A view of Ares4 when it was new, in 2004. I have few photos from the early 2000s and prior. For instance, I have no photos of Ares1/2, and I have no
idea where Ares3 is in this photo - it would have been on the floor in the vicinity of the table. The devices visible on the floor are a pair of
Powerware (Deltec) UPSs and an In Win S500 ATX case.
All sorts of interesting old stuff in there - an Adtran NetVanta sitting on a Cisco 1701 sitting on a Lucent (Xedia) AP1000, with a NetFLX modem above them and a Cabletron (Yago) switch up top.
As far as Ares4, the enclosure is an Intel, manufactured by Enlight. System fan is a Comair Rotron Major DC running at full speed; filter is a 14"x4" automotive type, most likely an AC Delco. The fan produces enough static pressure to pull air through a clean filter, but I would consider it marginal at best these days.
Inside view of Ares4 following its retirement at the end of 2015. I did not clean it at all (and had not cleaned it during its 10-year service
life). The air filtration was effective, especially considering that I used disposable filters at the time, which, while generally efficient, have
poor dirtholding.
Power supply is a 600W Delta. It required a bit of modifcation for its front support, something you don't see on modern, heavier power supplies. Floppy is an LS120, as Windows (Server 2003) would not read an actual floppy attached to this system. RAID controller is a 3Ware, connected to six 40GB WD HDDs. I originally purchased nine; I replaced one (position) twice, in 2014, I believe. I custom-assembled the PATA cables, so they fit pretty well. The CPU heat sinks are Swiftechs, with an asymmetric design for use with dual Netburst Xeons.
This was my first server with ECC RAM and the second with a RAID (stripe and mirror). I tried to build this machine to be bulletproof, and I seem to have succeeded - as far as I know, it still runs. I believe the only factory heat sinks on the board are on the VRM - I added or changed the rest.
The power cable for the fan is sitting on the PATA cables on the bottom of the case. I believe I wired all four positions because I originally built up the case with two 120mm fans on the side panel, and went to the Rotron when the 120s failed to impress me.
I modified the power connector for the second drive from the top. I don't recall why - perhaps it had a right-angle connector originally.
Above the LS120 is the front panel board. Originally this had a fixed cable set designed for a particular Intel motherboard. I had a buddy (with greater skill) desolder the cable and solder in a header.
Here it is sitting in my living room in 2020. As of 2024, it's still flying around the house. I haven't had the heart to scrap it... yet.