Enlight EN-8950 Server Extended ATX

Enlight offers a number of options for the power supply of the 8950, since this isn't your run-of-the-mill desktop case the options range from the standard 300W Enlight power supply to the top of the line (at least Enlight's line) 400W redundant power supply setup.  The unit we tested came with the base 300W Enlight power supply, boasting full ATX 2.01 compliance and includes 6 standard and 1 mini power connector.  The quality of Enlight power supplies was once the topic of much negative publicity towards the company, however most Enlight owners won't argue that their power supplies have definitely become much better in recent times.  While they are still not the "best" in the business (it is arguable who is the "best"), they do get the job done and aren't nearly as bad as they once were.  

In comparison to most other ATX power supplies, the Enlight power supply is "upside down" with the power connectors on the right and the fan on the left.  Fortunately, the power supply doesn't attach itself directly to the chassis, instead a metal bracket is what the power supply is essentially "installed" into.  What this translates into is that if you don't want to use the Enlight power supply for any reason, all you have to do is simply remove the power supply bracket, flip it over, and then re-install it with your new power supply.

The expansion of any server case is almost critical to its success as a flexible product, and as an entry level product the 8950 doesn't do too bad.  The 8950 shows off a total of 10 drive bays, which seems to be quite a bit since the larger Supermicro SC750A only offers a total of 9 drive bays while standing a full 50% taller.  Of those 10, 9 are external 5.25" drive bays and a single external 3.5" drive bay is made available also for use with a floppy drive. 

At the sacrifice of three of those 5.25" drive bays Enlight offers the optional EN-8700, a hot swappable SCA Ultra2 RAID module.  The EN-8700 converts the three 5.25" drive bays into a single module that provides shelter and cooling for five 1" SCA Ultra2 drives, and if you need a greater amount of storage space, a second module can be used (at the sacrifice of another 3 drive bays) for a total of 10 drives.  The beauty of the EN-8700 is that it cuts down on the amount of space used (5 drives in 3 bays or 10 drives in 6 bays) while providing cooling for the drives courtesy of a 92 mm fan present on the back of the module.  Since the 8950 does not offer any hot swappable bays by default, the addition of the 8700 is ideal for any user that will be taking advantage of a decent sized RAID subsystem while not penalizing those users that won't require such support with a more expensive case.

The nine 5.25" drive bays all make sure of Enlight's classic metal drive rails that have both been praised and denounced by tweakers and enthusiasts alike.  The usefulness of drive rails in a server is debatable, while some argue that it allows for a single drive to be moved from one system to the next, others will argue that in a server, that really isn't necessary.  In any case, the metal drive rails attempt to provide the user with the best of both worlds.  Since the drive rails are metal they do dissipate heat coming off of the drives much better than plastic drive rails and they are much more durable than plastic drive rails, however for purposes of shipping, drive rails aren't usually the most reliable method of keeping drives installed and secure. 

For those of you that aren't familiar with Enlight's drive rails, they are essentially two tracks of metal that are screwed onto the drives/devices that you wish to install.  Then, they can easily be slid in and out of the case or any Enlight case (that uses drive rails) for that matter.  The final verdict here is up to you, but the fact of the matter is that Enlight has been using their drive rails for quite some time and this is a feature that has naturally made its way to the 8950.  The beauty of the depth of the 8950 is that it allows all nine 5.25" drive bays to be occupied without even coming close to hindering the installation of any components on the largest of extended ATX motherboards.  

The sole 3.5" drive bay is mounted vertically and uses a drive carriage instead of the rails from the 5.25" bays for installation.  The carriage is also a classic Enlight feature and makes the drive installation easier as it prevents you from having to screw the drive directly into the case.  This semi-modular design has been advocated by Enlight for a number of years now, however it is by no means exclusive to Enlight cases alone, even some of the generic cases out on the market are now coming with similar modular features.   While these expansion frills are definitely appreciated, we are at the point now where they are expected; whether in the form of drive rails or removable drive cages, the trend towards making cases more modular is definitely an appreciated effort and Enlight has been a solid contributor to it.

Nine 5.25" drive bays is enough for an entry level server case, and more than enough for a high end workstation for the most hard core of hardware enthusiasts.  Although it is obvious that Enlight had to cut some corners to keep the cost of the 8950 below the $200 mark, it is good to know that the case's expansion capabilities didn't take the fall because of cost.