them. I think they are solid and I like the ability to replace (or remove) the fan without having to remove the cage.

I'm a supermicro fanboy, convince me... LOL!

Can you provide more information or point to another thread with reasons on why the Norco SS-500 are better quality.

I have 4 of the Supermicro's and I'm happy with them. I think they are solid and I like the ability to replace (or remove) the fan without having to remove the cage.

I'm a supermicro fanboy, convince me... LOL!

I"m pretty happy with the SuperMicros too.  One thing I particularly like is the 92mm fans.  Although not as good as a 120mm, 92mm is a sizable step up from 80mm IMO.

Check the greenleaf site, fellow mods

Great review and very informative!

But as a SM owner, I have a few comments on the review that I feel important to mention:

1 - I have not had issues with the SuperMicros width. I guess it affects some cases, but not others.  I also have not had issues with binding when sliding the drives in and out.  To me the design is tank-like and cannot be compressed side to side without crushing force.  Hard to fault the build quality IMO.

2 - The review does not highlight the fact that the SMs use a 92mm fan vs 80mm for the other two.  This is huge IMO.  My server lives in the basement and the fans that come with the SM are not too noisy for my use, but they are certainly not silent.  But the ability to cool the drives in a warm environment would be enhanced by the larger fan.  I think that should be mentioned.  80 vs 92 doesn't sound like much, but neither does 2.5" to 3.5" hard disks!  Larger fan means more air moving at slower RPMs.

3 - The thing I dislike the most about the SM is the tiny / proprietary screws you have to use to mount the drives in the trays.  I have a special place I keep them to avoid getting them mixed in with the general popluation.  Not sure if the other brands are similar.  This is a minor quibble but annoys me.  YMMV

4 - I am curious why you rate airflow good for SM and excellent for Norco.  It is because of ability to block off slots in Norco?  If so I understand, but do think it is misleading.  Given that the SM has a larger fan, it has the potential to create significantly better airflow than either of the other cages.  Obviously airflow is most important when all slots are populated with 7200 RPM drives.  For this application I'd have to recommend the SM.

5 - Your final comment about the screws touching the drives on the Norco would be very concerning to me.  Excessive scratching can void your drive warranty, but I am more concerned about the screws touching the bottom of the drives where the circuitry is located.  This issue should be in bold letters so that users don't accidently short out their drives in these cages!

Once you buy one of these cages, you are somewhat stuck with that brand as you add more.  Mixing them would look like crap.  If I were starting out I would consider the Norcos due to cheaper price and your positive impressions.  But I do think you have to give the nod to the SM for better cooling potential and vastly simpler fan replacement.  Having to completely remove the Norcos from the case and disassemble the cage to stop a squealing fan would be a PITA.  For this reason, would definitely recommend excellent quality ball-bearing (or better) 80mm fans for the Norco.

http://www.greenleaf-technology.com/Blogs/BlogSoftwareAndHardware/index.php

That did not take you long to find.

Thanks for your comments bjp999!  Would you mind copying them on the greenleaf site as well?  There's a 'comments' link at the very bottom of the review.  I'm sure others would benefit from your thoughts as well.

Here's my responses (which I'll also copy to the greenleaf site):

1) With which case do you use the SM cages?  I've used them in CM 590s and Antec 902s and in both cases the cages had to be forced into the case, they did not slide in nicely like the IcyDock and Norco cages did (this is after flattening the 5.25" bay tabs of course).  Since the drive trays in these builds were also a bit stiff to insert and remove, I took that to be a design flaw on the part of SM.  Perhaps the cages are designed to be run in only Supermicro cases?

2) Very true, that is a point I neglected.  I'll add that.

3) Agreed, though all three drive cage models have annoyingly small screws.  I do believe the SM are the smallest and proprietary as you said, so they would be the hardest to replace.

