8U Network Rack, 10 inch Mini Server Rack for Network, Servers, Audio, and Video Equipment, DeskPi RackMate T1, 7.87 inch Depth

Ok so I like many buyers have seen tons of videos from tech youtubers on the deskpi rackmates. Even some professional IT guys that have reviewed it have said that the rack holes don't line up, and there are some comments both on youtube and in poor reviews here on Amazon that say the alignment is off and that the finished rack is a bit wobbly. I dont want to discredit them, because maybe in between then and now deskpi fixed some issues... but mine has perfectly spaced mounting holes (THREADED too!, no need to screw around with pop-in sockets - if you have ever worked on server racks you know pop-in sockets were sent from hell to torment you). The alignment of all parts and pieces is perfect on mine (T1 Black, shorter depth). Also, I checked it without ANYTHING mounted: solid. Obviously even more solid with stuff mounted on the front but even bare it had ZERO wobble. Im not sponsored, paid full price and I usually don't even write reviews unless something is either a scam or truly surpassed my expectations. This truly surpassed my expectations. I thought with some professional IT guys having complaints about it that it would be workable but not great, satisfactory for a little mini desk rack. That is not what I got. I got a super sturdy super well built and meticulously machined rack that honestly is better built and well thought out than most commercial stuff Ive worked with. 6 stars!

This thing is amazing if you want a compact server rack, and great quality for the price! The acrylic side panel is great visually, and the metal feels very sturdy. I'm not afraid in any way that it'll fall apart or otherwise not hold whatever it is I want to put in it. The setup is pretty simple, just make sure you don't install the crossbar upside down like I did at first :)

Great mini rack! Organised my networking equipment. Knew the dimensions but in person kinda small,. Great build quality and fit. Already 3d printed some extra grills. Helped me fully organise the mess under my desk

I picked up the GeeekPi 8U Server Cabinet (DeskPi RackMate T1) to organize my growing collection of mini servers, switches, and Raspberry Pi nodes. As someone with limited space who runs a small homelab for home automation, monitoring, and light virtualization, this 10-inch rack has been a game-changer. It fits perfectly on a desk or shelf without dominating the room. The rack arrived flat-packed with clear instructions and all necessary hardware. Assembly took about 20-30 minutes and was straightforward. The build quality feels solid: thick aluminum alloy frame with translucent acrylic side panels for dust protection while keeping everything visible and accessible. Overall dimensions are roughly 11" W x 7.87" D x 16" H, giving a true 8U of usable space (about 14" height). In daily use: It holds my equipment securely with adjustable rails. I've mounted a small switch, a few Pi-based nodes, a mini PC, and have room for more. The open design provides excellent airflow (no overheating issues even with multiple devices running), and cable management is manageable with the included options. The acrylic sides look clean and modern while reducing dust buildup compared to fully open racks. Pros: Very compact 10" width – ideal for home offices or tight spaces Solid aluminum construction with good weight (sturdy but not too heavy) Translucent acrylic panels for visibility and light dust protection Easy assembly and fully adjustable mounting points Great airflow and accessibility for maintenance Cons: Depth is limited (~7.87"/200mm), so deeper gear may not fit without modifications No built-in fans or power distribution (you'll need to add your own) Side panels are acrylic, so they can scratch if not handled carefully For the price, this is excellent value if you're building a compact 10-inch homelab or network setup. It turns a messy pile of devices into a clean, professional-looking rack. Highly recommend it for Raspberry Pi clusters, small servers, audio/video gear, or anyone wanting a space-saving solution. Would buy again (and might grab the deeper T1 Plus version next time)!

