PCI- Add more HD space than allowed?

[consumertalks]

I can't find the answer to this anywhere.

Dell 2350 P4 2.2 w/XP & 1GB SDRAM
60GB HD from Dell (as master)
40GB from my old desktop, it's full (as slave)

The maximum HD space according to Dell's site is 120GB (Well, that's the biggest upgrade offer on the 2350, I can't find any sites that describe the maximum upgrages for a 2350). If I get a PCI card, could I add more hard drives? If so, how would they appear in "My Computer"? Also, how would I physically mount it? The bracket for my second drive slides right behind the looks like I could just piggyback a few together, but there's no slot for the bracket on the bottom of the case.. and if I was able to do this, would it create heat problems?

I picked up a 160GB HD @ Staples with plans of ebaying it, but it's a good deal if I keep it. I'm getting a DVD burner, so I'd like to be able to store quite a few movies while burning them (legal backups), instead of erasing one so I can make space for another one.

Or is it better to lose a few bucks, have just the 160GB HD and eBay the other two? For the price of a PCI card it might even out. I like the idea of 8MB cache instead of my 2 right now, because it sounds cool.. but I really don't know what that means. I just got this system, so I'm keeping it. So nobody tell me I shouldn't have bought the 2350, mmmkay?

[tony_j15]

Easiest solution is keep the 160 and ebay the other 2.

[consumertalks]

Yeah, I know.. I was hoping for something else, though.

Lots of questions.

8MB cache is cool when you're copying very large (500MB and above) files from here to there. Else no noticible speed difference. But cool all the same.

If you plug in a PCI card, you can add upto 4 more IDE devices (hard drives/CD drives/DVD Drives) so you can have upto 8, instead of 4 which you have on the IDE1 and IDE2 channels.

If you sell the older drives, you'll get very little. Brand new drives of that size are well below $0.80 per GB. (See the Trading Forum where I just sold 3 drives brand new).

So, in my view, instead of selling them I'd just keep them and store stuff on them. Backups, MP3s, CD images, whatever.

The drives hooked on the PCI card would just show up in My Computer as drives with whatever letter windows assigns. That'd depend on partitions you have and which are primary and which are slaves. But they'd all show up with a drive letter and you'd be able to use them just like any drive connected to the IDE1/2 on your MB.

[consumertalks]

Ok, thanks. But how can I find out (short of calling Dell) how to install drives that will go over 120GB? So if I have just the 160GB is there a way around this? Maybe this is a stupid question, but is the 160GB physically bigger than the others? I thought they were all 3.5".

I've taught myself everything up until now, but I can't find these answers anywhere. Thanks everyone!

[Telexen]

Originally posted by shahani

If you sell the older drives, you'll get very little. Brand new drives of that size are well below $0.80 per GB. (See the Trading Forum where I just sold 3 drives brand new).

I'm not sure about that...he could probably get much more...otherwise there's no reason for the 2-3gb drives on sale in those forums for $10-$20

[[Neo770]]

All drives are the same phyical size, 3.5", except for notebook drives there's smaller. 2.5" i think.

They used to make 5 1/4" drives but not anymore as far as i know.

[BobOmega]

i think the maximum size dell lists is the bigest they will put in it.
the computer should have no problem dealing with a 160 after its formated.

[williams22]

When dell says you cant install drives over 120gb thats a problem reading a drive that big. I believe the actual limit is 137gb as I ran into the same problem. The ways to get around this are:

1. Having XP Home or Pro with Service Pack 1 or higher
2. Getting an Ultra ATA/133 PCI card (I believe this comes with the 160gb Maxtor drive from staples, i know mine did) with this card you will have no problem installing that drive. not to mention that card allows you 4 more hard drive slots meaning you should not need a PCI card. Please check your box and see if the pci card came with the 160gb drive.

[Omardeth]

also something to think about is the power supply . dell uses the min they need to make the pc work . when you start adding the extra cards and harddrives you might run into problems there