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Can I build my own external hard drive?

  • 10-08-2009 4:25am
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭


    Or am I just being hopelessly optimistic?


    I have two 1TB drives (two of the same, so if one dies, I don't lose any data) but it's full now and I don't know whether or not i should buy another two 1TB drives, expand into getting 2TB drives instead, or generally I should do (as 2TB drives still seem pretty expensive).


    So I read a quick guide (that must have been pretty old, as it said that computers usually have up to 80GB internal drives) and I was wondering, can the average Joe Soap with not much 'puter knowledge put together his own hard drive?


    Or am I, as i say above, just being hopelessly optimistic?


    If it is possible to do, can anyone tell me if it's difficult to do? From what I understand, it seems to be just a case of buying an external inclosure and banging a few internal HDDs into it? (I'd be looking at trying to get a 2TB drive, but expanding it's memory as time goes on, if that's possible?)

    Or am I over-simplifying it?

    Does anyone know of a decent in-depth guide I could read? any info, advice, etc. at all?

    Any help or insight would be appreciated. Thanks to all in advance!


Comments

  • #2
    Walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 424 ✭✭Walsh


    WOW! Thats alot of porn.


  • #3
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 85,927 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994037


  • #4
    polyfusion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭polyfusion


    At it's simplest, all you need is a power supply and a connection/adaptor to interface with your computer/laptop. You can get single or multiple enclosures like the one linked above.

    I occasionally need to test a hard drive or DVD-ROM, so I simply might use a USB>IDE/SATA cable, along with a PSU from a defunct PC, and use it that way. Fine for occasional use, problem is you have to know what you're doing, as you have to clip 2 pins together on the PSU to switch it on, and electronics are exposed on hard drive. There are more elegant solutions as regards the power supply, but I'd have to buy one of those!

    At the other end of the scale, for my own back-ups/peace of mind, I have a second PC with several hard drives in it, and have it connected to my main PC by a network cable, and controlled through Remote Desktop (XP). I switch on the second PC whenever I want to dump stuff on to it for storage, and transfer through the cable. An advantage of this (for me; may be a disadvantage for you) is that you don't have to be handling/moving the drives.

    In between these two extremes, you have the single or multiple drive enclosures that can be easily found online.


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