I feel like I was expecting a video about a cluster. And watched a video about aluminum rails 🤣🤣🤣 can't wait to see the video of the actual cluster running
Came here from Reddit to see the building process. Thank you for taking the time to video-document it! On my way to do a similar minilab project with an extruded aluminum frame. Nice DIY project and inspiration!
Tip for tidying the power supplies - you can get USB-C PD-trigger converter plugs that can convert to the various power adaptor plugs these use, which would let you swap them all out for smaller GaN usb-C power supplies, perhaps one big supply eith multiple outlets that can service all of them?
Sadly those GaN power supplies are usually only rated to run at their maximum capacity for about 30 minutes before overheating. Also the power sharing for the ports is usually very questionable and not documented properly.
I looked them up and yeah they are pretty nice, makes it hard to choose between a custom build and what they have out there already. lots of pricing is very good! Thanks for letting me know!
@@matthewalton6889 Yeah AV rack gear is also plenty sturdy enough for these little boxes and very cheap (in comparison to full noise server rack stuff). And AV racks uses the same U spacing as server. Then there's some really good 3d printed mounts for the 1L PCs and bosh you've got a very clean setup.
I like this. I know some haters will complain about the spacing between the systems but these SFF systems don't push air like a real server so the spacing helps the systems stay a little cooler.
The real server is like 3x-4x deep. These boxes have a blower type fan that exhaust to the back. They can really seat ontop of each other no problem as long as the airflow is not obstructed by the cables on the back.
Excellent idea and explanation. With all necessary materials and components. It would be nice if you presented the whole project here through a video like the previous two. Advantages of your project: Simplicity Small dimensions Mobility Relatively low energy consumption A wide range of possible uses. Apart from the mentioned Kubernetes, the possibilities are much greater. It would be nice to see everything running under Linux in one of the distributions in a future video I wish you to shape the project and give it its final form. I think your idea is excellent and you should apply it to a lot of jobs that require something like this. The project is original.
Nice Sideproject from a sideproject, you can also add a power strip in to the server rack. But in the end, you do what you have to do in your own best way, nice work...
Nice one! I've got a pile of mini PCs in the garage and I've been thinking of ways to tidy them up. I like the idea of the extruded aluminum. Your setup looks pretty neat!
This is AWESOME! I've just got a stack of Omada equipment sitting on my desk with my mac mini and this is all I needed to convince myself I now need a mini rack to mount it all in!
This is a great idea! I've got 3 HP EliteDesks and a Gen8 Microserver sat on a shelf. I hadn't considered aluminium extrusion. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have a couple of Mini Pcs in my homelab and limited space . I dont have a 3d printer yet, so instead I used a stacking paper tray with 4 levels. to keep my equipment organized and with good airflow.
So, you're the one who posted the photos of this project on reddit! I saved those photos there to use in my project. But now you've posted it all on video, thank you very much OP.
Really cool... i am currently working on doing my own personal home server, with cloud drives and some docker containers. i wish you a really nice day and you have actually motivated me to work on my project again
I have a very similar setup with 4 thinkcentres and an HP, but all I did was make a 3D print that held all the computers by their tiny screws in the back of their own frame. Heat-wise, probably not the best. But it's very compact and easy to print. Even has some knobs on the side for the switch to mount to. I like the professional build of yours though and makes it more transportable
Really nice work man. Good idea for using a more dedicated psu in the future. This is definitely be a project to come back too next year or do a yearly review of the rig. Love the work
Yeah I have a lot of ideas. I'm not sure If you are familiar with 3d printing but there are open source designs. I wanna make a very flexible design that can scale in both directions so ppl can really conform it to thier needs
Slick. I like it. :) I've a bunch of old HP 800 USDT G1's and G2's. Mounted them in my home lab by turning some rack shelves upside down and bolting through the cases VESA holes. Meaning the PCs hang rather than sit. Not ideal but has been solid as a rock so far.
