Question Expanding the storage on my PC ?

[Josh_from_NZ]

Hello,

I currently have around 24TB of media, mostly HD and 4k movie files, spread out over 6 ext hdds which are all plugged into my desktop PC. This is obviously not a great setup, as they are occupying nearly all my USB ports, take up a lot of space, and there is no backup in case of hdd failure. So, I'm looking at buying 2 new 16TB or 18TB internal hdds, copying all my media files onto these, and then unplugging all the ext hdds and storing them as backup.

Now I'm quite green when it comes to installing new components and modifying PCs, so I'm looking for some advice as to the easiest, safest, and most cost-effective way to go about this.

Originally, I was planning on installing the new internal hdds directly into my PC, and I have already sought advice about this previously as can be seen here (this thread also contains info about my current setup):

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...gaming-plus-wifi-ms-7e06-motherboard.3872528/

However, I've decided an Orico daisy chain hard disk enclosure might be a better plan, as it seems much simpler, it will make copying the files onto another PC in the future easier, and they're not too expensive in China, which is where I'm currently living.

I would like to spend as little as possible. I can buy a new Toshiba N300 18TB hdd here for 2099RMB (290USD). I can buy ORICO All Aluminum Daisy Chain 2 Bay Hard Disk Enclosure without RAID for 378RMB (50USD), with RAID for 478RMB (65USD). And ORICO All Aluminum Daisy Chain 4 Bay Hard Disk Enclosure without RAID for 738RMB (100USD), and with raid for 838RMB (115USD). I can also buy refurbished hdds here for roughly half the price of a new one. They come from well-established and highly reviewed electronics stores, so there's no risk of hidden malware or anything like that, just an already used hdd.

So, I'm looking for advice and opinions on what would be the most cost-effective, simple, and safe setup. I'm currently either thinking the 4 bay hdd enclosure with raid, and 3x 16 or 18 TB used hdds, with some kind of RAID setup to improve performance and offer some protection against data loss (I only understand the very basics of RAID after reading a little about it today). Or alternatively, I could buy 2x 18TB new hdds and the 2 bay Hard Disk Enclosure without RAID. This option would cost a bit more, but I would have brand new hdds, although no RAID setup. Thoughts?

TIA!

 

[Misgar]

I'm currently either thinking the 4 bay hdd enclosure with raid, and 3x 16 or 18 TB used hdds, with some kind of RAID setup to improve performance and offer some protection against data loss (I only understand the very basics of RAID after reading a little about it today).

Don't use RAID in the hope it will protect your data. You need multiple copies on different media/drives/locations. Be careful with second hand drives. Any drive (new or old) can fail at any time.

 

[USAFRet]

So, I'm looking for advice and opinions on what would be the most cost-effective, simple, and safe setup. I'm currently either thinking the 4 bay hdd enclosure with raid, and 3x 16 or 18 TB used hdds, with some kind of RAID setup to improve performance and offer some protection against data loss (I only understand the very basics of RAID after reading a little about it today). Or alternatively, I could buy 2x 18TB new hdds and the 2 bay Hard Disk Enclosure without RAID. This option would cost a bit more, but I would have brand new hdds, although no RAID setup. Thoughts?

Disregard RAID. It does nothing for data security. Only continued uptime in the event of physical drive fail.

 

[Misgar]

However, I've decided an Orico daisy chain hard disk enclosure might be a better plan, as it seems much simpler, it will make copying the files onto another PC in the future easier

Fitting two drives inside a PC is the cheapest option. If you buy a new PC, you can transfer the drives to the new computer. I've not used an Orico enclosure, but it's one more thing to go wrong, regardless of quality.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have at least 3 copies of all important files on three separate devices.

 

[BFG-9000]

I can also buy refurbished hdds here for roughly half the price of a new one.

If you are willing to buy a refurbished HDD, then the cheapest option is actually a single internal drive that will hold all your data, leaving all of your externals free to hold backups or to transfer data. 28TB Seagate Exos are $350 at Newegg with 6-month warranty (and specifically says they ship to New Zealand) or $370 elsewhere with 2 years (also ships overseas), but you obviously would not get the free shipping and may have to pay customs. They have hundreds of them so you might be able to find some closer to home.

Externals usually don't have anywhere near the cooling that internal drives can get from just case airflow

 

[JayGau]

Why don't you just buy a big HDD (like 28 TB) and a USB to SATA adapter? https://a.co/d/eAzv0Nv