Question Installing a second SATA internal HDD on an MSI Z790 Gaming Plus WiFi (MS-7e06) motherboard ?

[Josh_from_NZ]

Hi, I'm wanting to install more internal storage to my PC. Currently it only has one 2T internal hdd, and I'd like to add either 1x16TB and 1x8TB, or 3X8TB. They would mainly be used for storing video files, and I'd like to do it as cheaply as possible, so I think a hdd would be fine over a sdd. However, I'm pretty green at this and am looking for some advice. I've done some research but still have a few questions.

My motherboard is a msi z790 gaming plus wifi ms-7e06, and from what I can tell it has 6 SATA 6G ports, so I assume I should be able to install 2 or 3 more SATA hdds with no problem? I've also researched which hdds are compatible.

My main concerns are that it seems when installing a new internal hdd, there should be some kind of plastic tray to enclose the hdd in, but I don't have any. Are these necessary, and if so how and where would I connect them?

Second question is, it seems I need to connect a SATA power cable from the power supply to the hdd. Would it be safe to assume that if my motherboard has 6 SATA 6G ports, then my power supply will also have 6 inputs for SATA power cables?

As I mentioned, I'm pretty inexperienced with this, and I just wanna make sure I'm not making any mistakes before I spend money on new hdds then find out I can't use them. TIA!

P.S. I tried inserting images from Imgur, but every time I got the error "Image cannot be loaded from the passed link", so I've copied the link instead:

https://imgur.com/a/A62d25v

View: https://imgur.com/a/A62d25v

 

[CountMike]

Yes, you can install as many SATA HDDs as there are SATA ports on the MB and even more by using PCIe to multiple SATA ports.
Don't know which PSU you have but most modern ones come with at least 2 cables with 3 SATA connectors.
As for mounting HDDs, that's up to case to have mounting racks for them. Plastic enclosures for HDDs are only external HDD. cases have metal cages or other accommodations to securely mount HDDs. That's kind of case you have to look for.

 

[dwd999]

It would help if you could tell us the make and model of your case and your power supply. Does the cable you already have from your power supply to your HDD have any more connectors on it that can be used for new drives? Were you given any more cables for your power supply to connect to new drives? If not you would most likely need to buy more cables from the power supply manufacturer to ensure that they are a proper match.

If lower speed is not a problem you may want to consider external storage where your drives can be inserted into a hub or container and externally powered. Perhaps something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Toolfr...orico,aps,135&sr=8-19&xpid=DpAp0FNslo9VG&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Extern...8739487&sprefix=orico+doc,aps,184&sr=8-3&th=1

 

[Josh_from_NZ]

Thanks for the replies! I believe the power supply is the ASUS Prime AP750G and the case is the ASUS TUF 502. Although hard drive docking stations may actually be a better idea anyway as it'll make it easier to transfer the files to another PC in the future if I want to... If I was to go the docking station route, would I still need to buy hard drives that are compatible with the MB, or would any hard drives that are compatible with the docking station work?

 

[Josh_from_NZ]

It would help if you could tell us the make and model of your case and your power supply. Does the cable you already have from your power supply to your HDD have any more connectors on it that can be used for new drives? Were you given any more cables for your power supply to connect to new drives? If not you would most likely need to buy more cables from the power supply manufacturer to ensure that they are a proper match.

If lower speed is not a problem you may want to consider external storage where your drives can be inserted into a hub or container and externally powered. Perhaps something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Toolfree-External-Enclosure-Support/dp/B00GAML7OK/ref=sr_1_19?crid=353FHF2FOAMVQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4CHwjjpx3MWo2rCZGc12tGLBoyCxZGaXo51mELwU1eEU_oXXB1e-SWzQSxznbRwOaJBZRTojxuvCaPWIqBFBlOzLhhGH8GzB12lq1H35MoqhKBankGVZZKlImUVzap8zMeJyxj6J9NVTt0VGYdPz3tNStMsyXEZGytKCcbimGp1Ydj-HdzoZtVgc0AF4c25Oliq2qMzjps31YDArRZn0PKKcpbB5OnVaEHUeY_ZFzrw.vvd2ydDy8q7f9Z_h2Q_0GroxGgjrrme7jDvATTpltUA&dib_tag=se&keywords=orico&qid=1738739337&sprefix=orico,aps,135&sr=8-19&xpid=DpAp0FNslo9VG&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-External-Docking-Station-Support/dp/B0C2HVR4JZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2P0VWMBTZAAHK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FGqPfv9ce3QVpVFbRmpmMQ0Bi9B8Qm_p4R6ofJSEVqtCxx4_aXYLajxnqbbelp_hSV7beaOQ82cg_RqgjC-a3NL2BaCHNcb58iSPZCIfZnd2sjAguAjEgaZ7LhqBQi7foDOYRbPt6-Axh71fUHd4cSinyVfGu_1K9swAlrBkj6tEWnRixxfE3idzg6pdfGtIWifdLUFJmYDGMdympZXm7GeExb80QEyNAs4G-lW323o.W7DpLOJsaPZN1-hFUymmZ7B58W3J1ysd8fH3zFjuAa4&dib_tag=se&keywords=orico+docking+station&qid=1738739487&sprefix=orico+doc,aps,184&sr=8-3&th=1