This is awesome! I love it! I would like to make one for 8 micro pcs and a ninth shelf for a switch, I run FLUX nodes on these machines they are perfect! Thanks for the video and the 3D files
Very nice project. Good job on the overall design. I like the rear facing switch, the overall dimensions and concept. Your makerworld page specs PLA. PLA is not a good base material for these trays. PETG is better, ABS better still. ABS is harder to print, requires enclosures, produces fumes, etc. Which is to say. Be careful what you print your tray out of, heat deflection is an issue. These systems can get quite warm when you leave them cranked for long periods, the cases can heat up a lot. You don't want your trays warping, potentially failing, and then dumping the system(s) out of the rack. The aluminum angles might save you there, really depends on how high and how far the heat travels and the sensitivity of your parts to heat deflection. As another user pointed out, your cable tie job would be better if you left enough slack to let the tray slide out while still being connected. This way you can operate it without having access to the rear of the rack. Slide system out, unplug, do maintenance, plug back in, slide back in. If you want to talk shop some more, I sent a connection request on LinkedIn.
I'm considering a print that would hold them better. Also thinking about buying the AC side of thr cables and cutting them short and putting a power strip in there. I have a few options and I plan on improving on the build!
Great idea, however one improvement I could think of is making it fit the 10" standard so you can use a 10" patch panel as well. I may just need to build one for my self.
This is amazing! You should try to fit some electrical outlets inside or just slap it on some rail and get power from it. Maybe even use space on bottom of rack to fit some UPS. Anyway this rack is really nice!
Thats a dann nice Idea and a really nice Rack. I hope you Build more of this stuff.Maybe a mount for a Topfan and a Shield for left an Rightside.I will build this too .Thanks
The caddy rails are kinda limiting because they have such chunky plastic parts. That kind of forces everything to be vertically spaced out. If you just bolted the rails directly to the vertical aluminium extrusions, instead of using the 90 degree angle brackets with set screws, it would require no extra vertical space. You could probably fit 2x the machines in the same rack. Also given the extra space at the back, you could extend the caddys to accommodate the power supply of each machine, then it just needs power and ethernet to it.
Yes you are correct. I'm working on some other versions. The one nice thing about the angle rails is as you insert the pc it is forced on the rail and can't drop downward as the back tries to catch the back supports if that makes sense. The new design will be more compact and better
@@matthewalton6889 You could maybe even continue to use the 90 degree brackets with the set screws, but ditch the rails completely. Just put 4 little recesses into the bottom of each caddy, then as you slide it in, the brackets will sit in those recesses and kind of loosely hold it in place & minimise risk of it sliding out the back or front
I have a similar mini lenovo home lab setup. Wish I buy the printed parts, as I would build! I know nothing about 3d printing nor have a printer. Really cool thou!
I have the files hosted for free, you cn download them and find a friend or maker space to print them at. Or if you want them really bad there are online services that will print files. Im working on a 2nd version of this that is cleaner more efficient and uses less 3d printed parts. maybe wait for that!
That's so cool! I was planning to build a homelab cluster using these mini PC as well. I am thinking if I should get a big power supply to replace all those small power bricks that came with each machines. But then I thought about single point of failure that this setup might introduce and I start wondering if there are any better solution that take power redundancy into consideration.
True, maybe v2 will incorporate that, It slides are kinda overkill for what im doing but idk, this is version 1 I really wanna take all the comments here, including yours and work on a nicer v2 that has improvements like you mentioned!
You could replace some of those extrusions with slotted shelf track from a hardware store. It would be much cheaper and allow you to mount things using something similar to studs on the front just like a real server. As a bonus, the front mount would keep things from sliding out if it were to tip. A couple of suggestions: have provisions for font mounted fans, and expand the width so the power brick can be mounted to the side of the PC. This will provide adequate airflow for systems not designed to be packed together tightly in a rack enclosure, and you can use the cheap bricks that come with the machines instead of having to buy a separate PSU. Also, consider something like Freecad if you don't feel like paying for CAD software or wanting a cloud connection. Your designed parts looks like a simple: sketch - pad - sketch on surface - pocket (or hole).
Very nicely done. However, if I were setting it up for myself, I would mount pairs of two units side-by-side on 1U sliding racks in a standard chassis.
