5 Posts
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821
April 27th, 2022 17:00
3891 add a SATA HD?
Inspiron 3891 came with one HD, the 512GB M.2 NVMe, with Windows 10 pro installed. I want to add more storage since it looks tricky to partition the SSD to create a D drive.
The motherboard has an unused SATA slot (SATA1), and an empty 3.5" bay in the chassis front but no extra cabling for it. But, the 3891 specs are ambiguous (to me) as to ability to support a new SATA drive (plus the optical drive on SATA3 already). It's not among the 3 drive combinations listed as choices for the model--unless Dell just doesn't sell the 3891 that way (with ODD plus 512 SSD , and a SATA HD). A real operational problem or not?
Some posts and youtube suggest such options (for 3880). Clear advice would be appreciated, been stymied for weeks now.
--D
Spikesdad
1 Rookie
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78 Posts
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May 2nd, 2022 13:00
@LastOneTustin,
The numbers only relate to the device connection number and how the system and OS sees them - to know which drive is which and where it's connected. Nothing to do with speed.
I ordered a 3891 for my son last Christmas with a 256 GB SSD and an optical drive. I added a 1 TB 3.5" hard disc drive to it the day I got it. I used the connectors provided and had no problems. There was an extra SATA cable already plugged into SATA-0, and an extra power connector.
The thing works just fine, and I'm sure a hard drive pulls more juice than an SSD drive. You shouldn't have any problems.
Just make sure you go into the Disk Management applet in Windows to activate and tell the PC which drive letter to give it after you install it, because Windows won't see it at first. The system BIOS will, but Windows won't until you activate it.
JOcean
9 Legend
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12.6K Posts
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April 27th, 2022 19:00
Though the specs call for an M.2 SSD and a 3.5" HDD, the system is compatible with a SATA SSD and the Crucial site here has a number of compatible drives listed. Generally if an HDD is compatible then a SATA SSD is also compatible.
LastOneTustin
5 Posts
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April 27th, 2022 21:00
Thanks, JOcean--
I'm not clear; Not looking to replace the M.2 SSD (it has the OS), but to add a 2nd drive for user files, etc. Presume a SATA HD is good for that, unless the system doesn't support adding such (say 512 or so GB) given what's in the 3891 already (as specs seem to limit SATA drives). Would the SATA take too much power, exceed slots available, lack Gps...? I'm old-school now. Tnx.
jesus1564
4 Posts
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April 27th, 2022 22:00
you can install two 2.5" ssd using a Dell 3.5 to 2.5 adapter. motherboard does have three sata ports enough for odd and two sata ssd.
LastOneTustin
5 Posts
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April 28th, 2022 15:00
Thank you, jesus1564! After re-inspecting the MB, slots and cables, I now get what you mean. [To be clear, I only want to add a SATA HD for my app data, etc, keeping the 512 SSD with the OS & 3 'recoveries,' as-is.]
Yes, the MB has 3 SATA slots colored & labeled as: SATA-0 (blue, has d-cable & blue rt-angle plug avail.); SATA-1 (black, empty); and SATA-3 (white, d-cable to the ODD). The SATA-PWR slot has two 5-wire cables out, one of which has two plugs available for HDs, besides the pwr branch to the ODD.
So it seems I have the cabling there already to add a SATA HD,
Question: Do the -0, -1 and -3 numbers on the SATA slots have anything to do with data speed? If so, is SATA-0 good for a spinning HD, or the SATA-1? (I take it the 260W PS can handle the proposed 2nd HD load.)
LastOneTustin
5 Posts
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May 3rd, 2022 01:00
Excellent. Thanks again, Spikesdad, That clears it up well.