Case and power supply
SuperMicro SC750-A Model CSE-017
Purchase date:
16 Dec 1999
Price:
$145
Vendor:
Marketed by SuperMicro
Manufactured by Addtronics
After reading about dozens of computer cases I chose the SuperMicro SC750-A full server ATX case with a 300W power supply. The case is a delight. It is built of heavy riveted steel, stands solidly on four broad circular footpads, and is 26.5" tall and 8.5" wide.
Its interior is cavernous, which is important to me since I like my elbow room when I'm working on a computer. The case sports one 3.5" drive bay and six 5.25" drive bays, protected by heavy steel plates bolted across them.
Underneath the 5.25" bays one finds an adjustable hard drive bracket and three housings for 80mm fans. The ventilation holes in the front bezel are shrouded by a white nylon filter.
A 90mm fan sits above the power supply, and another 90mm fan is positioned to blow across the CPU. The case comes with extra fan housings and a plentiful bag of fasteners. The mainboard tray is not removable, but I installed with no trouble the mainboard inside this spacious case. Tin standoffs pop into the back of the mainboard tray, upon which one positions the mainboard.
Be careful when you affix metal standoffs to your mainboard tray. Put standoffs only where they will be used, that is, only under the fastener openings in the mainboard. Do not scatter standoffs around the mainboard tray. Do not add extra standoffs. They will short the mainboard.
The power supply is Sparkle Power International 300W model FSP300-60GT. The power supply offers AT and ATX mainboard connectors, six large 4-pin power connectors, and two small 4-pin power connectors. Other builders have reported satisfactory performance from this power supply. Anandtech mentions it favorably.