Yeah this is more niche for someone who may never get a full size rack. The total dimensions of this is like 22 x 7 x 10 inches. Your idea is good too!
testing out some software I wrote that provisions servers. so there is a ui, api, orchestration service and then clients that run on the machines that can make the virtual servers
@@matthewalton6889 When your project is ready, a video on the subject would be a good thing! In any case, super interesting project, I subscribe to your channel 😊
😂 side side project?! Not go too crazy with it?! This is insanely cool though! Thanks for sharing this! Also from Reddit and looking to start my own homelab, so this was insightful :)
incredible project ! sadly im not using mini pc in my home lab, only huge desktops one on the other lol, i really enjoyed, it look sick ! congratulation , hoping for you to grow on youtube, to make more of thoses nices project ! have a nice day
Awesome idea. That's thinking outside the box. So far, I only have 2 mini pcs for my homelab. One is a palm sized pc, only good for things like a pihoe. t5he other one does my jellyfin server, video security, web server, and various other things. I may get 3 or 4 more systems, and build something like this.... before my wife kills me for having so much stuff. :)
Great job. It looks much prettier if you cut black acrylic panels and hide the lower level with the PSUs. A nice addon might be a power strip in order to avoid the power cord spaghetti...
I would just minimally make a PSU separator tray and add extrusion end-caps. But knowing myself, I would definitely add some RGB goodness and other things like that.
its a fantastic idea to clean up the look. Even some nice little feet would be good for better breathing below the power packs! Thanks for the suggestion
I was just seriously considering doing something like this to service small businesses with on-prem domains without charging them 50k for server grade stuff they'll over-provision anyway. Would design in space for a UPS or two with an ATS, and a NAS for big storage, most SMB firewalls would fit right on that rack.
I would lose the Velcro and use 3M command strips (available at Amazon, dollar store, hardware store, drug store)instead. One side would attach to the caddy and the mating piece would attach to the Server. The wonderful thing about command strips is they are removeable (Leaving no residue on the surface) and are invisible. They come in weight categories up to 25 lbs! Since you are using them horizontally you can get away with the 5 or 10lbs command strips. I would use a set of four on each of the four corners.
@@matthewalton6889Not sure about thermal limits for them. Given most of the heat will be ejected through the rear fans I don't think it is a concern. I would call 3M customer support. They have thermal limits for them as an engineering document they can send you. There are professional grade versions of command strips as well. But if you leave enough space between, I will not expect a problem. The biggest issue would be changes in adhesive properties I would think. A temperature probe from an aquarium with a digital readout might give you an idea of ambient temp about the caddy. I suspect if you have a thermal issue the caddy will deform prior to the command strips becoming an issue.
@@matthewalton6889Not sure call 3M customer support they can give you the engineering spec sheet for the product. They also make professional versions of the command strip that are more durable and grippy.
That's neat, I think I may steal the aluminum angle idea. I was using custom laser cut wooden sleds but they are so much blank space they aren't super efficient to make. Was eying just getting full on soft close drawer slides but angle is way cheaper. I avoided the aluminum extrusion and instead opted for a laser cut plywood frame which made assembly quite simple (glue with painters tape for clamps) Even have a parametric model that let's me go from 1U height up to 10U (I can't cut larger pieces on my laser, and I'd be concerned about the integrity of 1/8" plywood at that scale, it's pretty robust at 4-6U heights though)
I need to get better at 3d modeling so i can make some parametric designs! tinkercad works but im so limited... Your stuff sounds really awesome! Steal away! Most hardware stores have some basic aluminum extrusion profiles (angle, square, flat, U) so hopefully you can incorporate it!
yeah I think this is entirely population size reliant, because we have millions of these that come off lease in the corporate world and then get resold on the private market
yes, any updates i do I will make videos. Im also going to take what ive learned from the build and all the comments here to make a better more standard design that has more flexibilty for ppl to adopt
I was checking for other video, but looks like this is your first video, congrats on all the views! What will you be running on these? Interested in the application, setup looks cool
I have some web applications Ive been working on for a game server rental platform. So i wanna run my backend services and front end services to see how it performs on real hardware and networked. Dont know if ill ever launch it but its been a project Ive been working on for a while. I have some plans for additional videos on 3d printing and tech like this! Im dreaming up a v2 of this that is more standard, cleaner and more adaptable
To test my own dumbed down kubernetes. I built some web services to manage tons of virtual servers so I want a test rig to run them all and see how it does on separate physical machines
@@matthewalton6889 Call 80/20 custoemr support I am sure they have a sliding rail system ofor this application or they can refer you to a partner company that has one.
So now you have my attention on the rack and hardware, I REALLY want to see your system setup on these. Did you just leave the OS on them or are you running Linux or ProxMox? I want to do something similar but I want to have either a VMWare or Proxmox group.
