APC by Schneider Electric AR3300X717 NetShelter SX 42U Freestanding Rack Enclosure
Overview
The AR3300X717 is APC's NetShelter SX 42U freestanding rack enclosure in the 600mm wide by 1200mm deep form factor — a standard configuration for data center rows and IT equipment rooms where depth headroom for cable management, patch panels, and rear-mounted power distribution is a priority. Side panels ship included, so the enclosure arrives ready to deploy as a closed, secured cabinet rather than an open frame. The black finish aligns with APC by Schneider Electric's NetShelter SX line and with the Dell-branded variant specification noted in this SKU.
If you're building out a structured rack enclosure row or refreshing a single cabinet position, the 42U height gives you full flexibility across server, storage, networking, and power distribution units without the compromises of a shorter 36U or 40U cabinet.
Key Features
- 42U Rack Capacity: Forty-two rack units of usable vertical space accommodates a full tower of 1U/2U servers, dense storage shelves, patch panels, and a top-of-rack switch without having to split workloads across two cabinets — that matters when you're costing out floor tile real estate in a raised-floor room.
- 600mm Width: The 600mm form factor is the narrower of the two common NetShelter SX widths (the other is 750mm). It fits standard 19-inch rackmount equipment with room for vertical cable managers on both sides, and it tiles cleanly in rows planned to a 600mm grid — common in co-location and modular data center designs.
- 1200mm Depth: At 1200mm front-to-back, this enclosure handles long-chassis servers and storage arrays without rear cable crowding. Shallower 1070mm or 900mm cabinets routinely force cable compression behind high-density servers; the extra depth here gives power cords and patch cables room to route cleanly without bending past their minimum radius.
- Side Panels Included: Enclosed side panels ship in the box, meaning the cabinet arrives as a sealed unit — relevant for hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment deployments where gaps between adjacent cabinets bleed conditioned air and raise PUE. No need to order panels separately and wait on a second shipment.
- Freestanding Design: Stands independently without wall anchoring or row attachment hardware, simplifying placement in both permanent data center rows and temporary or staged environments. Casters or leveling feet (verify with APC documentation for this SKU) allow repositioning without a lift team.
- Black Finish — Dell Branded Variant: The AR3300X717 is the Dell-branded SKU of the NetShelter SX enclosure in this size. The physical enclosure matches the standard NetShelter SX construction; the Dell branding designates it for environments standardizing on Dell infrastructure aesthetics or procurement channels.
Integration and Compatibility
The NetShelter SX line is designed around standard 19-inch EIA-310 rackmount equipment. The AR3300X717 is compatible with APC's full range of rack-mount accessories including vertical and horizontal cable managers, blanking panels, toolless and tooled mounting rail hardware, and APC rack PDUs. The 1200mm depth supports rear-mount PDU installation without encroaching on equipment clearances.
For power distribution, pair this enclosure with rack-mount APC rack PDUs appropriate to your circuit load. For physical security in open data center environments, APC offers locking front and rear door options within the NetShelter SX accessory ecosystem — confirm compatibility against this specific SKU with APC documentation before ordering doors separately.
Integrators deploying this cabinet as part of a hot-aisle/cold-aisle row should verify blanking panel coverage on all empty rack units — the 42U height means unused U positions represent meaningful bypass airflow if left open. Review your data center accessories plan before commissioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What rack unit capacity does the AR3300X717 provide?
A: The AR3300X717 provides 42U of usable rack space, accommodating standard 19-inch EIA-310 rackmount equipment.
Q: Does the AR3300X717 ship with side panels?
A: Yes. Side panels are included with the AR3300X717, so the enclosure arrives as a closed cabinet without requiring a separate panel purchase.
Q: What are the external dimensions of the AR3300X717?
A: The AR3300X717 is 600mm wide and 1200mm deep. Overall height for a 42U NetShelter SX enclosure — confirm exact external height in APC's current datasheet for this SKU.
Q: Is the AR3300X717 suitable for hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment deployments?
A: Yes. The enclosed side panels and freestanding design are compatible with hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment rows. Ensure all empty rack units are fitted with blanking panels to prevent bypass airflow.
Q: What is the Dell branding on the AR3300X717?
A: The AR3300X717 is the Dell-branded variant of the APC NetShelter SX 42U 600x1200mm enclosure. The physical construction matches the standard NetShelter SX line; the Dell designation makes it suitable for Dell-standardized procurement environments.
The AR3300X717 is one of those enclosures that earns its place by not creating problems. The 1200mm depth is the spec I point to first — that extra front-to-back room is where a lot of data center buildouts get it right or wrong. Cramped 900mm cabinets with dense server rows end up with power cables bent past their limits and airflow disrupted by bunched patch cords. At 1200mm, you have space to route properly.
Technical Highlights:
- 42U Capacity: Full 42U height means you're not compromising on density — you can run a complete server stack, top-of-rack switch, patch panel tier, and PDU in a single cabinet without overflow into a second.
- 600mm Width with Side Panels: The 600mm form factor tiles predictably in standard data center grid layouts. Side panels included means no gap-fill order on the accessory list — the cabinet seals on day one.
- 1200mm Depth: Long-chassis 2U servers and dual-port storage arrays fit without rear cable compression. This is the depth spec that saves airflow planning headaches in high-density rows.
Deployment Considerations:
- The Dell-branded designation (AR3300X717) is a procurement variant — verify against your Dell contract or channel before ordering if branding consistency is a requirement for your environment.
- Side panels are included, but front and rear door configurations are not confirmed in available evidence — verify door type (perforated, solid, locking) directly with APC's current SKU documentation before specifying for a secured environment.
This enclosure fits best in structured data center rows where 600mm grid planning is already established and depth is available for proper cable management — co-location builds, enterprise server rooms, and high-density compute deployments where the 1200mm depth pays for itself in cleaner airflow and maintenance access.