4) Yes, it is because you can block off slots in the Norco.  I believe this makes a big difference when you are running the cages at less than capacity.  Another point is that the Norco drive cages have the largest airflow slots of any of the cages.  As far as I've seen, the smaller 80mm fan is more than adequate to cool 5 green drives.  I have not tried it with 7200 rpm drives as all my clients tend to prefer green drives.  I'm inclined to agree with you that a larger fan (or at least a fan with better CFMs) would be more appropriate for 7200 rpm drives, though I believe you could also solve this by planning your case's airflow carefully (creating negative pressure inside the case) and using the Norco's stock fans.

5) I understand, that is a valid concern.  I'm now using the Norco cages in an Antec 902 in one client build, and over the next few days I'll be building another using the Norco cages and the Azza Helios 910 case.  In the Antec 902 I've found the screws not to be an issue - they do penetrate a small amount into the drive chamber, but not far enough to actually touch the drive.  I don't know yet about the Azza case, but I'll report back when I do.  I believe the screw-touching issue I noted in the review was a consequence of using the drive cages with the Lian Li case (which has thinner than normal 5.25" bay walls).

That was an interesting and sort of biased view.

Perhaps a chart showing valid points and comparing them.

As far as air flow and blockage, there is no mention that the Supermicro's come with a spacer for all positions to insure structural integrity and blocked air flow.

The screws are not proprietary. they are less common, but they can be sourced.

In comparison, screws as in my ReadyNAS had to be sourced from the vendor.

Additional screws for the Supermicro can be sourced from other vendors.

I'm not fond of the smaller screws, but they also do not usually lead to binding during insertion.

As far as the binding during installation, They are tight, but it also depends on your case.

If you have to mod the case to fit them, there is no guarantee other items will fit 100%.

In my Supermicro case and my Coolermaster stacker they slid in very easily. No binding.

I also think easy fan replacement is a very relevant factor

in addition,

1. An alarm for the fan

2. The ability to disable the alarm.

3. The ability to remove the fan totally and use exhaust methodology

4. The ability to run a third party fan from the motherboard so it can be monitored or adjusted.

CONS.

As far as stock fans too loud. Yes big time.

I replaced them, or I could have gone with a fan controller. It was easier to replace them.

Size. Depth of them just seems to be too big, but then again. Easy fan replacement weighs highly in my world.

Remove the side. pull off the housing, replace. All while the server is still running. Big plus in my view.

Not sure of this is a Con or a Pro.

Flimsy drive carrier.

It's aluminum on the sides, there is no bottom tray so all of the cooling goes over the whole drive top and bottom.

The only time this unit is flimsy is if there is no drive nor any spacer. If it's properly maintained with either it's sturdy enough.

I've found the ICY Dock mounts to be annoying with the side mounts as the sides can come out of the front mount and are not sturdy until you screw the drive in. Then again, it could just be my older unit.

Drive insertion. I've never had an issue with the supermicro's and I've worked with loads of these.

Plus you have years of compatibility with many of the supermicro chassis.

The Supermicro is for a higher end always on always functioning system. It's a production server class product.

Where I think the ICY Docks make sense is if you can get one of the single unit USB/ESATA units so that individual drives can be accessed in other machines. This is one reason I almost went with them.

Since I have a couple Supermicro workstation/servers, I went that way.

I think the blog post paints the Supermicro's poorly when in fact they are a high quality server class product and that should be pointed out.

I agree with the review of the SM and the Icy Docks.  His review wasn't biased, its his opinion, but he isn't working for one of the companies. 

Never used norco so can't comment on it.

One thing more, the icy dock is lighter.

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

I agree with the review of the SM and the Icy Docks.  His review wasn't biased, its his opinion, but he isn't working for one of the companies. 

Never used norco so can't comment on it.

One thing more, the icy dock is lighter.

 

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

You agree with the review or the conclusion?

Just a few items here from a Canuck's perspective. In reviewing forums and working on my two servers for the past few months, I have done a lot of research on these drive cages. Add to that I am a hardware nut for my gaming systems, and, well, you have a expensive hobby I guess.

First off, thanks to all you guys for all the info and reviews! Great source of info.

