I’m looking for what users recommend for high speed storage connected to my Windows 10/11 Plex PC server. I know there are 1000 recommendations here on storage but I’m looking for a specific type.
I want to build an external box with 3.5 inch drives which is easy to find, but… I’m looking for the fastest, widest way to connect to the host PC for throughput. I do not want to connect with a single USB 3x port because I don’t think that will provide sufficient speed for my needs. I have multiple concurrent users watching movies and I’m often copying files as well. Every solution I’ve found has a single port connection to the PC whether it be USB, or firewire, or eSata etc. For that I can leave the drives mounted internally each with their own SATA interface.
I’m wondering if there is a way to simply extend the SATA connectors from my motherboard to connect to an external box with it’s own power supply. Seems to me that a storage box for 4-5 drives with an internal power supply and individual connections for a SATA cable would be the best solution. Effectively the same as internal drives connected but just physically sitting outside the PC case where they are more easily added and removed.
I could build something but would rather not create a monster. Does anyone know of an external frame for removable drives that uses the native internal SATA connections as an interface? Maybe a connection bracket for SATA ports mounted on the back where an open slot is (like we see with USB expansion ports etc). Then connect the MB SATA to the bracket rather than internal drives and then another set of SATA cables connecting the external box to the PC.
I was thinking of building something like that. It would consist of an external DVD duplication case w/ power supply. Then install hot-swappable HDD cages w/ SATA ports on the back. In the PC I would have a SAS card like this HP Smart Array P822 PCI-Express 3.0 x8 SAS 2GB FBWC 2-ports Int/4-ports Ext SAS Controller - Newegg.com. The cables that connect to the back fan out into 4 SATA connectors and would be run into the back of the duplication case to the HDD cages.
But to be honest, even w/ multiple streams at once, USB 3.0 or better has more than enough bandwidth. I can’t see you having a bottle neck even w/ 6 direct streams at once.
You and I are barking up similar trees. I’ve also been trying to work out similar ideas. There are drive cages designed to be mounted internally using 3 of the 5.25inch bays on a tower case that hold 5 3.5 inch drives, have a fan, and connectors for SATA data and power. The case although designed for internal use doesn’t look terrible and all I’d have to do is find long SATA data and power cables to run through open PCI bracket slots in the case. That begs the question, why not just mount it internally and have the function of external hot swap on the drives.
I’m just set on having my storage external and simplifying my PC in terms of mounted gear, power needs, heat etc. I’m frankly surprised companies haven’t built a solution. The internal cage I mentioned would only need an external cover and then a couple of brackets for ports to mount in open PCI slots for cable interconnect… SATA on the MB to connectors internally and then standard SATA cables from the back to the unit. Thus entirely preserving the native SATA channel for each drive and performance except external.
Sure I could go USB 3 to an external cage but I just can’t convince myself to do it. I can’t go from 6 independent SATA channels directly connected to 6 drives down to one connector and a board in the external cage routing SATA traffic. Just seems to me to be too many eggs in one basket and a single point of failure. While pure specs say USB 3 has the bandwidth we know that bandwidth on paper does not = real world so who knows.
Also, it is my understanding that no matter what interface you use other than native SATA on the MB, translation occurs for all disk I/O. The system only looks to the SATA interface for storage I/O so if your disk is connected via USB, eSATA or any other interface, the I/O to and from it are translated back through the SATA interface on the MB.
Thanks for the reply and let me know if you get any other ideas.
