Preserved Topic: Considering a new HD (Page 1 of 1)

I looked at my available disk space the other day and noticed that I have only 5 GB left! I would never have dreamed of filling up 40 gigs but I've almost done it.

So now I'm thinking of either getting a second HD or replacing my current HD. I've never done anything like that before. Actually, I don't think I've ever even used a computer with a second harddrive. Just it just get an additional drive letter or something?

What I'm looking for is some advice, good articles to read, or personal anecdotes to start me out. I'd like to know what to look for when choosing a drive and things to think about before I start adding it.

Much thanks.

:::11oh1:::

[This message has been edited by krets (edited 12-29-2003).]

Yes the second drive gets its own drive letter after it is added to the computer.

Some advice:
I would recommend a 7200 RPM drive with an 8 MB cache on it.
SATA, RAID, and SCSI are nice and can give you better performance but ATA 133 is all you really need.
First you need to make sure you have an extra cable or slot to add the harddrive to.
Make sure the master slave setting are set right. The second drive on the cable, one in the middle, should be the slave.
If possible put the two harddrives on seperate cables and as master so they get the most bandwidth possible.
and keep yourself grounded and turn off AND unplug the computer before working on it. Always touch the case, don't touch circuits, use a wrist strap, and anti-static bags and masts as much as possible. This can save you replacing many pieces of hardware for a little extra work.

Tutorials:
I recomend rading the first one start to finish since it cover more on how to handle a computer.
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1444
and
http://www.hardwaves.com/display/2001124/20011249229_0.html


__________________________
"Show me a sane person and I will cure him for you."-Carl Jung
Eagles may fly high, but beavers don't get sucked into get engines.
tj333- the semi-Christ

[This message has been edited by tj333 (edited 12-29-2003).]

heh, yah you get something that looks a bit like this... no... there...Here right.

For one, I assume that you did not build your computer, so you may want to check to see if you have an extra power cable floating around, a place to mount the hard drive and also a free cable to plug into it... which i bet you already have. It makes you look like you know something about computers, rooting around in em.

So deciding factors would be...

1) how much space you (will) need? oohh.... 80gigs is a nice number... for me atleast.
2) how fast you need it... lotsa weird numbers i cant explain well... but a ata133 @ 7200rpm is good, and a larger say 8mb cachy deal is good also.
3) look up benchmarks of hard drive brands on http://www.sharkyextreme.com/ or http://www.tomshardware.com/ to see what they say.

I got my last computer from newegg.com they have a number of reviews by users aswell....

edit: tj333, you seem to stress the "AND unplug" computer bit... if you dont unplug it, the computer is still grounded, which, i though was a good thing. Why do you say do both?





[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 12-29-2003).]

Thanks guys.

So let me ask you this next:

How do you use your extra HD's? Do you store and run all your Windows and Program Files on one drive and use the other simply for storage? What's the *best* way to get the most efficient usage out of them?

Photos, videos, and mp3's are the files that are taking up the majority of the space on my current HD. I don't have a ton of programs installed.

:::11oh1:::

Yep, well, you would'nt need to, but for video and such, i keep the programs on one disk (C), and all the files on a different one. Also, photoshop likes to have its own space for scratch disk, so PS's scratch is set on drive (X) for me. my (F) drive is a 12 gig drive, just for music because I dont tend to ever compress my music files, and I dont want then sitting on (X).

I also defrag a lot. That really makes the drives happy.




[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 12-29-2003).]

Make sure to partition your new drive. For what i remember, your new drive does not need any OS installed, although it would be wiser to make it, in case your other drive has got some problems. You know, as a failsafe situation.

__________________________________


Sexy Demoness cel

NLE people know the merits hard drive maintenance. I actually relish the thought of defragging after an editing project has been finished, and after a fresh build and all progs installed, such a huge cleanup =D

I looked down at my hardrive yesterday and noticed I'd used up 33GB in less than a year as well man. I guess we should maybe backup some files and clean up?! NAH, new hardrive's the ticket (I gots another 87 left to fill up on this one first )

[edit]: oh yeah, screw the articles, open it, put new one in, fire up computer, it's probably that easy if you're using Win2k or XP. Follow on screen prompts.

Jason

[This message has been edited by JKMabry (edited 12-29-2003).]

on screen prompts?

XP reads the new drive and will tell you the make and model right off.

heh. no worries there. Once you have the drive installed you can go to my computer and right click it and format it... if you need to... no real need to partition it though...

When you partiton you can trick the computer into thinking the drive is more than one drive... so 15gigs on the drive is read is drive (C) and the other 65gigs could be drive (d)... or what not.

As someone who recently got a brand new HD for Xmas, and installed it a day or two ago, I would like to express my wholehearted support of Maxtor and their wonderfully awesome 200 GB ATA-133 7200RPM drive. Woo.

-Xel

like i said... uh... screw the 80 gig drive...

uh... dang, that is Monstrous.

and you can quote me on that in a year, so we can both laugh at the thought that 200 gigs is a big drive. I mean, it was just a while ago i was playing video games on 5 inch floppies. heh.

Yes, I love the Maxtor 200GB ATA133 HD. I have two of them.
Add the other 3 HDs and I have a total of five, totalling 550 GB, or half Terabyte.
And I'm running out of space... (due to laziness in burning DVD's with the stuff in the HDs).

My advice is: get the biggest one you can afford. Soon, you'll need more.
If you motherboard can't support the speed of the HD (SATA, ATA133, ATA100), you'd better get a HD bundled with an expansion card, that'll add such capability to it. I have two Promise boards, one for my two ATA-100 HD's and one for my two ATA-133 HD's.

RAID configuration is another option, but if you MB is not capable of it - only the latest are - it'll cost some money that I opted for not spending right now.

The reason for unplugging the PC is that most newer PC still have power going to the mother board even after they are turned off. This can often be seen in the form of a LED that does not go off until the computer is unpluged.

Now this small bit of power is usualy not a problem but if you accdently touch a powered component you may short it.

As for grounding the computer that is usefull but all you need to do is be at the same voltage as the computer. Touching the case does this. This also protects against wiring faults that may be sending a voltage through the case.

The best setup is having a anti-static strap on you to the case and a grounding mat ( a mat that hooks to the case same as the wrist strap to you) to place components on so that you, the case, and the components all have the same potential voltage.

__________________________
"Show me a sane person and I will cure him for you."-Carl Jung
Eagles may fly high, but beavers don't get sucked into get engines.
tj333- the semi-Christ