Question Whats the most my system can detect via SATA?

[Gamefreaknet]

Mobo: Alienware 03R2RY (link to specs)
CPU: i7 8750H with Intel UHD 630
GPU: RTX 2070 MQ (8GB)
RAM: (Upgraded) 32GB (2x 16GB 2600mhz)
SSD 1: SATA 6Gbps 1TB
SSD 2: M:2. 2TB


I've got this laptop on what I believe to be its maximum storage (minus the empty slot) for my M.2. storage as I have been told that my CPU likely will not work with 4TB M.2.s however is that the same for SATAs or could I give it a 4/8TB SATA (ignoring the price).

 

[Math Geek]

there is no reason your cpu would not recognize 4 tb drives or bigger. no idea who said that to you, but they are wrong.

i've got much older systems with 4tb or bigger drives running even now

you will need to format it as GPT to see it all in one partition though. otherwise on MBR you'll have to break it into 2 tb partitions with a max of 4 partitions per drive.

so as MBR if this drive will have windows on it, the system and recovery partitions count toward the 4 total. so 2 tb for OS/system/recovery partitons and one other 2 tb partition for data on the same drive if you go the MBR way.

if it's all data storage then the space can be divided up on up to 4 partitions adding to the 4 tb.

make it easy on yourself and go with GPT !!

 

[Gamefreaknet]

there is no reason your cpu would not recognize 4 tb drives or bigger. no idea who said that to you, but they are wrong.

i've got much older systems with 4tb or bigger drives running even now

you will need to format it as GPT to see it all in one partition though. otherwise on MBR you'll have to break it into 2 tb partitions with a max of 4 partitions per drive.

so as MBR if this drive will have windows on it, the system and recovery partitions count toward the 4 total. so 2 tb for OS/system/recovery partitons and one other 2 tb partition for data on the same drive if you go the MBR way.

if it's all data storage then the space can be divided up on up to 4 partitions adding to the 4 tb.

make it easy on yourself and go with GPT !!

How would I change the format though (I know it's probably through Disk Management however not sure how)?

 

[Math Geek]

when installing windows you set it to GPT.

or if it is already MBR you can convert it using various methods. here's a nice write up on some various ways built into windows

Windows Setup: Installing using the MBR or GPT partition style

Windows Setup: Installing using the MBR or GPT partition style

learn.microsoft.com

basically turn on UEFI bios and it won't let you install windows to anything but GPT. easy enough.

i am assuming if you are using an NVME drive, then you are putting windows onto it. if i am wrong, then please clarify what type of drive and what it's use will be

 

[MWink64]

there is no reason your cpu would not recognize 4 tb drives or bigger. no idea who said that to you, but they are wrong.

i've got much older systems with 4tb or bigger drives running even now

you will need to format it as GPT to see it all in one partition though. otherwise on MBR you'll have to break it into 2 tb partitions with a max of 4 partitions per drive.

so as MBR if this drive will have windows on it, the system and recovery partitions count toward the 4 total. so 2 tb for OS/system/recovery partitons and one other 2 tb partition for data on the same drive if you go the MBR way.

if it's all data storage then the space can be divided up on up to 4 partitions adding to the 4 tb.

make it easy on yourself and go with GPT !!

You're not wrong but I think you may be making it seem overly complicated. I would expect an Intel 8th gen machine to come using UEFI by default. I would expect the existing drive to already be GPT and would format any new drives as GPT. The issues you bring up would only come into play if the system is in legacy mode (and thus the system drive using an MBR partition table) AND the OP wants to use the new drive as the system drive. Even if the system is in legacy mode, a storage drive could still be formatted as GPT.

 

[Math Geek]

i can see how it comes off as complicated.

i prefer to say it's thorough and leaves nothing out

i am also assuming the system is already set to UEFI , but it's possible it may not be. so threw in the MBR info just in case.