I'm not sure if I was given any other cables for my power supply, I bought it a while ago and would have to look around to see if I kept the boxes. I had a big clear out a while back and have a feeling I may have thrown them out

 

[williamjeremiah]

I had a big clear out a while back and have a feeling I may have thrown them out

SATA power cables which are included with a PSU, usually have multiple connections per cable, so even if you have thrown away the extra cables, it's very likely that you'll have at least two unused connections on your existing one.

 

[dwd999]

Thanks for the replies! I believe the power supply is the ASUS Prime AP750G and the case is the ASUS TUF 502. Although hard drive docking stations may actually be a better idea anyway as it'll make it easier to transfer the files to another PC in the future if I want to... If I was to go the docking station route, would I still need to buy hard drives that are compatible with the MB, or would any hard drives that are compatible with the docking station work?

Virtually all 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch drives are compatible with both motherboards and docking stations. The sata interface has been the standard for over a decade.

When the power supply was reviewed here the picture shows 2 sata cables so maybe there's one more lying around.

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-com...s-prime-ap-750g-gold-750w-power-supply-review

Hard drive installation in your case is pictured on pages 18 to 26 in your manual:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/...GT502_A5_UM_V3_WEB.pdf?model=TUF Gaming GT502

 

[Misgar]

As already mentioned by @dwd999, Pages 18 to 26 in the user guide show various orientations to mount up to three 3.5in or three 2.5in disk drives as follows:

Configuration 1 shows the three drives bolted direct to the case metalwork, in a vertical arry.

Configuration 2 shows three drives bolted to a removeable metal plate in the bottom of the case.

Configuration 3 shows three drives bolted to a removeable metal plate on the side of the case.

Configuration 4 shows three drives bolted to a removeable metal plate at the top of the case.

My main concerns are that it seems when installing a new internal hdd, there should be some kind of plastic tray to enclose the hdd in, but I don't have any.

No, you don't need any plastic trays, but you do need to open up the case and look for the locations shown in the user guide, pages 18 to 24. With all those different options, I'd find it confusing at first. Try to avoid enclosing any spinning hard disk in a close fitting case. They can get too hot with poor ventilation,

It depends on what mounting hardware came with your case as to whether you can mount the new drives vertically, in the base, on the side or at the top.

Currently it only has one 2T internal hdd, and I'd like to add either 1x16TB and 1x8TB, or 3X8TB.

Since you already have one hard disk installed, look for two more sets of mounting holes nearby.

If you don't remove the existing 2TB drive, you'll only be able to fit two more drives, without messing around and bodging things. You could copy the entire contents of the 2TB drive to an 8TB drive, then remove the 2TB drive and fit three 8TB drives in total.

Whether you buy 16GB or 8GB combinations is up to you. I recommend buying CMR/PMR drives and not SMR drives. After you've used SMR drives for some time and deleted mulitiple files, they can get very slow when writing new files. Check the manufacturers' data sheets carefully. I now avoid SMR drives like the proverbial plague. I find 8TB CMR drives are often fast enough for use as a source or destination for 4K video (up to 250MB/s), but prefer M.2 Gen.4 for serious work. Hard disks are good for completed projects.

N.B. Many USB portable drives (Seagate/WD) are SMR. It's a way of cramming 10 to 20% more data on to the platters.

https://www.howtogeek.com/803276/cmr-vs.-smr-hard-drives-whats-the-difference/

You'll need separate SATA data power cables for each drive. Look at your existing 2TB drive. You may have to buy an couple of new SATA data cables, if you don't have the spares sometimes supplied with a motherboard. They're only a few dollars each. Check all the leads coming out of your PSU and see if there are two spare SATA power connectors. See below.

I'm much happier running my hard disks inside computers. They run much cooler if there is airflow from fans nearby. USB enclosures for 3.5" drives can result in hard disks exceeding +55°C/131°F which I consider too hot. It's also easy to damage external spinning hard disks if they topple over when powered on. Safer inside out of harm's way.