I can do a video about it soon, but this will be to test a game server hosting platform im programming. Ive got some backend services that manage the virtual servers and some orchestration services and an API and UI that I wanted to test "real world" instead of just all on one desktop PC. If you think thats interesting I can try and do a walkthrough on like the networking, OS and services and what not
What was the point of doing it again? These units are great at saving the desk space but now it is all bloated. Are you planning to move then into the closet? You could’ve just put a switch right in the middle of the stack and crimped super short rj45 with 45 angle connectors to cut down on cable clutter. I’m just using mine sitting on the table with wires put through hole under the table. 2 HPs, 2 Dells and a Mac mini.
I saw your post on Reddit a few minutes ago. I open TH-cam and this is the first video in my homepage. Super cool build!
Thats wild, the internet algos are really crazy! Thanks for the kind words!
Same here!
I feel like I was expecting a video about a cluster. And watched a video about aluminum rails 🤣🤣🤣 can't wait to see the video of the actual cluster running
I will demo the software im writing soon
“Side project to a side project”
Those yaks won’t shave themselves 😂
lmaooo
Came here from Reddit to see the building process. Thank you for taking the time to video-document it! On my way to do a similar minilab project with an extruded aluminum frame. Nice DIY project and inspiration!
I'll be watching reddit for a post!
I fell in love with this as a mini homelab enthusiast ❤. I have never 3D print but I want to get into it now
Now is a good time to get into 3d printing, a lot of the newer printers are less putzy and you can print nice prints quickly!
Tip for tidying the power supplies - you can get USB-C PD-trigger converter plugs that can convert to the various power adaptor plugs these use, which would let you swap them all out for smaller GaN usb-C power supplies, perhaps one big supply eith multiple outlets that can service all of them?
Sadly those GaN power supplies are usually only rated to run at their maximum capacity for about 30 minutes before overheating. Also the power sharing for the ports is usually very questionable and not documented properly.
interesting, Ill take this into account for version 2
Cool mini Rack bro, we need more of ths 🙌🏻🥰😍
working on a refined version 2!
There are also 10" racks that use standard "U" spacing as well but this is a great alternative!
I looked them up and yeah they are pretty nice, makes it hard to choose between a custom build and what they have out there already. lots of pricing is very good! Thanks for letting me know!
@@matthewalton6889 Yeah AV rack gear is also plenty sturdy enough for these little boxes and very cheap (in comparison to full noise server rack stuff). And AV racks uses the same U spacing as server. Then there's some really good 3d printed mounts for the 1L PCs and bosh you've got a very clean setup.
That's cool, I'd never considered mini PC's for a lab. Nice job.
Used ebay ones are very affordable
I like this. I know some haters will complain about the spacing between the systems but these SFF systems don't push air like a real server so the spacing helps the systems stay a little cooler.
Yeah i waffled on it a bit. they can be closer by about 1/4inch and still have lots of airflow, im working on some new designs though!
The real server is like 3x-4x deep. These boxes have a blower type fan that exhaust to the back. They can really seat ontop of each other no problem as long as the airflow is not obstructed by the cables on the back.
Excellent idea and explanation.
With all necessary materials and components.
It would be nice if you presented the whole project here through a video like the previous two.
Advantages of your project:
Simplicity
Small dimensions
Mobility
Relatively low energy consumption
A wide range of possible uses.
Apart from the mentioned Kubernetes, the possibilities are much greater.
It would be nice to see everything running under Linux in one of the distributions in a future video
I wish you to shape the project and give it its final form.
I think your idea is excellent and you should apply it to a lot of jobs that require something like this.
The project is original.
Thanks for the kind words and detailed comment!
Nice Sideproject from a sideproject, you can also add a power strip in to the server rack. But in the end, you do what you have to do in your own best way, nice work...
Nice one! I've got a pile of mini PCs in the garage and I've been thinking of ways to tidy them up. I like the idea of the extruded aluminum. Your setup looks pretty neat!
Its cheap and even without a printer there are all sorts of ways to build a nice rack from it
This is AWESOME! I've just got a stack of Omada equipment sitting on my desk with my mac mini and this is all I needed to convince myself I now need a mini rack to mount it all in!
you gotta!
This is a great idea! I've got 3 HP EliteDesks and a Gen8 Microserver sat on a shelf. I hadn't considered aluminium extrusion. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yeah plus now days the stuff is priced pretty good
I have a couple of Mini Pcs in my homelab and limited space . I dont have a 3d printer yet, so instead I used a stacking paper tray with 4 levels. to keep my equipment organized and with good airflow.
not a bad solution, it probably looks good and clean too
So, you're the one who posted the photos of this project on reddit!
