[Hack Job] Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF - How to add a 2nd 3.5-inch HDD

[Flintstone61]

I went through this issue with my newer Optiplex boxes. I wanted 2 drives to split the camera load.
When @fenderman suggested the best bang for the buck atthe time was the HP SFF Elitedesk/Prodesk G4-800's with 2 native 3.5" bays squeezed into the same form factor.
So i got that.
but then I went straight to overcompensation mode for home, and got a dell Precision 3630 MT, with 3- 3.5" bays and an M.2 Slot.

 

[Flintstone61]

With the 3630 I got 4 Sata dongles dangling and power supply support for Nvidia GTX 3070 type graphics.

 

[Flintstone61]

https://www.amazon.com/MZHOU-Expansion-JMICRON-Adapter-Low-Profile/dp/B099ZCXJLQ

 

[Flintstone61]

SATA PCIe Card, 4 Ports, 6Gbps, Non-RAID - SATA Controller Cards | Add-on Cards & Peripherals | StarTech.com

SATA PCIe Card - 4 Port PCIe SATA Expansion Card - 6Gbps - Low/Full Profile - Stacked SATA Connectors - ASM1164 - PCI Express to SATA Converter

www.startech.com

 

[Flintstone61]

https://www.amazon.com/SupaHub-Controller-Drives-Cables-Splitter/dp/B083WF95Q1/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=sata+pcie+card&qid=1678676248&sr=8-8

 

[IAmATeaf]

You must have enough boxes now to be able to do some data mining

For one of Dell desktops I grafted another SATA power cable onto the existing, looks a bit like a multi headed hydra but works a treat.

 

[IAmATeaf]

You must have enough boxes now to be able to do some data mining

For one of Dell desktops I grafted another SATA power cable onto the existing, looks a bit like a multi headed hydra but works a treat.

 

[saltwater]

Thanks for all the links @Flintstone61, I ended up sourcing a 6-pin to 3 SATA power cable via Amazon, it should be delivered tomorrow.

 

[nnazdu_]

@saltwater Hi! im sorry for the necropost, but i am facing the same issue with my optiplex 7050: i want to fit 2 3.5' HDDs inside the chassis, but i wanna think it through before approaching the problem in a more "destructive" way. Did you find a solution or you ended up going a different way about it?

thanks in advance

 

[Flintstone61]

Yeah, get the Elitedesk SFF and put your Tin-snips away. or the Dell precision 3630 tower.
all kidding aside they made the 7050 with 2.5" hdd bays. As I recall it might accept 1 3.5 hdd natively....
So it would be interesting to see/hear what @saltwater did.
Having had the 4th Generation Optiplex Towers ( which I really liked) I was disappointed when they went away from the 2HDD Tower.

 

[Riclyo]

No need to hack.
I put a esata card in and bought one of these.

Been going strong for over a year.

 

[saltwater]

@saltwater Hi! im sorry for the necropost, but i am facing the same issue with my optiplex 7050: i want to fit 2 3.5' HDDs inside the chassis, but i wanna think it through before approaching the problem in a more "destructive" way. Did you find a solution or you ended up going a different way about it?

thanks in advance

I ended up doing nothing. I originally was using a HP Prodesk with an 8TB harddrive and getting around 8 days of 24/7 recording for 13 cameras. There was no second 3.5" drive available. I purchased a HP Elitedesk that has space for two 3.5" harddrives, inserted one 18TB drive and the other is spare at the moment. I transferred Blue Iris to the new machine and now I'm getting 20 days with 24/7 recording. I'm still in the process of configuring my daughter's CCTV setup, the wiring is nearly complete and when done she'll have the Prodesk computer with 8TB harddrive.

Sorry I can't be any more help.

 

[IAmATeaf]

I have in the past just Velcro’ed a disk in place so providing you can connect and power it up find a place to stick the 2nd drive?