Description
iStarUSA S-917 Compact Stylish 7x 5.25" Bay mini-ITX Tower
The iStarUSA S-917 is a purpose-built external NAS tower designed to turn ambitious storage dreams into a practical, scalable reality. Crafted to fit neatly in a home office, lab, or small business environment, this compact mini-ITX chassis packs a remarkable storage footprint into a sleek, space-saving form. With seven external 5.25" bays and a flexible drive cage system, the S-917 makes it possible to expand your data capacity without sacrificing aesthetics or floor real estate. Its quiet 120mm cooling fan ensures reliable operation even during long archival tasks or heavy data transfers, so you can rely on continuous uptime without distracting noise. If you’re building a high-capacity, organized storage solution for media libraries, backups, virtualization experiments, or a private cloud, the S-917 provides the foundation you need with style and practicality in one compact package.
- Massive, scalable storage in a compact form: The S-917 features seven external 5.25" bays, designed to accommodate drive cages that can scale your storage up significantly. When loaded with compatible cages, it can reach up to 42 bays, delivering a flexible, expandable storage solution that evolves with your data needs. This makes it an ideal choice for media servers, archival systems, backups, and multi-site data consolidation while keeping the footprint minimal.
- Efficient cooling for sustained performance: A dedicated 120mm quiet cooling fan provides steady airflow to maintain stable operation during extended workloads. The chassis is designed to optimize ventilation, with vented panels and strategically placed openings that reduce heat build‑up even under continuous write/read cycles. This means your drives stay cooler, noise remains low, and performance remains consistent across long sessions.
- Durable build with a clean, stylish appearance: Built from sturdy steel with a black powder-coated finish, the S-917 blends industrial reliability with modern aesthetics. Its compact tower profile fits neatly under desks or on shelves, while its rugged construction offers long-term durability in demanding environments. The minimalist styling makes it a versatile addition to home theaters, studios, or quiet office spaces, where form and function meet.
- Flexible, drive-cage–driven design for easy upgrades: The exterior bay design supports a modular drive cage system, enabling straightforward upgrades and maintenance. Tool-free drive trays and quick-access panels simplify drive installation and replacements, so expanding capacity or swapping drives becomes a quick, drop-in process rather than a messy, time-consuming operation. This flexibility is especially valuable for users who regularly upgrade storage or reconfigure their NAS layout.
- Ideal for diverse storage roles and OS integrations: The S-917 is purpose-built for external NAS applications and can integrate with a wide range of NAS operating systems and data management solutions. Whether you’re deploying a private cloud, a media streaming server, a hard‑working backup hub, or a testbed for virtualization experiments, the S-917 provides the dependable backbone you need with a design that supports both performance and expansion.
Technical Details of iStarUSA S-917
- Model: iStarUSA S-917
- Form Factor: mini-ITX tower
- Bay Count: 7x external 5.25" bays
- Maximum Drive Capacity: up to 42 bays with compatible drive cages
- Cooling: 120mm dedicated cooling fan
- Finish/Material: steel with black powder-coated exterior
- Intended Use: external NAS storage tower for high-capacity data expansion
- Note: Drive cages and certain accessories are designed for use with the S-917; verify compatibility with your existing cages and drives (not all configurations are included).
How to install iStarUSA S-917
- Plan your storage configuration by deciding how many 5.25" bays you will populate first and which drive cages you will install. The S-917 supports a modular approach, so you can start with a subset of bays and expand later without removing the entire chassis.
- Prepare your drives and drive cages. Ensure drives are properly seated in their cages and that any required connectors or adapters are ready. If you are using 3.5" drives, insert them into compatible cages designed for those drive types, following the cage manufacturer’s installation guidelines.
- Mount the S-917 chassis in your chosen location. Ensure there is ample ventilation around the chassis and that the surface is level. Keep the area free of dust and ensure that intake and exhaust airflow paths are not obstructed.
- Install the drive cages into the 5.25" bays. Use the provided mounting points and hardware to secure cages firmly. If tool-free trays are included, snap the drives into the trays and slide them into the bays until they click into place.
- Connect power and data as required by your NAS setup. The exact connections depend on your NAS hardware and drive cage configuration. Ensure cables are neatly routed to prevent interference with the fans and airflow.
- Power on the system and verify drive detection in your NAS software. Configure storage pools, volumes, and RAID levels as needed for your data protection and performance requirements.
- Perform a quick health check on all drives and monitor temperatures during initial operation. Schedule routine maintenance to clean dust filters and verify fan operation for ongoing reliability.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary purpose of the iStarUSA S-917? The S-917 is designed as an external NAS tower with a large, scalable bay count. It provides a compact, stylish chassis for housing multiple external drive cages and expanding storage capacity beyond a typical desktop footprint, making it ideal for home labs, media servers, backups, and small business storage needs.
- How many drives can I ultimately store with the S-917? With compatible drive cages, the system can support up to 42 bays, enabling substantial data capacity without expanding the physical footprint. The exact number depends on the drive cage configuration and the number of cages you install in the seven 5.25" bays.
- Is cooling adequate for heavy workloads? Yes. A dedicated 120mm cooling fan provides steady airflow to help keep temperatures in check during long transfer sessions, large backups, or media indexing tasks. Proper ventilation in the surrounding area further enhances cooling and reliability during sustained use.
- Is the drive cage system included or do I need to purchase cages separately? The S-917 is designed to work with drive cages for 5.25" bays, and the concept emphasizes modular cages for flexible expansion. Availability of cages may vary by package, so verify what is included in your specific order or check with the retailer for compatible cage options.
- Which setups best suit the S-917? The chassis excels as an external NAS expansion unit, a private storage hub for media libraries, backups for small offices, or a testbed for data-intensive applications. Its compact size and scalable bays make it versatile for any environment where reliable, expandable storage is required.
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