External Enclosure for SATA HDDs

[ilovejedd]

I need to add more storage and I've run out of USB ports and free 3.5" bays in my PC. I still have 3 free SATA ports on my motherboard. I found this (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10315&cs_id=1031501&p_id=2249&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage) while looking for external SATA enclosures. Can I use this enclosure? I figured I'll just drill a whole for the SATA cable in the cover for the free PCI slot. I know there's e.SATA which uses a different connector than the internal but I don't which is which and I'm not really up to opening up my PC and removing my HDDs just to check. Thanks!

Here's a pic of the ports:
http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/22493.jpg

[CWR03]

There is a piece of hardware you can get that allows an unused slot in the rear to be used as a pass-through. I've seen one in a store - it's just a cover with two female SATA ports for outside and two short SATA cables for inside which plug into the motherboard.

[kingtim]

How many HDDs? And how big. Consider upgrading some of them to large size or install a 5.25" caddy or two. It will be cheaper and should yeald better results.

[Doom9]

I have one of these breakout thingies. Now I got a new PC which has one less SATA port on the inside, and an eSATA port.. but that doesn't work with my cases that have a regular SATA port (not really meant for external drives).. so now I have to look for a SATA -> eSata converter or get a new enclosure. Since eSATA is clearly the future, I'd bye a SATA -> eSATA breakout thingie, and an eSATA capable enclosure. That way, when you upgrade, you won't run into the same problems I have.

[ilovejedd]

@CWR03
Do you perhaps have a link to the product you're describing and where I might be able to buy it online?

@kingtim
I just wanted to add a 300GB HDD, maybe even 500GB depending on the prices. Internal, I have an 80GB HDD for OS and programs and a 300GB HDD for media. Capturing HDTV is taking a lot of space in such little time so I'm not left with enough time to convert and burn caps to DVD. I don't really think an upgrade is in order since I've still got a couple of free ports. I don't have a free 5.25" bay either.

@Doom9
All e.SATA cards I saw requires PCI-express. I only have one and I'm already using it for my video card. Hence, I am left with no choice but to go with SATA.

[Doom9]

There are SATA to eSATA converters.. you don't need a card.. it's just a breakout thingie that you connect to an internal SATA connector, and which has 1-2 eSATA connector as part of the breakout.

[Soulhunter]

Another option: Enclosures with LAN!

PC -> Switch -> Hell a lot LanDrives


Bye

[ilovejedd]

I've already considered that but for this particular instance, the speed that comes with SATA connections would be beneficial. Although for mass shared storage, I'm planning on getting a 500GB or 750GB HDD and slapping it inside a NAS enclosure.

Hmm... I just realised I have more than 1TB storage when I combine all HDDs I have (external and internal) and around 80% is full... That doesn't even include stuff I've already burned to CD and DVD. How'd that happen? o_O

[Blue_MiSfit]

In less than 2 weeks of shooting uncompressed HD and compressing overnight I would estimate that all the uncompressed material would have filled approx 10 TB. I bought a 4x 320gb drive eSATA rig, and have just been using really freakin long eSATA -> SATA cables to connect it directly through an empty backplate on my case to my motherboard. Kinda sketchy but it works. I have one of those backplate SATA -> eSATA adaptor cards, but the cables are too freakin short for the MacPro.

This combined with 4 250 gb firewired drives and 4 320gb internal SATA drives in RAID was just enough to shoot the film :)

150 megabytes per second + 2ch of 24/96 audio adds up RATHER quickly when you shoot a couple hours a day :D :D :D

HD is so much fun! It gives my poor RAID controller a nightmare!

~MiSfit

[Soulhunter]

Hmm... I just realised I have more than 1TB storage when I combine all HDDs I have (external and internal) and around 80% is full... That doesn't even include stuff I've already burned to CD and DVD. How'd that happen? o_O
~1.5TB here... ;D

Viva la broadband!


Bye

[SeeMoreDigital]

These SATA drives look interesting... Especially their (1536Mbps) speed.

Upto now I've been using external USB2 (480Mbps) cases... which have come down in price quite a bit.

I also use FireWire (400Mbps) for my external DVD burner... which has a handy thru' port for daisy-chaining to other FireWire devices.

Anyway... has anybody seen any of these new FireWire2 (800Mbps) products. I wonder how well they compare price-wise to SATA products? Even though they are half the speed!


Cheers

[BigDid]

...Upto now I've been using external USB2 (480Mbps) cases... which have come down in price quite a bit.

I also use FireWire (400Mbps) for my external DVD burner... which has a handy thru' port for daisy-chaining to other FireWire devices...
Hi SMD,

Have you tried to compare USB2 to Firewire HD enclosed?
A friend of mine (on MAC) says he did compare and prefers Firewire with more constant speed and same CPU load ...

Did

[foxyshadis]

Well, maximum sustained transfer rate for a 10K hard drive is ~750Mbps. Combined with signaling overhead that's just over firewire800's speed, but you won't get double speed with sata. Most 7200 drives are in the 400-500Mbps range, for sustained reading. When working with audio/video that's the only measure that matters. (For an application drive, the higher the better though, and sata is the only way to go.)

There seems to be a $40 premium for 1394b, though that might just be the scarcity on newegg. Firewire400 doesn't seem to carry any premium, nor does eSATA, surprisingly (although few are around).

BigDid: Pretty much every test reports that firewire is slightly faster and less fluctuations, as you say.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi SMD,

Have you tried to compare USB2 to Firewire HD enclosed?
A friend of mine (on MAC) says he did compare and prefers Firewire with more constant speed and same CPU load ...

DidYes that's what I've found also...

My external DVD drive/burner offers both USB2 and FireWire connectivity... It's alot happier when connected via FireWire ;)