Help with additional storage device, ie second harddrive

yp89CCp · 13 Dec 2011

So I'm planning to get a second HD for my tower here so I can do the things that i love but also take up space ie 3d modeling and the game art stuff. I lost all of my backups on my laptop but i figured since my tower has a better proc, tons more memory, video power that it would be a more suitable place to do 3d modeling because it is sometimes RAM hungry

Anyways my 250 primary is running low. I just installed PS cs4 because I use it a ton [and for school graphic arts work] and i'm down to 60 gigs

I've never installed another hd before. I wanted to get a basic run down of it.

Correct me if I mess up:

1. get right kind, sata3 drive
2. put in case in rails and connect sata cables to HD and motherboard

then what? Do i install win7 on that too like a fresh install? I wouldn't want the new bigger HD to be boot, just a storage device for like steam, 3d stuff, etc

Thanks

EDIT: my motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157241

ignatzatsonic · 13 Dec 2011

yp89CCp said:

Do i install win7 on that too like a fresh install? I wouldn't want the new bigger HD to be boot, just a storage device for like steam, 3d stuff, etc

No. You wouldn't put Windows on it.

All you need to do is mount it, connect 2 cables to it, partition it, and format it. You'll need to give it a drive letter.

Partitioning, formatting, and drive letter can be done in Windows Disk Management.

Then just put your data on it.

whs · 13 Dec 2011

1. No need to look for a Sata3 drive. Sata2 is ample for a HDD. The Sata3 only makes sense for SSDs. And you most likely have no Sata3 ports on your Mobo anyhow.

2. Check first whether you have a rail from the PSU - and a HDD bay, else it is good old Velcro.

3. Look for a HDD with 7200 RPM and a big cache (16 or 32MB)

4. Unfortunately you are buying at the wrong time. Prices are a LOT higher than in the last couple of years - because Thailand is flooded. And that will not change for at least 6 months.

5. Consider an external disk. They are sometimes cheaper.

6. Here is a site where they sometimes have good deals - check daily: Storage Devices Deals - Deals2buy.com

yp89CCp · 14 Dec 2011

No. You wouldn't put Windows on it.

All you need to do is mount it, connect 2 cables to it, partition it, and format it. You'll need to give it a drive letter.

Partitioning, formatting, and drive letter can be done in Windows Disk Management.

Then just put your data on it.

Win disk management? Do I do this IN win7 with the drive connected? Like I boot up as normal with new hd connected and there are options in normal windows?

whs · 14 Dec 2011

Jist type Disk Management into Start/Search and it will show up. Then right click on the right pane of the new disk and define a partition. The wizard will guide you.

Should the disk not be initialized yet, right click first on the left pane of this drive where it says Disk1 and initialize.

ignatzatsonic · 14 Dec 2011

yp89CCp said:

Do I do this IN win7 with the drive connected? Like I boot up as normal with new hd connected and there are options in normal windows?

Yes. Just like WHS says.

Your Windows drive (C) is still in charge of things. The new drive is totally inert and useless until you partition and format it.

Give the new drive an unused drive letter like D or F or S or whatever is available.

yp89CCp · 14 Dec 2011

wow sounds too easy to be true
Thinking a 1 tb 32cache. Anyone got good links for me?

ignatzatsonic · 14 Dec 2011

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Above Samsung is very fast.

Western Digital Caviar Black series is also excellent, but they are above $200 now.

The recent unpleasantness in Thailand has caused hard drive prices to jump way up recently.

I bought the Samsung for only $50 about 6 months ago.

MilesAhead · 14 Dec 2011

If you have a spare PCIexpress slot you might consider USB 3.0 card:
Newegg.com - SIIG JU-P20412-S2 PCI Express to 2-Port USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Card

It was a better strategy when HD were cheaper. But I would keep an eye out for USB 3.0 docking station bargains as I expect expensive internal drives to stick in them may cramp sales.

You can put a bargain drive in the dock now, then if performance drives get cheap again, just slide one in the dock. I got a little plastic stack of drawers at Walmart to store the drives I'm not using in anti-static bags in the drawers.

On my machines the drives in the docks are actually faster than the system drives that came with the machines.

Another advantage, if you are doing very disk intensive tasks, such as muxing video, it puts no load on your system disk controller. The SIIG card handles everything. There are 2 ports. I have a USB 3.0 dock single plugged into each. Copying or muxing from one drive as source to the other as destination doesn't cause my system disk access LED to flicker at all. The i/o is self-contained and runs at the full speed of the drives(was buying WD Caviar Black until the big price gouge.)

whs · 14 Dec 2011

On my machines the drives in the docks are actually faster than the system drives that came with the machines

Yeah, but are the drive specs the same - RPM, cache size and total size.