Hey Homelab Heroes,
Thought I’d drop a little something special for you all — a sneak peek at what we’re calling the HL15 Beast! 
Now before you start frantically measuring your rack and planning cable routes, a quick disclaimer: this is still a prototype, and the design isn’t final yet… so don’t go carving the model name into your NAS just yet. 
But yes — it’s real, it’s bold, and it’s brewing in the lab.
Stay tuned… it’s only going to get wilder from here.
Looking good!
Is this the potential 5U version with E-ATX board support?
Other than the 5U height dimension, what would the depth/length dimension be?
DANG! Yes. please leave it without the notches !!!
I love the name. Can I place my order now😜
Adding on these questions, Why was 5U chosen? Will the room beneath the drives be used as well? Maybe adding 5.25 inch bay support for external devices like SSD caddy, DVD-ROM or tape drive?
I think some people were complaining that 4U didn’t allow for some of the taller CPU coolers they wanted to use, or for taller GPUs with power connectors on the top. 45HL still hasn’t responded re water cooling support; I have my doubts on that given the placement of the radiator.
If the backplane is raised 1U and the space under it is otherwise unused, a good use for that space would possibly be some optional external 5.25" drive bays.
I would think the extra 1U of space beneath the backplane should make it more serviceable overall. The 4U design really doesn’t have enough room for your hand to get underneath and unlatch the SFF 8643 connectors. That makes re-seating or replacing the cables more difficult. You pretty much have to remove the backplane to get at it in a comfortable way.
I second this. I’d love to have 3 5.25 in devices along the bottom, along with a front power/reset switch and USB ports.
