Hard Drives

[Big Al]

If I install another hard drive which is bigger than the one I have now and end up with two hard drives on my machine, how big does the power supply need to be? Can the smaller drive be the master with the new larger drive being the slave, or does the larger drive have to be the master?

Big Al

[diurnal]

Doesnt matter how big your power supply is just as long you have enough power connectors. Also doesnt matter which is master or which is slave unless the manufacturer manual says it.

[tjaymadison]

Well, that's probably right in most instances, but certainly not in every case. If your system were already close to 'maxing out' the PS, adding another HD might be enough to push it over the limit. PS's operate much cooler and much more efficiently at 50-60% rather than at 80-90% of the maximum rated load capacity. Also, HD's require more current to start than they do to run at a constant operating speed, just like most other things that are motor-driven. This question could have been more easily and quickly answered if you had asked "What size power supply should be enough to run my system with the following components installed?", followed by a list of the HD's, CD's, video card(s), modem, NIC, etc. Anyone who guesstimates without knowing this info is just taking a WAG. Unless you've got some 'God box' monster machine with a 450-watt PS in it already.

As to your second question, it might not "matter" in one sense, but it sure could in another, depending on the specifications of each drive. If "another" means brand new and faster and/or bigger, and the present one is more than a year old, it will make much more sense to have the new one as the boot drive, i.e., the master. You'll get better, faster performance and greater dependability. If it's just some used 'pull' from another machine, then it's a toss-up. The real question when adding a newer ATA spec HD isn't can it but rather should it be the master or the slave. I have never heard of a mfr that requires an ATA drive to be used as only the master or only the slave. That's what jumpers are for.

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"When I nod my head, hit it with the hammer."
-- (Moe, holding nail, to Curly, holding hammer)



[This message has been edited by tjaymadison (edited 05-04-2001).]

[mjc]

I agree with just about everything Tjay said except I would say go with a minimum of a 250W. Why, if you plan on keeping the machine for any period of time, you'll probably want to add a least something to it and why should you need to change the ps everytime you add something to the machine?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/highrise/11/index.htm)

[Big Al]

Thanks for all the info.

Big Al