A Hard Disk In A PCI Slot?

[chrisbard]

When I saw this on THG I just made the face. Why on earth would you buy this?

" Creative engineers and product designers are constantly coming up with new ideas for interesting products. One company with plenty of inventive folk is Taiwan-based Upgradeware, which in the past made the news mostly because of its processor upgrades.

Their latest offering is a pair of PCI cards, the HD25I and HD25IS, which are adapters that make it possible to install a 2.5" hard disk in a conventional desktop PCI slot. Upgradeware doesn't put an extra hard disk controller on the board. Rather, it uses the PCI slot only as a location and energy source for the installation of the hard disk. The interface continues to be through the PC motherboard. " THG

I have in my computer one ITE RAID IDE device that was around 20 bucks and I can install up to 4 HDD on it. It's running very nice and have no problems with it. So what do you guys think?

Chris

[Áedán]

For those who have small cases that can't take another hard disk? After all, the SATA version just converts SATA to PATA. As they say, there's no controller on the PCI card, it's just for holding the hard disk.

[GrahamGarside]

I dopn't see the market for it, if the controller was onboard perhaps but just using the pci slot for power and a place to install it seems a tad silly

[chrisbard]

Originally Posted by Áedán

For those who have small cases that can't take another hard disk? After all, the SATA version just converts SATA to PATA. As they say, there's no controller on the PCI card, it's just for holding the hard disk.

Yeap, I can see one of these inside a barebone. But other than that

[aghastpumpkin]

That's a brilliant idea for HTPC cases and SFF cases. I have no problem with it, I always welcome innovation, and that looks like a well thoguht out decent idea.

[noorman]

You 'd better NOT transport that PC case up-side down by accident then; it could become an accident !

All that weight fixed by just 1 screw at one end of that card !?!

I wouldn't want to open that box after a few bumps in the road !!!

[hoinar]

I like the idea because all the time I have 4 free PCI slots..and no room on the case for another HDD...anyway...if it's more that 10-15 usd I'd pass over it..

[Áedán]

Originally Posted by noorman

You 'd better NOT transport that PC case up-side down by accident then; it could become an accident !

All that weight fixed by just 1 screw at one end of that card !?!

Most 2.5" hard disks don't weigh very much - for example, a 7K2 RPM 100Gb disk weighs less 120g. That's a lot less than many graphics cards weigh, so there's no issue there.

[chrisbard]

Originally Posted by Áedán

Most 2.5" hard disks don't weigh very much - for example, a 7K2 RPM 100Gb disk weighs less 120g. That's a lot less than many graphics cards weigh, so there's no issue there.

I bet he was thinking about regular HDD's

[Áedán]

Mind you, if there's a spare 5.25" drive bay, you could always fit four 2.5 inch drives in there, using something like the QuadraPak Q14.

[dsio]

I like the idea. Many people simply do not have the option of using their front mounted HDD cages, due to a radiator mounted there (as with one of ET's older machines). Ive also had troubles with front mount rads, and large front fan mountings, and I think it would be a great idea particularly to have one of these things in a watercooled machine, with an extra short, 2-3inch sata cable discreetly going from the mobo sata connector (which is usually very close to the PCI slots) into the PCI HDD holder.

Definately has its advantages.

I have an issue in that I have two very long molex cords, with several plugs on them going down the middle of my case, one to the video card (which must be dedicated) and one on its own to the hard disk, which leaves little left for anything else.

Given the effect hard drives can have on cheaper, or even good but heavily loaded PSUs, getting a seperated, filtered supply to the hard disk from the mobo is a good idea. Just having a HDD on the same molex line as your top end GPU is enough to burn out the regulators, particularly the spin up spin down energy saver crap. As if im saving the environment by spinning my disk down every half hour.

[Áedán]

2.5 inch hard disks only require 5V. High end graphics cards run off the 12V line. No issue there!

[aghastpumpkin]

I can't see a problem as yet. They make sense. A PCI-E version is probably whats needed though.

[cloasters]

So the IDE slot doesn't transport the data for these? A separate IDE connector is used for these HDD's? Sorry, I'm thick today.

[SteveI]

The hardest part to see is that this device is not meant for us.

The average guy in these forums probably has a main rig at home the size of a small fridge... 10-14 bays and 1/2 a dozen fans.

I have 12 bays, and I'm using 7 myself, and want to leave the rest open for airflow.

OTOH, with an HTPC, there may be a total of 3 bays, used up with 1 DVD, 1 HDD, and 1 floppy or card reader... That extra PCI slot provides an alternative to using an external HDD. Think about it. Most HTPCs have more connectors on board for drives, than the case has bays.

[aghastpumpkin]

That's good thinking. You have to think about who their aiming it at, and a PCI HDD for a HTPC case sounds good to me.

[noorman]

Originally Posted by chrisbard

I bet he was thinking about regular HDD's

Yes, I was; didn't know there were 7.200 rpm HD's 2.5'' ...

Must be rather new !

Who makes those jewels ?

[Áedán]

Hitachi do. They also make 2.5" 7200RPM disks with a SATA interface.

[noorman]

Hitachi; I knew they were front-runners, but that 7.2k rpm would be here that quick after 2.5'' had been so long on 4.500 rpm, then recently on 5.400 rpm ???

Well, it 's good for portable's speed; they were behind for too long.

Desktops can already have 10k and 15k speed disks ...