Up here in Canada, getting product can be a real PITA. The Icy Dock 5x3 are not to available, the 4x3 trayless though seem to be popular. I am not sure about the US model, but the CA model of the Norco SS unit here also has a 92mm fan. It is in stock at NCIX, but "deactivated" at Newegg.ca, which doesn't look good for new stock. The SM though seems to be quite readily available. Hence, when it comes to a cage, all the "technical" aspects play a part, but sometimes it just comes down to what you can get.

Checked Ebay and such is also a pain, as a lot of sellers in the US won't ship to Canada, or they want $40 US to ship a $100 cage. Little rich for me.

So in the end, I went with the SM models, they were overall rated as a decent unit, but more, I could get them and not pay out the wazzu for shipping.

And... I am going to replace the fans.

Cheers,

Shawn

I concur, if the others aren't available then the SM's are a good choice.

I agree with the review of the SM and the Icy Docks.  His review wasn't biased, its his opinion, but he isn't working for one of the companies.  

Never used norco so can't comment on it.

One thing more, the icy dock is lighter.

 

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

 

You agree with the review or the conclusion?

I agree that the SM don't fit most cases without jumping on them.  I like the Icy Docks because for the same price I get a rack that works right out of the box, is shorter so fits in smaller cases and is lighter by a good deal.  The drives slide gently into them, no hanging up.  The handle feels secure.   I'd like to see these improvements in the Icy Dock.  It would be nice to be able to block the empty slots.  And screwing the tray onto the drive is a little awkward.  I'd like to see an external on/off switch for the fan on the 5-in-3.

Thanks for your comments bjp999!  Would you mind copying them on the greenleaf site as well?  There's a 'comments' link at the very bottom of the review.  I'm sure others would benefit from your thoughts as well.

Okay to link this thread?

Here's my responses (which I'll also copy to the greenleaf site):

 

1) With which case do you use the SM cages?  I've used them in CM 590s and Antec 902s and in both cases the cages had to be forced into the case, they did not slide in nicely like the IcyDock and Norco cages did (this is after flattening the 5.25" bay tabs of course).  Since the drive trays in these builds were also a bit stiff to insert and remove, I took that to be a design flaw on the part of SM.  Perhaps the cages are designed to be run in only Supermicro cases?

I have run them in an older SuperMicro case and in my new Rebel12.  The older SuperMicro had extremely stiff drive supports, and this cage did not have room to spare.  But it did slide in without excessive force.  I have no trouble with the thinner metal on the Rebel12.

2) Very true, that is a point I neglected.  I'll add that.

Thanks!

3) Agreed, though all three drive cage models have annoyingly small screws.  I do believe the SM are the smallest and proprietary as you said, so they would be the hardest to replace.

 

4) Yes, it is because you can block off slots in the Norco.  I believe this makes a big difference when you are running the cages at less than capacity.  Another point is that the Norco drive cages have the largest airflow slots of any of the cages.  As far as I've seen, the smaller 80mm fan is more than adequate to cool 5 green drives.  I have not tried it with 7200 rpm drives as all my clients tend to prefer green drives.  I'm inclined to agree with you that a larger fan (or at least a fan with better CFMs) would be more appropriate for 7200 rpm drives, though I believe you could also solve this by planning your case's airflow carefully (creating negative pressure inside the case) and using the Norco's stock fans.

The SMs keep cages full of 7200 RPM drives about 10C over ambient during a parity check with the stock fans.  This is with a lot of case cooling.  In my new rig temps are more like 15C over ambient with only one quiet 120mm fan + PSU exhausting.  I may add another 120mm exhaust fan for summer use if temps get into the upper 30s.

80mm fans can cool almost as well as 92mm.  Just takes faster RPMS and they wear out quicker.  I have gone through more 80mm fans than I care to think about - 120mms seem to last forever. I don't understand why there is no drive cage with a 120mm fan.  Doesn't seem that tough.

5) I understand, that is a valid concern.  I'm now using the Norco cages in an Antec 902 in one client build, and over the next few days I'll be building another using the Norco cages and the Azza Helios 910 case.  In the Antec 902 I've found the screws not to be an issue - they do penetrate a small amount into the drive chamber, but not far enough to actually touch the drive.  I don't know yet about the Azza case, but I'll report back when I do.  I believe the screw-touching issue I noted in the review was a consequence of using the drive cages with the Lian Li case (which has thinner than normal 5.25" bay walls).

