Case Chassis for EE-ATX ("enhanced extended") Mainboard server builds

[64, Bitter]

Chieftec Full Tower case, New EE-ATX Mainboard (Enhanced E-ATX, dimensions 32 x 36 CM), VMware ESX Server Build

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Anyone ever attempted a build using one of these new larger Supermicro boards (for example their X7DWN;newegg sells them if you want to veiw the specs quickly) If so with which case? Someone back in 05 proposed a build using a Chieftec full tower, but I am finding precious little tech data on the MB tray dimensions; guessing that Chieftech is out of business, but some are still for sale. Or, any other case which would handle one of the new Supermicro "Enhanced" E-ATX ( aka EE-ATX) mainboards, the dimensions of which are around 32 x 36 CM. (13.5 x 14 inches). Supermicro only offers cases with a built in PSU--don't want theirs--already own a high end PSU for this system.
These EE-ATX boards handle up to 128 GB of RAM,16 dimm slots, goal is a VMware ESX server I am designing. I am also wondering if these cases have a sliding mainboard tray (or any mainboard tray at all). Will I hate myself for even attempting this? :

[alsenior]

i think you might be able to use any case with about a 2 inch clearance between the top of the motherboard tray and the psu area. You could look and a old stacker . that might fit due to the pact you can locate the psu at the base and mod the case to fit the board

[Funkstar]

How does EE-ATX differ from E-ATX?

Lian-Li have a couple of E-ATX cases, the PC-A77 and PC-A7010 specifically.

Also have a look for WTX cases, they should be more than large enough. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTX_(form_factor))

[llololloy]

Yeah, cooler master stacker should fit the bill, my 810 had an e-atx in it with room to spare, currently got a standard atx mobo with a good 4 inches clearance before the hard drive bays.
http://www.coolermaster.com/products...t=detail&id=13
No fancy gubbins like removeable motherboard tray or good cable management, but plenty of room to work in, and it comes on wheels.
Can fit about 14 hard drives and 2 psu's comfortably.

[alsenior]

How does EE-ATX differ from E-ATX?

EE-atx extends about 1 inch above the I/0 ports. ither than that not much.

It seams to be supermicro's thing to take standard parts and make them incompatible at the moment

[Funkstar]

Yeah I had a search about for EE-ATX and there is very little information on the subject. WTX seems to be even larger, but the IO ports are in the same place, so EE-ATX may not fit in a WTX case even though there is masses more room.

Bitter, does it need to be a Supermicro board? What about a Tyan Tempest i5400PW (http://www.tyan.com/product_board_detail.aspx?pid=560) dual Xeon with 16 DIMM slots and is regular E-ATX.

Just a thought. I don't know a huge amount about this kind of system.

[64, Bitter]

Thanks to all for your thoughtful suggestions; leave it to the Brits to bail out a Yank who is in trouble. I have had such good luck with SuperMicro boards in the past that I feel rather joined at the hip to them, hence I will probably give the Coolermaster stacker chassis a try and stick with S&M's strange and possibly painful new board size. These are roughly an inch larger in both dimensions than standard E-ATX. However, I will also take a look at the Tyan board, since my primary interest in the SM EE-ATX form factor is for the 16 dimm slots. Perhaps Tyan even supports the VMware EVS/Unix OS. Although the added dimm slots are a big plus for this new board size, Tyan seems to have proven that it is not required. Perhaps enhanced E-ATX primarily refers to enhancement of the profit margin, since the new size tends to force one into a buying a SuperMicro chassis or prebuilt SM server; those are supported for my OS. Alsenior's observations are apropos; reversing open compatibility trends of recent decades for manufacturers who have a sufficiently high reputation to get away with it might tend to put earnings into a forward gear. Hence we will no doubt start to see more of this.

[Funkstar]

Pre assembled chassis from the likes of Supermicro seem like a good compromise for those that wat the simplicity of an off the shelf system but with the flexability of a self build.

In a supermicro world, you don't need to worry about cases, cooling or adequate power supplies. They've done all that for you. And you know it is going to be of very good quality.

[64, Bitter]

I followed up on LLoloboy's Coolermaster Stacker 810 suggestion; found that one is discontinued (although a few are available). It's specs indicate that it can handle four motherboards, presumable all at once; that would be quite a system. Has anyone tried their newer models, ie the 830x series? The dimensions are bigger but they do not advertise the multiple mainboard feature; taking a guess that they may have less room for an odd sized board such as the EE-ATX.

[llololloy]

Think they've misled you a bit there, it couldn't fit 4 boards at once, but it has zillions of spacers and screw holes for fitting every *atx board.
From what I can gather, the 830s are more about cooling and easy fitting with standard board sizes than giving you a ton of room and expandability, but I havn't seen one in detail so can't offer better insight than that.
Best searching (probs on hexus) about the case and see what comes up about its internals.
I think most of the big etailers still stock the old stackers though. Could even try ebay on the cheap.
It's still my favourite case and will probs be with me for years to come (had it about 4 years so far).