Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > ADDING a HD to a G5 dual 1.8 -- best bets?

ADDING a HD to a G5 dual 1.8 -- best bets?
Thread Tools
koshercuts
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 18, 2004, 04:31 PM
 
My dual 1.8 G5 came with a stock 80GB HD.

I'd like to expand beyond that. I've found that for dv editing,
internal drives are superior in speed and reliability to the
external drive. When I work on a current project, I capture
footage to an internal drive, work with it that way, and then
backup to external LaCies.

Questions:

1) How many drives can I install in this beast?
2) How easy or difficult is it to DIY as a novice?
3) What are the top rated internal drives for a G5?

thanks.
     
Axo1ot1
Professional Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 18, 2004, 04:49 PM
 
Originally posted by koshercuts:
My dual 1.8 G5 came with a stock 80GB HD.
no it didn't
     
teknik
Forum Regular
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Minneapolis
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 18, 2004, 05:41 PM
 
Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
no it didn't
Some G5's shipped with a 80gig option, I would know because I thought about getting an 80gig instead of a 160 when I bought my dual 1.8 in May
     
AC Rempt
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 18, 2004, 09:41 PM
 
1) How many drives can I install in this beast?
2) How easy or difficult is it to DIY as a novice?
3) What are the top rated internal drives for a G5?

thanks. [/B]
1) Without adding any extra hardware, past the HD, the G5 can hole two drives. Search the forum to find some threads on different ways to add more drives.

2) Adding drives is effortless. Look at your manual, and you'll see how easy it is. I did it without using any tools at all.

3) Dunno about top rated, but I like Western Digital and Maxtor. Good, solid performers.

Oh, and my 1.8 dual also came with an 80 meg drive.
     
chrisutley
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 18, 2004, 11:24 PM
 
Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
no it didn't
Nothing is sweeter than a smart ass making a fool of himself trying to make somebody else look stupid. Kudos stupid guy!
     
ranga
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: San Jose CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 19, 2004, 12:43 AM
 
1) How many drives can I install in this beast?
You can install an extra drive w/o any effort. It will take at most 10 mins to get a second hard drive installed.

If you want more than two internal drives, the only two options I know about are Wiebetech's G5 Jam or the G5 Bracket. The G5 Jam allows you to install 2 extra drives and comes with a PCI SATA card. The G5 Bracket allows you to install 3 extra drives but requires you to buy your own IDE or SATA PCI card.

I don't have any personal experience w/ either product, but this review might be helpful.

3) What are the top rated internal drives for a G5?
I have a Western Digital Caviar SE SATA 250 GB drive in my G5. It is reasonably fast and was fairly cheap ($139 - $30 MIR). If you need a very fast drive I have been told that the best option is to get a WD Raptor 74 GB drive.

HTH,

--ranga
     
fiesta cat
Forum Regular
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: US
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 19, 2004, 12:45 PM
 
My Dual 1.8 came with a 80GB HDD as well, so I added a second SATA drive and then wanted a third. Initially went with a ATA133 drive/card setup as that was what was available.

Something I did to add a third drive, I added a PCI SATA card (was using an ATA133, but needed to use it in another machine and this was a good opportunity to upgraded).

Then I "mounted" a third HDD in the front, in front of the CPU fans, vertically, with a screw through the front grill and into the HDD (was only able to get one screw mounted securely because the grill holes don't quite match up for more than one, so I used really good velcro on the bottom where the drive meets the bottom of the case, not the cheap velcro stuff either, but stuff that is almost like double-sided tape).

It is mounted so that it doesn't impede the airflow over the CPU (and seeing people mount these three-bay drive setups in front of their CPU fans and not reporting any problems makes me feel a little better ).

Have not had any problems, and because the SATA cables are so much smaller than IDE, it was easy to route them and not have to worry about any crimps.

Although I haven't looked, I've read on other forums that SATA PCI adapters with external SATA I/O is available - if you could get an external SATA case (I've seen one model at Fry's a while back) then this is probably a better option.
www.macgenealogy.org - Genealogy on the Mac
     
DeathToWindows
Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Nashville, TN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 24, 2004, 07:28 AM
 
I happen to like the hitachi drives (newegg has a 250GB for $99 last I checked)... haven't put one in my DP2.0 yet... don;t need the space.

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
d.fine
Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2004
Location: on 650 cc's
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 24, 2004, 08:09 AM
 
To answer question number 1 :

Check this thread , this person has 10 internal drives, and explains that there is potential for almost 20 internal drives ...

stuffing feathers up your b*tt doesn't make you a chicken.
     
legacyb4
Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Vancouver
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Sep 24, 2004, 10:32 AM
 
Wow, that must have been a spot sale price. They list the 160's at $98 and the 250's at $156/$165.

Either way, still a great price...

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
I happen to like the hitachi drives (newegg has a 250GB for $99 last I checked)... haven't put one in my DP2.0 yet... don;t need the space.
Macbook (Black) C2D/250GB/3GB | G5/1.6 250GBx2/2.0GB
Free Mobile Ringtone & Games Uploader | Flickr | Twitter
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:03 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,