Just be careful.  Might want to trim the length on the screws used on these cages to they don't snag a drive!

Instead of trimming could you use a small washer on the outside to limit the travel or account for case thickness?

I'm actually glad to see this thread pop up... although you can search these forums for quite a few tidbits here and there, it's nice to start consolidating in one place.

I personally like the SuperMicro cages... enough that I have two of them. 

My first 5-in-3 was a Chenbro SK33502-BK-H which has served me well for nearly a year (yes, I did not go with the stock fan there either) but had a minor issue with certain Seagate drives: it would always leave the busy light on even when the drive was not being accessed.  Additionally it didn't seem to keep the drives as cool as I'd like, though it's also at the disadvantage of being at the top of my case.

So during a recent expansion and server upgrade, I bought an Icy Dock.  It works but there are a few things I don't like: the fan's custom clip; the drive "trays" seem kinda fragile (they're really just rails); it takes 3 molex plugs whereas everyone else takes 2; the SATA ports on the bottom (well in the end I turned it upside down in my CoolerMaster HAF 932 case where it ended up); and it would develop noisy vibrations from the drives until I eventually put another 3.5" drive in a 5.25" bay mount flat in the bay on top of it.  One thing I do like about the Icy Dock: it's shorter than the SM & Chenbro which mattered to me in my CoolerMaster case where I have a EATX mobo... the mobo comes right to the edge of the drive bays so any cage that's longer start to extend over it.  And I do like the Icy Dock's look and drive lights.

A little burned by the Icy Dock, I bought the SM cage.  It's heavy and a tighter fit but I didn't have too many issues in either my Antec 1200 or the CoolerMaster HAF... originally I put it in the CoolerMaster and while installing bent some of the pins on the mobo header (e.g. power switch, reset switch, etc) because I was pushing and went too far.  That's when I swapped- putting the Icy Dock into the HAF and the SM into the Antec.

After feeling the SM did pretty well ... better than the Icy Dock... I bought another one and also put it in the Antec 1200.

Yes, I did buy a bunch of Noctua NF-B9 fans for the SM cages so the base cost is a little higher- I didn't even attempt to run the stock fans.  And I didn't bother with the fan casing; I just used some industrial strength Velcro to attach it.   (Which may also be my replacement plan for the Icy Dock some day.) The SM cages run cooler than my Chenbro but the Icy Dock seemed to hold its own temperature wise.

My Hitachi 7K2000 7200RPM parity drive when semi-active runs around 34C in my SM, but around 37C in my Chenbro.  Didn't try it in my Icy Dock.  The Icy Dock is currently housing 5 x 7200.10 750GB Seagates which are together in a RAID-10 array in a different server.

So my ratings probably would be (with biggest cons): SuperMicro = good (cost due to fan), Chenbro = fair (cooling and Seagate drive issue), Icy Dock = fair (vibration issue)

Since I already have a mish-mash of cages I may try a Norco next go around just for fun. 

I haven't seen any vibration issues with any Icy Dock.  Maybe you have one with a sloppy rail or something.

Which fans do you guys recommend for the Super Micro cages, to achieve real quietness?  Also, do you recommend some sort of fan controller (which one?).

These are the fans I've used with the Supermicro cages:

GELID Solutions FN-PX09-20 92mm Case Fan

They are the best balance I found between noise, airflow, and price.  There certainly are higher quality options if you are willing to spend more.

These are the fans I've used with the Supermicro cages:

 

GELID Solutions FN-PX09-20 92mm Case Fan

 

They are the best balance I found between noise, airflow, and price.  There certainly are higher quality options if you are willing to spend more.

I've used 4 of the same.

They are 25mm vs the 38MM delta's, but I've had good results with them.

If you have a motherboard with extra PWM fan heads you can put them there for monitoring if lm_sensors supports your board

The supermicro's have an alarm, if the fan is disconnected or dies you will know!

