Pro Tower Plus QBT1250, Hard Drive caddy

Hi

This may not be welcome news.....

The Dell Pro Tower Plus Model QBT1250 is primarily configured with NVMe M.2 SSD storage and does not come with a standard SATA drive bay or the necessary SATA power and data cables pre-installed for adding a traditional SATA hard drive or SSD. This means the chassis does not include a dedicated hard drive caddy or bracket for 2.5" or 3.5" SATA drives by default, nor the cables needed to connect such drives.

Hard Drive Caddy / Drive Bay:

• The physical mounting structure for a SATA drive (sometimes called a "drive bay" or "caddy") is not included with the QBT1250 model if it is configured with NVMe storage only.

• Older Dell desktops used blue plastic trays as drive caddies, but the QBT1250 does not appear to include such trays or a dedicated bracket for SATA drives.

• Some users suggest that the metal structure inside the case might allow direct mounting of a 3.5" or 2.5" drive with an adapter, but this is not officially documented.

• Dell does sell a generic hard drive bracket for mounting 2.5" drives in their mid-tower cases, but it is not specified if this bracket is compatible or included with the QBT1250.

SATA Power and Data Cables:

• The QBT1250 motherboard includes one SATA 3.0 HDD slot, but the system lacks SATA power and data cables for connecting an additional SATA drive out of the box.

• Users have reported that the SATA power connector on this model is a proprietary mini 6-pin connector, not a standard SATA power plug, requiring a special adapter cable (Dell part number 5GBWK) to convert it to a standard 15-pin SATA power connector.

• There are compatibility issues with the power cable pinout, and some users have had to swap pins on the 6-pin connector to get the drive powered correctly.

• Because of these proprietary connectors and lack of included cables, adding a SATA drive requires purchasing or fabricating the correct power adapter cable and a SATA data cable.

Summary:

• The Dell Pro Tower Plus QBT1250 does not come with a hard drive caddy or SATA cables for additional SATA drives if configured with NVMe storage only.

• You will likely need to source a compatible 2.5" or 3.5" drive bracket/caddy separately (Dell offers generic brackets but check compatibility).

• You must also obtain a special SATA power adapter cable (Dell part number 5GBWK) to connect the proprietary 6-pin motherboard power connector to a standard SATA power plug.

• A standard SATA data cable will also be needed.

• Installation may require some technical knowledge due to proprietary connectors and potential pin swapping on the power cable.

If you want to add a SATA drive, your best approach is to:

1. Purchase a Dell hard drive bracket for 2.5" or 3.5" drives (confirm compatibility with QBT1250).

2. Obtain the Dell SATA power adapter cable (part number 5GBWK).

3. Use a standard SATA data cable.

4. Be prepared for possible pin swapping on the power adapter cable to ensure proper power delivery.

This approach aligns with user experiences and Dell documentation for this model.