A compact 10-inch rack build for a small home server
A 920x small PC has been fitted into a custom 10-inch rack case that stays under 2U height. A custom riser lets the machine hold two PCIe cards, with a Noctua fan placed underneath for cooling.
A separate 10-inch JBOD storage box uses a custom backplane for the drives. SAS drives are being tested with 29 millimeters of space between them to see how the temperatures behave.
The setup uses a Flex ATX power supply, which is currently turned on and off automatically by the 920x PC. Cable routing for SFP ports from the front to the back of the small rack is still an unsolved cleanup issue.
Key points
- The build puts a 920x small PC into a custom 10-inch rack enclosure under 2U height.
- A custom riser allows two PCIe cards to fit inside the small case.
- The storage side uses a 10-inch JBOD enclosure with a custom backplane.
- SAS drive spacing is being tested at 29 millimeters for heat behavior.
- A Flex ATX power supply is controlled automatically by the 920x PC.
Quick term guide
- 10-inch rack
- A small rack frame used to mount compact server or network equipment.
- PCIe cards
- Add-on cards that give a computer extra hardware features.
- backplane
- An internal board that lets several drives plug into one shared connection area.
- temperature
- A setting that controls how random or creative an AI's output is — lower means more predictable.
- power supply
- A part that provides steady electricity to a device.
- Mac mini server
- A Mac mini used as an always-on computer for files, apps, backups, or automation.
- Mac mini
- A small desktop computer made by Apple.
- enclosure
- A case that holds an SSD so it can connect to a computer from the outside.