Chenbro's Granite Case Review

Intro

Granite server case

While most readers of THG are interested in the latest video cards and the fastest processors, there is an often neglected piece of the computer puzzle, the case. You don't often think of crazy or innovative features when talking about cases, especially workstation or server cases. Chenbro hopes to change all that with its Granite SR209 case.

Here is a complete review of the Granite SR209. First, we start off with an explanation of the different models and options. Then we will look at the quality of construction, cooling, and expandability of the case. Does the Granite case deliver? Let's find out.

Models And Options

Chenbro SR209 Models

You are given three options for the removable front panel: aluminum (SR20968), black (SR20969 Black), or white (SR20969 White). This is a purely aesthetic decision all the panels have the same functionality.

Internal drive cage

Serial ATA and UltraSCSI320 cages

You are also given three options for the drive cages which will hold up to four hard-drives: internal drive cage (SR209xxN), Serial ATA backplane cage (SR209xxA), or an Ultra 320 SCSI backplane cage (SR209xxS). The internal cage can hold IDE, Serial ATA, or SCSI drives. The backplane cages will hold their respective drive types with hot swappable drive trays. We will go into more detail about the internal and backplane cages later in this article.

We tested the SR20968 (Aluminum front panel) with all three drive cages. It does not come with a powersupply, which is actually good thing. If you are building your own server, it makes sense to buy a powersupply that has enough juice to power all your drives and cards.