I saved those photos there to use in my project.
But now you've posted it all on video, thank you very much OP.
Good luck on your project! If you have questions feel free to ask!
This is so clean!! Would love to have one of these babies in my office!
Appreciate the early support Tim
Really cool... i am currently working on doing my own personal home server, with cloud drives and some docker containers. i wish you a really nice day and you have actually motivated me to work on my project again
Happy to hear that! Good luck on your project I hope it goes smooth!
I have a very similar setup with 4 thinkcentres and an HP, but all I did was make a 3D print that held all the computers by their tiny screws in the back of their own frame. Heat-wise, probably not the best. But it's very compact and easy to print. Even has some knobs on the side for the switch to mount to. I like the professional build of yours though and makes it more transportable
Very interesting any chance you got pics somewhere on thr net?
this is super cool. i've done something similar, but with "standard" 10" mini-rack width. the printed caddies with velcro is awesome!
very nice!
Fantastic rack, a much better DIY than a lot that I have seen. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
I love your build man! Amazing! DIY is more satisfying than buying pre-built ones.
yeah it was a lot of fun to see it all come together
Really nice work man. Good idea for using a more dedicated psu in the future. This is definitely be a project to come back too next year or do a yearly review of the rig. Love the work
Yeah I have a lot of ideas. I'm not sure If you are familiar with 3d printing but there are open source designs. I wanna make a very flexible design that can scale in both directions so ppl can really conform it to thier needs
@@matthewalton6889 It is a great concept that i'm sure people will use, looking forward to more videos
Slick. I like it. :)
I've a bunch of old HP 800 USDT G1's and G2's. Mounted them in my home lab by turning some rack shelves upside down and bolting through the cases VESA holes. Meaning the PCs hang rather than sit. Not ideal but has been solid as a rock so far.
I mean if it works it works!
I think this is Awesome! Thanks for sharing your design.
Thanks for watching!
This is awesome! I love it! I would like to make one for 8 micro pcs and a ninth shelf for a switch, I run FLUX nodes on these machines they are perfect! Thanks for the video and the 3D files
Good luck! I bet it will look awesome!
I can't wait to see the video of the actual cluster running.
I will be making a videos about this because im running custom webapp I wrote so it should be interesting
thats actually nice work. well done sir.
Thank you! Cheers!
That's an impressive build - gives me ideas for the collection of these systems that I have :D
good luck on your project!
Very nice project. Good job on the overall design. I like the rear facing switch, the overall dimensions and concept.
Your makerworld page specs PLA. PLA is not a good base material for these trays. PETG is better, ABS better still. ABS is harder to print, requires enclosures, produces fumes, etc.
Which is to say. Be careful what you print your tray out of, heat deflection is an issue. These systems can get quite warm when you leave them cranked for long periods, the cases can heat up a lot. You don't want your trays warping, potentially failing, and then dumping the system(s) out of the rack. The aluminum angles might save you there, really depends on how high and how far the heat travels and the sensitivity of your parts to heat deflection.
As another user pointed out, your cable tie job would be better if you left enough slack to let the tray slide out while still being connected. This way you can operate it without having access to the rear of the rack. Slide system out, unplug, do maintenance, plug back in, slide back in.
If you want to talk shop some more, I sent a connection request on LinkedIn.
great tips! Im working on v2 so ill try and incorporate it!
I don't know how i get here but this time must thank for the algorithm.
Cool build. I think you can box in the power supplies.
I'm considering a print that would hold them better. Also thinking about buying the AC side of thr cables and cutting them short and putting a power strip in there. I have a few options and I plan on improving on the build!
Finally! Someone is doing Something new ❤
Thanks!
Great guide and great idea to manage your machines.
Thanks! and Thanks for watching!
Great idea, however one improvement I could think of is making it fit the 10" standard so you can use a 10" patch panel as well. I may just need to build one for my self.
you got me learning how to make a patch box so i can make a 7 inch one lol
slide that rack with a cover like a sleave with a extractor at the top and a blower at the bottom with dust filter running full blast!!!
im working on those features for a v2 design!
This is amazing!
You should try to fit some electrical outlets inside or just slap it on some rail and get power from it.
Maybe even use space on bottom of rack to fit some UPS.
