I have new HDDs but no space in the case! Options?

[Bearded_Ed]

Hey,

 

I'm at the point where I have now maxed my Meshify C's storage slots for HDDs But I need more storage. Below is my current setup and then what I want to do.

 

Meshify C can take 2x 3.5 HDD and 3 2.5HDD/SSD -- I have the following mounted

• 120GB 2.5" SSD - Boot Drive
• 240GB 2.5" SSD - mainly full of games
• MX500 M.2 500GB - On the mobo - a recent addition... more games and soon to be cache drive for Premiere Pro etc.
• 3TB 3.5" HDD for Plex. (Currently enough...)
• 2TB 3.5" HDD for general bulk storage and programmes. 300GB free space.

I am soon to begin shooting video again and will need to make use of a reasonable amount of storage space.  I already have a brand new 3TB HDD but I have no where to put it! For now I'd be happy to move the stuff from the 2TB onto the new 3TB (and gain 1TB) but it'd be great it I can figure out a way to safely use my 3TB as a bulk media storage drive that I will likely edit from.  My mobo has spare SATA ports still... can I use those somehow and safely mount the drive outside my case? Or will a USB 3 enclosure actually be OK for a drive that is on and used hard about 4 -8hrs a week?

 

Cheers!

[Mira Yurizaki]

Using an external enclosure is fine for general purpose use.

 

Heck at this point you may want to invest in something like a DAS or NAS box.

[Stu_Bear]

or you can be sloppy like me and use double sided tape and tape the drives to the bottom of your case   

[Metallus97]

Yeha at this point you should think about a NAS (you can build your own for cheap)

[AndrewB121]

An external encolsure is definitely your best option. 

 

You could also duct-tape the HDD to the inside of the case....

[SupaKomputa]

Loose the 2TB, dump everything in the new 3TB, run 3TB inside the case.

For the 2TB you can get an external USB3 enclosure or get the power & sata and run it outside the case.

Or you can use something like a USB HDD dock so you can swap any drive any time :

 

BTW you should run the 500 SSD as boot, as bigger SSD usually have better IO performance.

[Bearded_Ed]

27 minutes ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

Heck at this point you may want to invest in something like a DAS or NAS box.

See here's the thing, before we had to move recently I had just finished putting together a HP Z400 workstation as a media server and NAS etc.  So that'd be problem solved but I literally don't have the space for two towers at the moment! So that's in storage. 

 

I guess I could probably try an external enclosure. 

[mariushm]

The SSDs don't have any moving parts so you can basically stick them to the case with double sided adhesive tape and they'll be fine.

You could basically stack them, leaving a few mm of space between them for some air flow .. ex glue a couple of nuts or plastic/nylon spacers on the top of the ssd, put 2nd ssd above it, wrap some tape around both SATA SSDs... now they both fit inside a single 3.5" box.

You can tape them under the psu shroud.

 

If you had an option to install 5.25" devices, you could have bought 5.25" to 2+ 3.5" or 2.5" stuff... could still be useful 

You can also get 3.5" to multiple 2.5" adapters

ex  3.5" to 2 x 2.5" : https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Converter-Mounting-Extension-Splitter/dp/B07BQKSGL5/

 

[Bearded_Ed]

24 minutes ago, Stu_Bear said:

or you can be sloppy like me and use double sided tape and tape the drives to the bottom of your case   

Ok that's two suggestions for taping a drive! I might try it... 

[Bearded_Ed]

18 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

BTW you should run the 500 SSD as boot, as bigger SSD usually have better IO performance

I think your suggestion is likely my best option for now. Swap in the 3tb. 

 

About the 500gb ssd, I completely agree! I'm just too lazy to either clone my boot drive or actually reinstall everything.  I really should! 

[Stu_Bear]

Just now, Bearded_Ed said:

Ok that's two suggestions for taping a drive! I might try it... 

It works like a charm assuming your cables are long enough.  Use the thick double sided mounting tape...like here in this link...it's cheaper at wally world though...it has a thick layer of foam so it absorbs the vibrations of your disks spinning...makes them silent as the grave  

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-1-in-x-1-52-yds-Permanent-Double-Sided-Indoor-Mounting-Tape-214DC-SF/202287313

[Bearded_Ed]

1 minute ago, Stu_Bear said:

It works like a charm assuming your cables are long enough.  Use the thick double sided mounting tape...like here in this link...it's cheaper at wally world though...it has a thick layer of foam so it absorbs the vibrations of your disks spinning...makes them silent as the grave  

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-1-in-x-1-52-yds-Permanent-Double-Sided-Indoor-Mounting-Tape-214DC-SF/202287313

I think I'll see if I can get my cables to reach top of the PSU shroud internally! 

[Stu_Bear]

3 minutes ago, Bearded_Ed said:

I think I'll see if I can get my cables to reach top of the PSU shroud internally! 

Remember to use 4 pieces of the tape...one piece at each corner of the drive so it's perfectly stable and planted...so you won't get any wobble and noise.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I would have replaced the smaller HDDs with larger ones. It would cost less than using a NAS, would be less complicated, and would require less space than two boxes.