FYI - I just installed the SuperMicro 5x3 into a Antec 900 (original). Got the tabs bent down nice and it slid in without much fuss at all. Initial line up was a bit tricky, but after that, slid in smooth. I am using an ATX motherboard in this case as well and there is litterally zero clearance between the edge of the fan's casing on the cage and the mobo. Luckly, my SATA ports on not on the edge. Anyone looking to use this SM cage, keep that in mind. When people mention it is longer then the others, it is, with almost no room to play in a mid-tower case with ATX mobo. In a full tower I would assume you would have some better clearances.

Shawn

@Raj & Weebo ... thanks guys, I'm ordering them now.

I've updated the blog post to reflect some of the comments in this thread.  Further feedback is certainly welcome:

http://www.greenleaf-technology.com/Blogs/BlogSoftwareAndHardware/index.php

I tried to post my comments, but it didn't take it.  When I said I wanted to add a comment, it put me in a small broswer windows that I could not size, and when I typed in my comment and hit the button to preview it, it didn't preview.  And when I tried to leave the comment it didn't (at least I don't think it did).

Here was the comment I was trying to leave ...

Great review and very informative!

As a SM owner, I have a few comments on the review that I feel important to mention:

1 - I have not had issues with the SuperMicros width. I guess it affects some cases, but not others.  I also have not had issues with binding when sliding the drives in and out.  To me the design is tank-like and cannot be compressed side to side without crushing force.  Hard to fault the build quality IMO.  My bigger issue with the SM is its depth.  Make sure you have enough clearance to install it without hitting your motherboard, esp on a smaller case with a larger motherboard.

2 - The review does not highlight the fact that the SMs use a 92mm fan vs 80mm for the other two.  This is huge IMO.  My server lives in the basement and the fans that come with the SM are not too noisy for my use, but they are certainly not silent.  But the ability to cool the drives in a warm environment is enhanced by the larger fan.  The larger fan means more air moving at slower RPMs.  Remember, if the fans are too noisy, you can buy quieter 92mm fans that will cool better and be as quiet or quieter than the 80mm fans included with the other units.

3 - I think airflow should be rated highest for SM compared to either Icy Dock or Norco based on the larger fans.  The Norco does allow you to block slots, which directs airflow over the disks that are present.  But when some slots are empty, airflow isn't as important as when the cage is full, especially with faster / hotter 7200 RPM drives.  The SM can create significantly better airflow than either of the other cages.  Knock it for the louder stock fans, but not for its airflow.

4 - Your final comment about the screws touching the drives on the Norco would be very concerning to me.  Excessive scratching can void your drive warranty, but I am more concerned about the screws touching the bottom of the drives where the circuitry is located.  This issue should be in bold letters so that users don't accidently short out their drives in these cages!

5 - The Norco also has the fan built into the cage.  To replace it after it is installed in your server would be a major operation.  You'd have to remove the cage, disassemble the cage to get to the fan/replace the fan, and then reverse.  The SM has a clip on plastic fan holder that comes off in two seconds.  Although I wouldn't advise it, one user said he replaced a fan when the server was powered on.  Given that the Norco uses 80mm fans, which (in my experience) tend to fail rather regularly, you'll be looking at some unplanned server disassembly with the Norco as compared to the SM.  (I'm not sure about the icy docks).  The SM also has sensors to warn of failing fans, a nice feature.

It doesn't exist yet, I'd love to see a cage with these featurres ...

- a 120mm fan

- no screws (i.e., trayless) while remaining sturdy and providing perfect drive alignment

- cheap

Overall I think these types of cages are a great, albeit expensive, accessory to a server. Any of these units will do a great job, the best one depending on the application. For a hot environment and a drive stuffed server, I'd definitely go with the SuperMicro to get the extra cooling umph.  For a little less demanding build, you get a better aesthetics and quieter OOTB performance with the other two.  Whichever you choose, you'll be glad you have it next time you need to swap out a disk. -bjp999

What browser are you using?

I just tried the link in chrome and it seemed to work for me...