Anyway this rack is really nice!
yeap I need to find a solution that is cleaner that a wad of cables comming out
This is really good for a first video
I have another plant youtube channel so im at least comfortable with like voice over
Thats a dann nice Idea and a really nice Rack. I hope you Build more of this stuff.Maybe a mount for a Topfan and a Shield for left an Rightside.I will build this too .Thanks
Working on newer better designs lol
The caddy rails are kinda limiting because they have such chunky plastic parts. That kind of forces everything to be vertically spaced out. If you just bolted the rails directly to the vertical aluminium extrusions, instead of using the 90 degree angle brackets with set screws, it would require no extra vertical space. You could probably fit 2x the machines in the same rack.
Also given the extra space at the back, you could extend the caddys to accommodate the power supply of each machine, then it just needs power and ethernet to it.
Yes you are correct. I'm working on some other versions. The one nice thing about the angle rails is as you insert the pc it is forced on the rail and can't drop downward as the back tries to catch the back supports if that makes sense. The new design will be more compact and better
@@matthewalton6889 You could maybe even continue to use the 90 degree brackets with the set screws, but ditch the rails completely. Just put 4 little recesses into the bottom of each caddy, then as you slide it in, the brackets will sit in those recesses and kind of loosely hold it in place & minimise risk of it sliding out the back or front
I have a similar mini lenovo home lab setup. Wish I buy the printed parts, as I would build! I know nothing about 3d printing nor have a printer. Really cool thou!
I have the files hosted for free, you cn download them and find a friend or maker space to print them at. Or if you want them really bad there are online services that will print files. Im working on a 2nd version of this that is cleaner more efficient and uses less 3d printed parts. maybe wait for that!
That's so cool! I was planning to build a homelab cluster using these mini PC as well. I am thinking if I should get a big power supply to replace all those small power bricks that came with each machines. But then I thought about single point of failure that this setup might introduce and I start wondering if there are any better solution that take power redundancy into consideration.
Yeah I have waffled on that a lot. Power bricks are redundant and usually come with so saves cost
Nice homelab within budget !! Like it bro!!
Thanks, appreciated!
You designed sliding shelves for easy access to PC's but left no cable slack for doing so.
True, maybe v2 will incorporate that, It slides are kinda overkill for what im doing but idk, this is version 1 I really wanna take all the comments here, including yours and work on a nicer v2 that has improvements like you mentioned!
This is exactly what I was looking for, great video
Glad to hear!
I really like the idea of using these small x86 PCs as a home lab/server and this rack is a great way to make the project more 'serious' lol
Yeah me too, plus they are very affordable on ebay and new homelab people can get a multi machine setup for a good price
very nice. I think a kvm would be a nice addition 👍
I think so too!
Very cool build!
Thank you! Cheers!
You could replace some of those extrusions with slotted shelf track from a hardware store. It would be much cheaper and allow you to mount things using something similar to studs on the front just like a real server. As a bonus, the front mount would keep things from sliding out if it were to tip.
A couple of suggestions: have provisions for font mounted fans, and expand the width so the power brick can be mounted to the side of the PC. This will provide adequate airflow for systems not designed to be packed together tightly in a rack enclosure, and you can use the cheap bricks that come with the machines instead of having to buy a separate PSU. Also, consider something like Freecad if you don't feel like paying for CAD software or wanting a cloud connection. Your designed parts looks like a simple: sketch - pad - sketch on surface - pocket (or hole).
I will consider all of this for v2 thank you for thr suggestions!
I bought some 2020 extrusion just last week to do something similar :D nice job.
very nice, good luck on your build!
Very nicely done. However, if I were setting it up for myself, I would mount pairs of two units side-by-side on 1U sliding racks in a standard chassis.
Yeah this is more niche for someone who may never get a full size rack. The total dimensions of this is like 22 x 7 x 10 inches. Your idea is good too!
Dunno why I need one but definitely I want one.
lol just turn it on and listen to it hum and keep you company
👌👌
Thanks!
Great project, what will be the use of your machine cluster ?
testing out some software I wrote that provisions servers. so there is a ui, api, orchestration service and then clients that run on the machines that can make the virtual servers
@@matthewalton6889 When your project is ready, a video on the subject would be a good thing!
