Drive enclosures and NAS cases hold several hard drives or SSDs in one chassis, for anyone building a home or small office network storage server. Our range is small and comes from JONSBO and SILVERSTONE, two makers with a track record in storage-focused PC cases.
How to choose a NAS case or drive enclosure
Number of drive bays. Count the drives you need today and add room for growth. Many NAS cases take four to eight 3.5-inch drives, and RAID 5 needs at least three drives while RAID 6 needs at least four. Buying a case with a spare bay or two is cheaper than replacing the case later.
Motherboard size. Storage cases are usually built around Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX boards, and some accept only one of the two. Check the supported form factor and the maximum CPU cooler height before choosing a board. Also count the SATA ports on the board, because an expansion card may be needed to connect every bay.
Hot-swap or fixed bays. Hot-swap bays let you pull a failed drive from the front without opening the case, which matters on a server that runs all day. Fixed or tray-mounted bays are simpler and often cost less, but each drive change means removing panels and cables.
Cooling and noise. Hard drives run for years without a break, so airflow across the drive bays directly affects their temperature and lifespan. Larger fans running slowly are generally quieter than small fans at high speed. If the server will sit in a living room or an office, look at fan size and how the drives are mounted, since vibration adds to the noise.
Power supply and footprint. Compact NAS cases often need an SFX power supply or a specific internal layout, while larger ones take a standard ATX unit. Measure the shelf or cupboard space as well, because the cases that hold the most drives are also the tallest.
Brands in drive enclosures and NAS cases
- JONSBO: known for compact Mini-ITX NAS cases, such as its N-series, that fit several 3.5-inch drives into a small footprint with an aluminium body.
- SILVERSTONE: known for its DS and CS series storage cases, which often combine hot-swap drive bays with front-mounted airflow for home and office servers.
Frequently asked questions
How many drives do I need for a NAS?
Most home users start with two to four drives. Two drives allow simple mirroring, while four give a balance between usable capacity and protection, for example with RAID 5. Choose a case with at least one or two bays more than you need now.
What is the difference between a NAS case and a drive enclosure?
A NAS case is a full PC chassis that holds a motherboard, processor, power supply and several drives, so it runs as an independent server. A drive enclosure usually holds only drives and connects to an existing computer or network device. Choose a NAS case if you want to build the whole server yourself.
Can I use a normal PC case as a NAS?
Yes, any PC case with enough 3.5-inch bays can work as a NAS. The drawbacks are that many standard cases have few drive bays and no hot-swap trays. A dedicated NAS case is usually better for airflow across the drives and for easier drive replacement.
Which motherboard fits a NAS case?
It depends on the case, but Mini-ITX is the most common size in compact NAS cases, and some larger models accept Micro-ATX. Check the supported form factor in the product specification before buying a board. Also confirm that the board has enough SATA ports for all of the drive bays.
