# What cables,etc. do I need for a additional HDD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2018, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487 "2018-10-05T11:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JakeRS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/1 "2018-10-05T11:13:28Z")
I know, I know, ,get an SSD", I can’t afford one large enough for my needs and I realistically don’t need it, I just need capacity, I have a small 300 GB HDD that’s 10 years old, 50GB of which is Windows, app data, drivers and all that stuff, so realistically I have only 250 GB. I’m working with several 3d modeling and rendering programs, game engines and I edit videos, so I need a lot of space for all that and I also want to be able to have more than just 2 or 3 AAA games, now I have to delete stuff all the time to make space for other stuff… Fortunately a 1TB HDD is cheap enough and I’m thinking of getting that, so, what do I need from cables on the motherboard and on the PSU? This is my motherboard, I guess it’s good enough for 2 HDD’s, but I’m not sure about my PSU. [https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S\_ID=685](https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=685) ---
**Author:** ![Frankenstein\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Frankenstein\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenstein_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/2 "2018-10-05T11:39:02Z")
According to your link, your motherboard has four SATA ports. So it can connect four SATA drives total. Two might be in use already for the current HDD and the DVD drive. So you need a SATA hard drive and a SATA data cable (looks like [this](https://www.amazon.com/LINESO-Inch-SATA-Gbps-Cable/dp/B01HHQ44D8/)). The PSU must have an available SATA power connector (thin connector, looks like the black end of [this](https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-3-Pack-Molex-Power/dp/B00STNUB04/) adapter), or you can use an available Molex power connector with an adapter like that. You might need a bracket like [this](https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Aluminum-Internal-Mounting-Absorption/dp/B005OJFASY/) to mount the HDD in the case. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/3 "2018-10-05T13:33:37Z")
Before you buy any cables, it’s worth checking to see if there is already a spare in the case. I added a drive to my PC and the cable was already there, tucked away out of sight. I only found it when I pulled the original HDD out of the way to see how the sleeves worked. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/4 "2018-10-05T15:54:49Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Before you buy any cables, it’s worth checking to see if there is already a spare in the case. I added a drive to my PC and the cable was already there, tucked away out of sight. I only found it when I pulled the original HDD out of the way to see how the sleeves worked. Yes, I recently got a new desktop, pulled both the HDD and the Blu-ray Drive out of my old one to put into the new one, and it already had enough power and data cables in there for both. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/5 "2018-10-05T18:21:43Z")
If you don’t have a power connector for the additional drives, some specialty computer stores sell special adaptors (if instead you have the big white power cable plug) or a Y splitter -plug it in and it has two power plugs for two drives. But - usually in that mess of wires coming out the power supply there should be extra power cables for drives. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/6 "2018-10-05T19:17:11Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > (if instead you have the big white power cable plug) That white plug is called a Molex connector. Molex to SATA adaptors / splitters are cheap enough from Amazon & the like. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/7 "2018-10-05T20:43:52Z")
> [@JakeRS](#): > > I just need capacity, I have a small 300 GB HDD that’s 10 years old Once you get a new drive, I’d install my OS and files on it and use it as the primary drive. Hard drives do wear out over time, and from my experience a 10-year-old drive is probably on its last legs. (In fact, I think it’s safe to say I’ve never had one last that long myself.) I hope you at minimum keep backups of all your important files, even if you choose not to buy and install a new drive. (Oh, and if you’re not sure about cabling, if the DVD drive is also SATA you can also just unplug it and use its cables. Assuming, like a lot of people, you never or almost-never use your optical drive anymore.) ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/8 "2018-10-06T01:49:18Z")
Dude, get an SSD. 512 gig Samsungs are routinely on sale for $83. It’s ok to _also_ have a HDD…but you need an SSD. A computer is not usable without one. Also, _do_ get a reputable brand. If Samsung or Intel didn’t make the SSD you are considering, wait for a sale on one of those 2 brands. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cables-etc-do-i-need-for-a-additional-hdd/822487/9 "2018-10-06T04:52:41Z")
If the drive is sold as an “OEM” drive it probably comes with the bare drive, and nothing else. Otherwise it probably comes with all the SATA cables you need. From the picture, you shouldn’t need Molex. Hell, if you get it and still need cables, I probably have some I don’t need. There are dozens of companies that sell their branded drives, but realistically only 3 or 4 companies that actually make them. Western Digital and Toshiba are usually the less error-prone. Seagate is getting better, but they had a run of high failure rates awhile back. You should get a SSD **if that becomes your primary OS drive**. Or if it’s one that you will run games off of. In most other cases for data storage, the platter HD is more financially sound.