Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
With a complete install, things look more cramped than they are. Having shuffled things around, it wasn’t difficult to make all the proper connections. Having the power supply connections in place before installing it is an absolute must. Having intake fans on both of the HDD backplanes along with the top mounted exhaust fan should provide adequate airflow through the case to keep things cool. Keep in mind that things could get cooking if you use a high-powered CPU in your rig.
After all is said and done the S-915 has proven itself to be a great NAS ready enclosure. iStarUSA’s competence in the industrial market is evident in the build and design of the case. The case does have its share of sharp edges, but I can’t see too many reasons you would be inside this case after your storage server has been built.
Aesthetically, the S-915 isn’t as sweet to look at as the Lian Li PC-Q28, but it isn’t ugly either. Functionally, the S-915 is a different story. The ability to easily install your mini-ITX motherboard and a pair of SATA/SAS backplanes means you can quickly put together a system that can rock with the best of them. When compared to the other cases mentioned, it is like apples and oranges. We took enthusiast cases and smooshed everything inside. With the S-915, you get what you wanted from the start.
Unfortunately, when you consider the price tag of this case, at $169.99 USD, things start to get a little hairy for me. This case and a couple of drive cages, as configured in this review, can run you nearly $369.97 when sourced from Newegg and that makes this a tough pill to swallow. Especially when compared to the sub $100.00 enthusiast options we have already looked at. However, having a true NAS chassis may be worth its weight in gold to some of us. Bottom line, if you have the money to burn and you want to build your own NAS, this case is the one for you. If you are trying to save a few and want to get an incredibly sexy case, stick with the PC-Q28.
[easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B00EC32LS0″ key=”wide-light” locale=”US” tag=”compondema06-20″]Review Overview
Quality - 7
Value - 7
Features - 8
Appearance - 8.5
7.6
Industrial NAS case
iStarUSA's S-915 is a fantastic NAS case that covers all the bases. When teamed up with a SATA/SAS backplane, you get the perfect storage centerpiece.
