Will this fit/work an M1?

[Jozi]

I'm trying to plan a build around an M1 and want to keep some of the parts I already have for this build.

The main aim, besides size, is that I want it to be very quiet but I also want to have a somewhat half decent back up system in place.

Currently I have a Samsung 256GB SSD and a 3TB 3.5" drive I want to keep. Additionally I would like to get a second 3TB drive and use a RAID 1 configuration to have a backup of my photos. I intend to use the SSD as a 2nd drive for my photo along with a M2 drive on which ever mobo I buy.

My question is, can I house 2x HHD and the SSD (which can go in the front)?

I haven't fully finalized my configuration yet but I'm likely to have a nvidia 1070 gfx card and probably a new Intel i7 which will need to be adequately cooled and remain quiet.

From what I can tell, most people have 2x fan on the case floor where the drives would live?

 

[Necere]

There's a drive cage that mounts to the side bracket and can hold two 3.5" HDDs. Here's an example:

Otherwise, it's only possible to fit a single 3.5" HDD on the floor of the case.

 

[Jozi]

This is great! I had seen the drive cage but I didn't realise it held 2x drives!

Is it a compromise this way in that it will block some of the side panel vents and not allow a 2x fan setup on there?

 

[Necere]

Is it a compromise this way in that it will block some of the side panel vents and not allow a 2x fan setup on there?

That's correct. The front half of the fan bracket will be taken up by the drive cage, and a fan can't be installed there. Depending on what type of CPU cooler you use, there may not be enough room to install a fan on the rear half, either. Top-down coolers, as shown above, will allow for a fan on the rear half (and/or on the cooler itself), while tower coolers like the NH-U9S will not. As an example:

In general, it's a good idea to have at least one fan on the side bracket to ensure adequate airflow, so plan accordingly. These are pics I'm pulling from the user build gallery, btw, which is well worth looking through for ideas, if you haven't already.