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Why so many drive bays?

P

predtetm

Junior Member
I'm looking at getting this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119035

Here's something I never quite understood, who would possibly need 4 drive bays for CD-ROMs? With DVD burners becoming backwards compatible as dvd players, CD-R writers, and now SL and DL, why would anyone need more than one drive? I can probably see why you need 2, in case you want to do direct on-the-fly burning. But, 4? I'll take a shot in the dark and assume that people are converting them to 3.5" for additional hard drive space.. Or am I wrong?

I like this specific case, but I don't know if I'll be okay with having only one DVD+RW sitting there with 3 black boxes underneath, feels like a waste of space.
 
I have the same issue. I'd like smaller ATX compliant cases, but the manufacturers just want to put out massive boxes.
 
Originally posted by: predtetm
I'm looking at getting this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119035

Here's something I never quite understood, who would possibly need 4 drive bays for CD-ROMs? With DVD burners becoming backwards compatible as dvd players, CD-R writers, and now SL and DL, why would anyone need more than one drive? I can probably see why you need 2, in case you want to do direct on-the-fly burning. But, 4? I'll take a shot in the dark and assume that people are converting them to 3.5" for additional hard drive space.. Or am I wrong?

I like this specific case, but I don't know if I'll be okay with having only one DVD+RW sitting there with 3 black boxes underneath, feels like a waste of space.
Click to expand...



Nice case! But I would consider one with at least 1x120mm fan, as 4x80mm might be a little loud. Maybe not for you, but old guys, yes.

Four drive bays? reader,writer, adding another writer that has options the first doesn't,
fan buss to control 4x80mm fans, a cover that supports external ports-USB-Firewire-audio-a cigar lighter😛(for real)-a cup holder(of all things).

TIP: If the top drive bay is left MT all the excess wiring harness from the PSU can be tucked up there out of the way. Some of us get a PSU with server length harness and not wanting to cut and solder, just put it up there 😉

The case you linked does seem to have a slid-out mainboard tray. That's a very good option.


Galvanized
 
My Enlight 8950 case has 7 5.25 bays used
3 mobile racks
1 dvd writer
1 dvd reader (to allow on the fly copy)
1 card reader, usb, firewire port combo
1 360 (real) floppy
2 unused 5.25 bays
Case temp stays at 38C

When you need the drives...........
 
i use all 4 of my drive bays

i love to have a dedicated DVD-ROM drive (dont want to put more strain on a drive then i have to, so i run seperate DVD-ROM and DVD+-RW drives)

and i have an AreoCool Gatewatch (takes up 2 slots)
 
Fan Controllers, CD/DVD Drives, Cigarette lighter (Glavanized isn't lying 😀) - sold at FrozenCPU.com if you ever want one.... 😕
 
Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus
i use all 4 of my drive bays

i love to have a dedicated DVD-ROM drive (dont want to put more strain on a drive then i have to, so i run seperate DVD-ROM and DVD+-RW drives)

and i have an AreoCool Gatewatch (takes up 2 slots)
Click to expand...


The Gateway takes up 2 spots? :Q
 
i was thinking about putting a 120mm i ntake on my 3 extra spaces but i want to put a fan controller in and a second burner so that wont work but it sounded like a good idea.
 
Me.
moded front plate with switches for lights and secondary PSU
5 SATA hard drives in Zalman hd coolers
2 PATA drivers in Cool Drive 3 coolers.
2 6-fan controllers
CD-RW

adding shortly:
DVD-RW
2 Hardcano 13's

So yea, I use those extra bays that other cases offer.
Tas.
 
CDRW
DVD+RW
Iomega REV
Rheostat.
Mobile HD rack.

You also have to understand, some professional audio cards come I/O bay panels. Also, as do, NLE video transfer panels, too.

What I don't understand is, why is there still a 3.5 floppy bay available? 😕 Booting and flashing from USB mass storage devices is now the norm. Internal flash card reader/writers are now mostly bundled with the chassis along below with the frontal I/O bays.
 
Don't believe me Tas?