In any case, super interesting project, I subscribe to your channel 😊
Nice side project
nice
😂 side side project?! Not go too crazy with it?! This is insanely cool though! Thanks for sharing this! Also from Reddit and looking to start my own homelab, so this was insightful :)
lmao yeah it got a little out of hand for a sides side project. Glad it could help! Good luck on your build!
It remainds me the deskpi rackmate T1, nice build!
I did not know about that product prior but it looks so nice!
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing the files!
If you build one, good luck! hope you enjoy it!
Fun stuff! Hope to see more like this in the future, you got another subscriber! 😃
Thanks for the sub! Really appreciate it! Hope my future vids are satisfactory!
incredible project ! sadly im not using mini pc in my home lab, only huge desktops one on the other lol, i really enjoyed, it look sick ! congratulation , hoping for you to grow on youtube, to make more of thoses nices project ! have a nice day
Thank you very much!
Awesome job!! Looks professional.
Thank you! Cheers!
man nothing of this is ugly. Nice Cybernetics server build :D
Appreciate it!
Awesome idea. That's thinking outside the box. So far, I only have 2 mini pcs for my homelab. One is a palm sized pc, only good for things like a pihoe. t5he other one does my jellyfin server, video security, web server, and various other things. I may get 3 or 4 more systems, and build something like this.... before my wife kills me for having so much stuff. :)
She will love the tidy rack!
Dude, nice work and great video! really cool!
Thanks a lot!
Looks nice, now for a cool faceplate cover to make it look sleek
working on designs rightt now
Very nicely done and you narrated this well. Would love to see what you host on it. Overall, awesome job!
i will be making videos bout that. I have a lot of custom web apps I wrote that communicate to manage virtual servers it should be cool
Looks great. You could put panels on the sides
Im looking into that now
Great job. It looks much prettier if you cut black acrylic panels and hide the lower level with the PSUs. A nice addon might be a power strip in order to avoid the power cord spaghetti...
These are great ideas thank you!
Hello, I saw your post on reddit 2 days ago, good job!
Hey, thanks!
Use a Califlower to calibrate your printer to be dimensionally accurate. Worth the $5 it costs
califlower?
I would just minimally make a PSU separator tray and add extrusion end-caps. But knowing myself, I would definitely add some RGB goodness and other things like that.
There will be a revision to this lol I did not think about RGB stuff, that could be cool
the most interesting thing is what kind of power supply is suitable for such Mini PC
I hope that in the future I can also make it happen to
lol
Awesome outcome!
Have you considered printing end caps for those front-facing ends at the top and bottom?
its a fantastic idea to clean up the look. Even some nice little feet would be good for better breathing below the power packs! Thanks for the suggestion
@@matthewalton6889 - Feet sound like a great idea, too!
I was just seriously considering doing something like this to service small businesses with on-prem domains without charging them 50k for server grade stuff they'll over-provision anyway.
Would design in space for a UPS or two with an ATS, and a NAS for big storage, most SMB firewalls would fit right on that rack.
the dimensions are pretty flexible if you can modify the parts or come up with a different sled design too
I am going to try this
Good luck and enjoy!
Please make a Video on how to get everything Up and running after everything is connected.
will do
Would be interesting if you could put 10G NICs in each one, and go down to like a Dell X4012
If this channel blows up I can invest into trying cool stuff like this out but at the moment im broke lmao
I would say its more of shelving than a rack, I guess this is where we are now.
What can I do to make this more od a rack, I'm working on v2
Nice project!
Thank you! Cheers!
I would lose the Velcro and use 3M command strips (available at Amazon, dollar store, hardware store, drug store)instead. One side would attach to the caddy and the mating piece would attach to the Server. The wonderful thing about command strips is they are removeable (Leaving no residue on the surface) and are invisible. They come in weight categories up to 25 lbs! Since you are using them horizontally you can get away with the 5 or 10lbs command strips. I would use a set of four on each of the four corners.
That's a much cleaner approach too. How do they handle heat?
@@matthewalton6889Not sure about thermal limits for them. Given most of the heat will be ejected through the rear fans I don't think it is a concern. I would call 3M customer support. They have thermal limits for them as an engineering document they can send you. There are professional grade versions of command strips as well. But if you leave enough space between, I will not expect a problem. The biggest issue would be changes in adhesive properties I would think. A temperature probe from an aquarium with a digital readout might give you an idea of ambient temp about the caddy. I suspect if you have a thermal issue the caddy will deform prior to the command strips becoming an issue.
