[Detonation]

The main reason I decided to build an HTPC was for the ease of access to my media because I have a plethora of smaller (500GB or less) hard drives from over the years that I must put into an external enclosure if I want to use them. I was originally just going to go with a media server and stream them to my PC, Xbox, and TV, but its pretty much the same price for me to just build an HTPC a make things even easier)


My current hard drive situation is:

320GB - OS and Documents/Unsorted Downloads (partitioned 100GB/200GB)

500GB - Music (MP3 and FLAC)

500GB - TV Shows

500GB - Movies

250GB - Data other than TV/Movies (Programs, Live Concerts, Games)

250GB - Currently empty

250GB - External, Personal Files (docs, pictures) backup

500GB - External, empty (still sealed).


Most of them are around 75% full or more. They are all SATA.

I've already ordered all the parts for my HTPC except for the hard drive. My case[/url - leftover from my pre...oing to be more expensive. Any suggestions?

 

[James_stewart]

I just purchased a green drive 2 months ago and I love it. It's quiet and puts off minimal heat. If I were you I would try to consolidate all the drives below 500gb into a 1tb drive, as it takes four 250gb drives to make up just one 1tb drive.

Another option for you, which I did, is to buy external HD enclosures. For under $15 you can convert any internal HD into an external HD. It's extremely easy to do and the enclosures come with their own power supply so you're not sucking power from you computer's power supply.

 

[Nosferax]

You can get Western Digital Green 1Tb for 80-90$. For media you don't need the top of the line performance wise.


I'm presently strating to replace my 1Tb internal with 2Tb. They cost about 220$.


The one I pull I put into some external cases and use them for backup with SecondCopy.

 

[Bigbird999]

Hard drives that you already own are cheaper than those you have to buy, but running all of them requires a big box with high power consumption and all of the heat generation problems that go with them. You might want to consider one of these $50 Hard Drive Docks http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...021330&cid=516 attached to your PC. Just clone the important drives for data backup and store off site. Plug in whatever media you want to watch tonight. They make single and double drive units USB so data transfer @40 - 50 MB/sec. Sort of like a poor man's RAID with or without redundancy.


BB

 

[K-Spaz]

I've had a green drive fail after about a month of use. Wasn't real happy but WD as always, supports their stuff and replaced it with no issue.


I prefer the black drives, and really prefer the construction of them. They have bearings on both ends of the spindle vs just on one side. Probably why they have a 5 yr warranty.


If it were me, I'd probably sell off a few of the other drives, keeping the 500s, and get a couple black drives, which by the way were on sale today at NewEgg for 89./free shipping. That deal comes on and off. Get on the mailing list for their deals and it'll come back around.


Each drive consumes about equal power. Greens will be less when not in use but same when in use. The less drives you have, the better.