1- One DVD burner
1- One CDRW burner
1- One Mobile Rack
3- One CoolerMaster 4-in-3 HD Cage (takes three 5" bays)
1- One CoolerMaster Fan Controller
--------------------
7- Total, and my Silverstone Berserker case has only six 5" bays!

Maybe I'll link a pic later.

.bh.
 
2 opticals, fan controller and a matrix lcd display coming in the mail->Text

i actually dont' have enough. i need another bay for my 2nd fan controller
 
Originally posted by: Zepper
Don't believe me Tas?

1- One DVD burner
1- One CDRW burner
1- One Mobile Rack
3- One CoolerMaster 4-in-3 HD Cage (takes three 5" bays)
1- One CoolerMaster Fan Controller
--------------------
7- Total, and my Silverstone Berserker case has only six 5" bays!

Maybe I'll link a pic later.

.bh.
Click to expand...

Nothing like that. I truly believe that it takes talent to do fit 7 in 6. But I will definitely look forward to the obligatory pic. 🙂
Tas.
 
Originally posted by: ReMeDy{WcS}
What I don't understand is, why is there still a 3.5 floppy bay available? 😕 Booting and flashing from USB mass storage devices is now the norm. Internal flash card reader/writers are now mostly bundled with the chassis along below with the frontal I/O bays.
Click to expand...
Unless things have changed in the last 24 hours, cases don't come with Internal flash card readers. Neither do motherboards.

Some people still use floppies for legacy devices. Or, unless they were able to make a copy of Windows integrating their particular form of RAID drivers (required if they're installing it on a drive hooked up to the RAID connectors), Windows only gives them the option of installing those drivers from floppies. Besides, you can get a 7-in-1 9-in-1, etc. reader that fits in the 3.5" bay that has a floppy integrated, so you get a floppy for legacy stuff AND a flash card reader. It also frees you up from using a 5.25" bay for the same type of reader there instead of thje 3.5 bay.

 
There are lots of things out there that make use of a 3.5" external bay. Flash card readers, ports panels, some tape drives, zip drives, LS-120, USB hubs, fan controllers, and it goes on... YE Data/Adaptec has a neat flash card reader/floppy drive combo that fits one too.

.bh.
 
Some people manage to use them. 🙂

My Antec SLK3700AMB has 5 internal 3.5" bays, 2 external 3.5" bays, and 4 5.25" bays.
They are all full.
From the top down:
- DVD-RW
- Removable hard drive bay
- hard drive (with adaptors to fit the bay)
- fanbus controller
-----------------------------------------------------
- floppy drive
- hard drive
-----------------------------------------------------
5 x hard drives

So yes, it is possible to fill a computer to the limit. Heck, even my expansion slots on the motherboard (or at least the adjoining slots on the back) are all filled. TV Tuner, extra I/O bracket for the TV tuner, modem, hard drive controller, videocard, VGA Silencer III, and various USB/IEEE1394 brackets.😀
 
I used to love loading up my system with redundant equipment -- two CDROMs, CDRWs, or DVD-burners, for instance. Now, I plan for simplicity.

The ubiquitous four-port USB2 front-panel hub (or combo-front-panel) sometimes comes in a convertible kit for either a 3.5" external or 5.25" external bay. The line of demarcation in case and drive-cage design was "internal vs external," and that arose with the advent of 3.5" hard disks and the use of 3.5" floppy drives. Well, there's a contradiction, because the 3.5" floppy was also "external."

Frankly, I think you could design a wonderful case to the exclusion of the 3.5" internal HD cage. Here's why: a 5.25" drive bay allows you to install shock-absorber rails for the otherwise-internal 3.5" hard disks.

For that, I broke with my penchant for frugality and installed one of these in my modded Gateway 2K ('96) full-tower:

Lian Li hard drive rack -- "three in two"

And . . . d---it! Galvanized Yankee was correct the other day, on the matter of my "extravagance" in purchasing this sucker for $30! How brazen of NewEgg -- to treat this as their regular everyday price! And I bought it from them!!
 
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