@@matthewalton6889Not sure call 3M customer support they can give you the engineering spec sheet for the product. They also make professional versions of the command strip that are more durable and grippy.
That's neat, I think I may steal the aluminum angle idea. I was using custom laser cut wooden sleds but they are so much blank space they aren't super efficient to make. Was eying just getting full on soft close drawer slides but angle is way cheaper.
I avoided the aluminum extrusion and instead opted for a laser cut plywood frame which made assembly quite simple (glue with painters tape for clamps) Even have a parametric model that let's me go from 1U height up to 10U (I can't cut larger pieces on my laser, and I'd be concerned about the integrity of 1/8" plywood at that scale, it's pretty robust at 4-6U heights though)
I need to get better at 3d modeling so i can make some parametric designs! tinkercad works but im so limited... Your stuff sounds really awesome! Steal away! Most hardware stores have some basic aluminum extrusion profiles (angle, square, flat, U) so hopefully you can incorporate it!
Good bro
Continue making video - you might even get more followers
Thanks! I am working on new videos!
What about a regular PC power supply plus a DC-DC buck converter (assuming the PCs are 19V) ?
Im currently looking into power options so ill take this into consideration! Thanks!
Nice build Matthew, subd.
Thank you so much!
I really like it, great job. Alas, these little PC's aren't very cheap here in the UK, even 2nd hand :(
yeah I think this is entirely population size reliant, because we have millions of these that come off lease in the corporate world and then get resold on the private market
are you gonna plan to create video on the custom power supply?
yes, any updates i do I will make videos. Im also going to take what ive learned from the build and all the comments here to make a better more standard design that has more flexibilty for ppl to adopt
build a tray to line up the power bricks with enough space that they can breathe, other than that sweet build
Will do for v2
first video on your channel is a banger. do some more videos on 3d printing and home labs ;)
Will do, its been a dream of mine to have a channel like this and with the luck of the first video Ill keep it up! Thanks for the support
I was checking for other video, but looks like this is your first video, congrats on all the views!
What will you be running on these? Interested in the application, setup looks cool
I have some web applications Ive been working on for a game server rental platform. So i wanna run my backend services and front end services to see how it performs on real hardware and networked. Dont know if ill ever launch it but its been a project Ive been working on for a while.
I have some plans for additional videos on 3d printing and tech like this! Im dreaming up a v2 of this that is more standard, cleaner and more adaptable
- So what are you using it for?
- You know, kubernetes and stuff...
To test my own dumbed down kubernetes. I built some web services to manage tons of virtual servers so I want a test rig to run them all and see how it does on separate physical machines
dream setup 😭
you can build it!
damn, now i want to buy 2 more minipc just to build this with my 3D printer :/
nice video
depending on specs there are some very cheap ebay mini pcs
Reddit brought me here. Crazy set up. Please sell this to me lol
The print files are available! Or do you mean you want like a kit to assemble?
If I remember correctly there is a sliding rail system in the 80/20 catalog but I don't know if they have one this small.
Ill have to look into it! Thanks!
@@matthewalton6889 Call 80/20 custoemr support I am sure they have a sliding rail system ofor this application or they can refer you to a partner company that has one.
So now you have my attention on the rack and hardware, I REALLY want to see your system setup on these. Did you just leave the OS on them or are you running Linux or ProxMox? I want to do something similar but I want to have either a VMWare or Proxmox group.
I can do a video about it soon, but this will be to test a game server hosting platform im programming. Ive got some backend services that manage the virtual servers and some orchestration services and an API and UI that I wanted to test "real world" instead of just all on one desktop PC.
If you think thats interesting I can try and do a walkthrough on like the networking, OS and services and what not
Please do?
Great project
Thank you!
What was the point of doing it again? These units are great at saving the desk space but now it is all bloated. Are you planning to move then into the closet?
You could’ve just put a switch right in the middle of the stack and crimped super short rj45 with 45 angle connectors to cut down on cable clutter.
I’m just using mine sitting on the table with wires put through hole under the table. 2 HPs, 2 Dells and a Mac mini.
Looks cool and tidy I'm not really sure
Great YT! How did you figure out which one has the Ryzen?
i based it off the ebay listings, when I searched for the mini pcs I was looking for ones with a specific cpu in it. The bios confirmed it as well
Sweet! Thank you!
Mini pc rack a al barsha 3
Thanks for watching!