Storage solution

**Mule** · 2nd August 2005

I'm ripping my CD and DVD collection to hard drive to clear some space, currently I have a 200GB ide hard drive with a 40gb partition for windows and the rest for storing the films/music. The space is getting rapidly used up and I'm about to buy another 200GB HD but I can't see that one lasting too long before it's filled either.

What should I do next? With 2 IDE ports on my motherboard I think my storage is going to run out at 600GB (3 200gb hard drives and a dvd rom). I could buy larger hard drives but cost is a major factor. Should I buy a motherboard with a sata interface? how many devices can a sata interface support? I'm also concerned that after fitting 4 IDE devices I'm going to have run out of power connectors.

I think my storage requirements are going to exceed 1TB, but I'd rather not have to pay out a large amount of money all at once for the storage solution, preferring to increase the storage when I see fit and can afford it.

What are my options?

**BertRoot** · 3rd August 2005

Most of the boards I have used have two SATA ports. You could get a plug in SATA card but you would be well advised to buy one of the newer PSUs with SATA connectors on as well as four pin molex connectors. This one is a good example as you can add the connectors you need with it being modular.

You could also use RATDVD to rip the DVDs as it creates much smaller files without loss of menu structure etc.

**Mule** · 3rd August 2005

Wow, expensive! �60 for a SATA card and �70 for the PSU! cost really is a major factor in this so I think they're a bit out of the question, I think I could get a replacement motherboard with 2 SATA's on for about �40 which would be the cheaper option.

I wasn't aware that SATA used different power connectors, that could cause some problems, have to look on ebuyer for a cheap sata PSU, or would a converter cable be better?

How many drives can you connect to a SATA port?
As for the ripping, I'm currently encoding the rips into AVI's so they're only about 700MB a film anyway, I have alot of films though.

**BertRoot** · 3rd August 2005

Originally Posted by Mule

would a converter cable be better?

How many drives can you connect to a SATA port?

1 per port for the drives.

I use a convertor without issue that I paid about a fiver for. Been running for a year on it without issue. You will also need SATA data cables.

Must stress I only looked on Scan and I am sure if you shopped around you could find cheaper parts. The card was a highpoint and they aren't renouned for their cheapness.

**tobnvodka** · 3rd August 2005

Why not consider burning to dvd and build up a libray of mp3's and a library of dvd's. writers are cheap as chips the media is too now days. I've a sata 4 board myself with two ide hd's two writers and 3 sata hd's with 1 port left free but I even with a lot of hd space I still backup to disc. imagine you're 250g drive giving up the ghost

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regards tob