Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Adding a second HDD Bay

Options
  • 10-05-2017 11:52pm
    #1
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭


    Just pulled the trigger on all but the case for a budget HTPC/light gaming build for the OH I've been mulling over for ages. Amazon are doing 20% off all used items here (incl. crazy stuff like 16x4GB 3200mhz RAM for £395 and GTX 1060 6GBs for around £160) until May 16th I think.Just thought it might be of use to some on here. Was very tempted with the 1060 but in the end went for a 1050 TI for £110 which was already beyond my budget.

    This is supposed to be a tight budget build, and I was happy to find a case for around €30 that I figure she would like the look of (Hyperion AVP) but just noticed it only has one 3.5" bay. Now in youtube videos on it, it does look like there is enough space to quite easily get another in there but I'm wondering if there are any major no nos etc or if anyone has any advice as I haven't tried this before and the next attractive case it about double the cost!

    CPU - G4560, €60
    GPU - GTX 1050TI, €133
    Mobo - H110M, €40
    RAM - freebie, 8gb DDR4
    Storage - 500GB HDD (gaming) + 3TB HDD (HTPC), €65 total
    PSU - EVGA 430W W1 Series (build is 234w, if I recall), €40
    Case - Hyperion AVP, €30
    Total: €368 (€450 after wireless keyboard & mouse, headphones/mic, old logitech gamepad of mine, Civ VI & GTAV, and then padding out her games library with whatever is left)

    Just curious if it's straight forward enough to add one of those £5 type bays off of Amazon or if there are factors I might not be thinking of?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Just drop the drive in wherever itll fit, as long as you dont move it when its running theres no risk.

    Double sided tape to the floor of the mobo area, or up against the fans, or on the PSU sides door. Its all fine.


  • Options
    #3
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    Ah perfect, hadn't crossed my mind! I was toying with the idea of installing an old one otherwise just going in the bin, but this is definitely a better option. Cheers!


  • Options
    #4
    justsomebloke
    Registered Users Posts: 10,407 ✭✭✭✭justsomebloke


    Get an ssd for the OS and put everything else on the HDD, might be a tiny bit more but in this day in age especially for a htpc you need one


  • Options
    #5
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    justsomebloke wrote: »
    Get an ssd for the OS and put everything else on the HDD, might be a tiny bit more but in this day in age especially for a htpc you need one
    Would love to but HDD is going to have to suffice, there's no point spending €200 more when I've got everything and the initial budget was €350-400. The 3TB HDD is basically full as is at 2.7TB, the 500GB one is for games.


  • Options
    #6
    K.O.Kiki
    Registered Users Posts: 18,706 ✭✭✭✭K.O.Kiki


    Be aware that H110m motherboard will need a BIOS update before it can work with Pentium G4560.

    Spend the extra 20 & get a B250 board.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    K.O.Kiki wrote: »
    Be aware that H110m motherboard will need a BIOS update before it can work with Pentium G4560.

    Spend the extra 20 & get a B250 board.

    Ah yeah, forgot to mention I've an i5 6600K so can run the necessary bios update on it before putting the G4560. Much appreciated for the heads up though! :)


  • Options
    #8
    justsomebloke
    Registered Users Posts: 10,407 ✭✭✭✭justsomebloke


    Billy86 wrote: »
    Would love to but HDD is going to have to suffice, there's no point spending €200 more when I've got everything and the initial budget was €350-400. The 3TB HDD is basically full as is at 2.7TB, the 500GB one is for games.

    a 120GB SSD is only going to cost around €50 and is well worth the money https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-inch-Internal/dp/B01F9G414U/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1494499009&sr=1-3&keywords=SSD


  • Options
    #9
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    I do get that, but it almost doubles the cost of storage at €55-60 more when it doesn't really add an awful lot beyond boot times as there wouldn't be much stored on there, which also kind of negates the purpose of the tight budget I've been adhering to quite strictly. If I stumbled upon a 30GB one for €10-15 I might consider it but otherwise it's just not a viable option.


  • Options
    #10
    BloodBath
    Registered Users Posts: 10,299 ✭✭✭✭BloodBath


    It adds a hell of a lot more than just boot times.

    Windows is an unresponsive mess without an SSD. Terrible random reads and writes and terrible multi tasking. A HDD can only process 1 request at a time. 1 read or 1 write, queue up the rest and wait.


  • Options
    #11
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    I run Windows off a hdd on my laptop and every computer I owned up until 9 months ago and it's grand. And SSD is a lovely boost of course, but I've had no problems without one either.

    Edit: should clarify that it wouldn't be her primary use computer, she's got a very good laptop. I'm setting everything up in Kodi and to have it autoboot from the moment the computer turns on, so it will only really get uses for anything other than media or gaming as a backup if something goes wrong with the laptop. That said I'll have it for a few weeks before giving over to her so will at least have plenty of time to test to be extra safe!


  • Advertisement
Advertisement