***** Updated Review (11/3/24) ***** GeekPi reached out to me offering a full refund shortly after my review went up (and before I could even contact them about the cracked acrylic top). I very much appreciate when companies have attentive customer service personnel who stand behind their products, so I'm updating my review and rating as I originally promised I would. Since I'm already here, I thought I'd give a bit of an update on my experience after using the RackMate T1 for about a week. I'll keep it brief (and I do recommend reading my initial thoughts below), but there were a few things I wanted to touch on and correct from my initial review. - The "Opening" Width between the front and rear mounting rails is 8.46". While I didn't see this on the productpage for the RackMate T1 when purchasing, GeekPi thankfully notates this very clearly in several of their rack shelf product pages. I should have checked that before purchasing, and that's absolutely on me. - The rack measures 11" in width, as advertised. Its internal clearance is just about 10" (I believe I measured it at 9.75"). - The internal depth is just shy of 7". So if you have a piece of hardware that's between 8.46" and 9.75" in width (but less than 7" in depth), you could probably muscle it in by introducing it into the rack diagonally. Now, for something that might come as a surprise: I ended up NOT returning my unit. After setting up my networking gear (with my Cisco Meraki MS-130 on a freshly 3D-printed top panel), I actually really love the tiny footprint of this rack! It fits perfectly in a tight space in my office, and I realized that there are already a ton of people making 3D printing files for custom mounting and shelves for this unit. I'm updating my score to 4/5 stars because of the prompt customer service response and my love of the form factor. I do think that receiving the product damaged with (possible) assembly issues is worth knocking a star off, but I can still easily recommend this product - especially with the great accessories being offered by GeekPi as well as the community (via print files). ----- Original Review Below (10/22/24) ------- I honestly love the design of this mini rack, and I was super excited for it to show up today. The frame seems sturdy and the finish on the aluminum parts looks great in person. I didn’t have any denting on the frame, which I was glad of after reading a few other reviews. With that said, I did unfortunately have some glaring issues with my unit: - Upon arrival, the top acrylic panel had large cracks in 3 of the 4 corners and was visibly bent (bowing) in the middle. - The top aluminum crossbars of the frame were assembled/installed upside down, which almost certainly caused both the cracking and bending in the top acrylic panel. If they had been installed correctly, the lip of those crossbars would have supported the acrylic panel on the top and prevented the stresses which caused the cracking/bending. [EDIT: I'm not entirely sure of this after spending some time squinting at some of their product photos elsewhere. But if they were installed correctly, it's a pretty big design flaw to not support the flimsy acrylic top panel] - Some parts of the chassis and a few panels don’t quite line up, though I’m not yet sure if these are assembly or manufacturing issues. Needless to say, I was disappointed - especially after spending nearly $200. I’ll contact GeekPi to see if I can get a replacement panel or return, and will update my review and score if we’re able to reach a satisfactory resolution. The last thing I want to make others aware of is that the clearance *between* the aluminum side pieces is a bit less than 9 inches (~8.75"). - While there may be clearance for 10” equipment *inside* of the chassis, it won’t be possible to fit any equipment wider than ~8.75" IF that equipment also protrudes from the back or front of the frame. - I was surprised and disappointed to find that my ~9” wide Meraki PoE+ switch could not fit in the rack because of this. To be fair, I'm not exactly familiar with measurement standards for racks smaller than the much more common 19"W x 24"/48"D racks that I work with, so I'm not necessarily counting this against GeekPi here. I just think buyers should be aware of this going into their purchase.

The rack is nice and sturdy. Very flexible in what you can do with it, and tons of accessories are available. All the machined parts fit together perfectly and the quality is evident. The 8U rack has plenty of space for a patch panel, gateway, router, PiHole, MoCA adapter, smart home controller, and all the associated power power delivery. It dramatically cleaned up my leaning tower of routers, switches, and other networking gear into a much smaller space. I even had a couple of suggestions and requests for spare parts, and the company has been extremely friendly and responsive, typically replying in under 24 hours!

The GeeekPi 8U Server Cabinet is a well-designed and sturdy rack, perfect for organizing my Raspberry Pi cluster, small networking gear, and other lightweight equipment. I appreciate the compact 10-inch form factor — it fits nicely on a desk or shelf without taking up much space. Ventilation is decent, and it looks clean and professional once set up. I also like that it’s compatible with various accessories and rack-mounted components. There are many 3D models that can be printed and installed to support various equipment. If you're building a small home lab or need a tidy way to mount mini servers or AV equipment, this is a great solution. The installation instructions are a bit lacking. Here are some tips 1. Start with the bag that has the rubber feet in them. The other bag has screws that are a bit too long but do somewhat fit. 2. Top rails. Make sure you install them right side up. The metal should be flush with the acrylic top. If not, you will not get the use of the top screw holes and lose the space. See picture 3. If you don't know, you can remove the plastic film from the acrylic parts if you want to. I know I shouldn't have to say this, but it is not obvious to some people. The peeling is also so satisfying. The acrylic top is a bit of a pain because of the vents, but just take your time. Pros: Sturdy construction Compact and space-efficient Easy to assemble Looks great on a desk or shelf Cons: Not deep enough for full-sized rack gear (as expected)

Overall, I’m really happy with this rack. It was packaged reasonably well albeit the plastic inserts used to hold parts together was cracked during shipping, but thankfully there was no damage to the actual components. The instructions are fairly basic, but assembly is straightforward and easy to figure out. I added a surge protector and an extra shelf, and was able to fit a UniFi Cloud Gateway, UniFi 8-port switch, patch panel, Synology NAS, Philips Hue hub, and an Apple Mac mini M4 without any issues. Everything fit exactly as I hoped and it makes a very convenient mini rack for home networking gear or other small equipment. Build quality is excellent. The anodized black finish looks great, and the screws and acrylic panels are well-machined and precise. I highly recommend this for small setups or compact home labs.

Nice … good product and quickly delivered

A little more expensive than I like, but it is incredibly well made. High quality materials and easy to adjust. Helped organize my home lab and networking equipment

Excelente!

Great service and delivery. Ordered on the evening of the 8th and delivered on the 10th. Great little rack for my networking gear.

Il prodotto arriva in una valigetta smontato. L'imballo è eccellente e la qualità meccanica è veramente superiore. I profilati di alluminio sono lavorativi e bruniti perfettamente Va montato con attenzione badando alla lunghezza appropriata delle viti. Qualche difficoltà nello spellicolare il panello superiore. Un ottimo prodotto: è caro ma vale tutti i soldi che costa.