2.5" HDD OS Disk Under 5.25" ODD - HP MicroServer

thingiverse

This is a crucial component of my HP MicroServer N40L Build, designed to maximize the number of drives installed inside the case. By adding two 3.5-inch HDDs to the 5.25-inch ODD Bay, I needed a location for the OS disk, aside from using the USB port on the motherboard. This bracket securely mounts 2.5-inch Hard Drives or SSDs through four counter-sunk holes on its bottom side, optionally using M3 washers as spacers for slight separation between the PCB and plastic. The 2.5-inch OS HDD is then mounted to the bracket, which is slid through a square on the ODD Tray's bottom side and fastened with zip ties, as seen in photos (credit: DogBert for installation photos). My design differs from DogBert's because I wanted securing bolts underneath the drive to have a slimmer left-to-right profile. This allows easy routing of wires, especially after splitting power multiple times to accommodate two additional drives in the ODD Bay. I made the base sturdy with a little thickness to also accommodate counter-sunk bolts. I minimized plastic usage by removing the diamond in the middle and using multiple perimeters to maintain structural integrity. The HP MicroServer is a powerful, compact server tower that typically supports four drives in the bottom bays but can connect many more HDDs via two PCIe card slots on the motherboard. Most people have used the Nexus Doubletwin bracket, but considering price, lack of modification, shipping time and prices, I designed my own. You can optionally use O-rings or insulated standoffs to minimize vibration from disks (available at Home Depot or Lowes). My design came out to about $1.60 for both halves, using the HP Microserver's included ODD screws on the hinged door (15% infill hexagonal, 3 bottom, 4 top, 3 perimeters, PLA). I designed this a while ago and just posted it; I believe there's a 5mm gap between thick hard drives. I used 3TB drives in pictures, which are three-platter disks. They're pretty thick, so this bracket should fit most if not all hard drives. My measurements are in the pictures as well for anyone who'd like to check theirs. Pictured on my MicroServer, I have four drives in the bottom bays, two in the top bays, and a 2.5-inch OS drive from an older laptop underneath the ODD Bay. This totals six data disks and one OS disk. I have two cards on the HP Proliant: 1. Syba 2-Port USB 3.0 and 2-Port SATA III PCIe 2.0 x4 SD_PEX50055 Green, Grey from Amazon ($40.01). I use this on the full-size PCIe channel on the outboard edge of the motherboard. 2. VANTEC 4-Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCIe Host Card Model UGT-PC341 from Newegg (24$). I use this one on the smaller size PCIe channel on the inboard edge of the motherboard. Using these two cards, I have support for six external USB 3.0 disks, six internal 3.5-inch data disks, one 2.5-inch OS disk, one eSATA disk, and six USB 2.0 disks. This gives me approximately twelve full-speed data disks before needing to upgrade cases or systems. I recommend upgrading to the latest modded BIOS for full performance on the onboard SATA port on the motherboard. Also, uploading the 2.5-inch OS HDD Under ODD Tray I designed. Feel free to message me with any questions!