Dual hard drives

**Moneyfink** · 08-01-2007, 03:28 PM

I have a working car computer, its been running very well for just over 2 years. Currently I have a 320 GB hard drive in the system, and its full! I am wondering how dumb it would be to add a second hard drive into the system.

My options:
1) keep the 320 and add a 500 GB as well
2) Replace the 320 with dual 500 gb
3) Replace the 320 with a single 500 GB drive
4) be smart and leave everything as is

My thoughts are, dual drives create many more possibilities for errors in an already unstable environment.
I don't want to go with just a larger drive because, i have much more data than would fit on a single 500 GB drive
High data density drives are more likely to fail.
high density drives create more heat
Single platter drives are the most reliable and coolest
a single 750 or 1TB drive is too expensive / hot and can have up to 4 platter internally

Has anyone done anything like this? are there things that I haven't considered? Advice?

I guess 53,000 songs, 1500 tv shows and 250 movies is overkill?

**blackmz3** · 08-01-2007, 04:34 PM

I'm using 2 hard drives in my carputer. Although I haven't actually run it in the car (damn m2-atx was DOA), I don't see why a 2nd hard drive should create any further problems. Especially if it's purely for storage.

**DarquePervert** · 08-01-2007, 06:01 PM

The major issue with multiple hard drives would be power consumption.
If power consumption could possibly be an issue, then go with a single physical drive.

**Moneyfink** · 08-01-2007, 08:11 PM

Does the power consumption on these large capacity drives differ much from the power calculators available on this site? I mean if you hold a 500 gb in one hand and a 120 gb in the other there is a VERY signifcant weight difference, the heavier platters have to use more energy? Does anyone have any figures?

**nammertat** · 08-01-2007, 08:17 PM

I'm an overkill guy myself, and run one internal 250 maxtor as well as one external drive. I'm a big advocator for the external, because it makes everything easier to transfer files. Also with the help of an inverter, you can put as large of drive in as you want!

**EQNish** · 08-01-2007, 08:28 PM

Personally, I would clean out some of the TV shows and movies, not like you can really watch them while driving

As far as the drives we us the laptop drives which use less power and produce less heat, though one on USB as a removable and be done with it. when that one fills up, upgrade to a larger one.... USB disks are growing fast in size, I just saw a 20G usb disk!!! maybe wait till they hit the half TB and use one of them

**elimenohpee** · 08-02-2007, 03:16 AM

I'd go external. How do you even transfer your stuff from you desktop to your car? I guess you could do it through a network, but that seems like it would be annoying and take forever.

**DarquePervert** · 08-02-2007, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by Moneyfink

Does the power consumption on these large capacity drives differ much from the power calculators available on this site? I mean if you hold a 500 gb in one hand and a 120 gb in the other there is a VERY signifcant weight difference, the heavier platters have to use more energy? Does anyone have any figures?

Typically hard drives all draw roughly the same amount of power. The major factor in power draw is spindle speed.
Considering most desktop HDDs are 7200rpm anymore... A 500GB drive would draw about the same amount of power as an 80GB drive.
However, two drives would draw twice as much power. If you're close to the edge of your power consumption limit, then go with the single, larger drive, plain and simple.

Originally Posted by elimenohpee

I'd go external. How do you even transfer your stuff from you desktop to your car? I guess you could do it through a network, but that seems like it would be annoying and take forever.

Wifi, baby.

If transferring across a network is slow for you, then there's something wrong. Granted, moving a 2GB movie file is gonna take a while, but there's nothing you can do about that.

**crooper** · 08-03-2007, 11:33 PM

Yeah the major difference between different hard drive sizes of the same form factor is data density (and number of platters). But all in all they take the same amount of power. A physically smaller hard drive (2.5" vs. 3.5") requires less power to spin the platters.

Darque: Do you use network attached storage for wifi? I never considered that. Wires wires everywhere.

**gokee2** · 08-05-2007, 06:14 PM

moneyfink,
I personally recommend option 1. lol I just got a hold of mo-co-so 's casing, quite similar to vroom 2. Just like the vroom, only support 2.5". Bro, I would too if I could use 3.5" HDD. men, my music video collection is 1/2 TB. lol and im stuck with only 120gb in the car. So, im saying if you can accomodate per power consumption and space, do #1.

my $0.02

Good luck bro.