Hi, I have heard of some of the options for adding 2-3 additional SATA drives to the G5 PowerMac but I have also heard that some are more for Hackers rather than simple installs. I have a PowerMac G5 2.5 Dual processor ( not Dual core), and I have 2 drives installed already and now have a need for more space. I'm not really interested in making this a hack type of experience I really need an install - it works - forget option if it is available. Does anyone have any experience with the available options ?? Best pricing ?

FYI - I would be using SATA drives and obviously need a PCI SATA card etc - which cards work with which hardware options.

I am perfectly capable of running the additional wiring etc I just don't have the time or desire to get something that always needs work or tweaking etc.

Thanks for you suggestions

Brian

[barefeats.com]

Other solutions reviewed (including a 9 drive kit) if you look around.

I think you should be fine getting a SATA card with internal connectors and a bracket. while its not a standard apple option, i don't think it should cause any problems.

Here is the best I found for the money.
Real sturdy, the bracket assembly could probably withstand a ground zero nuke blast.
Uses the FirmTek SeriTek SATA card, I think this is the only card that doesn't require drivers, and you can boot your Mac from the SeriTek, I know the Sonnet card won't do this.

MaxConnect
[www.maxupgrades.com]

FirmTek Card
[www.firmtek.com]

If you want more info, please PM me.

BGnR

I just picked up some external sata drives. Lacie. Love 'em. A bit pricey, but a very nice sol'n.

Why external SATA? Is it faster than external PATA?

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All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

SATA is SATA internal or external -- speed is the same -- and should be faster than FW 800 as well

i didnt buy the bracket -- i just used velcro on the ends of 2 drives and i was done

im using the SIIG SATA card -- only bad thing is it doesnt seem to support deep sleep -- but i got it for $50, about $30 less than normal so thats fine

here are a few pics i took: [homepage.mac.com]

current drives are 2 300 gig SATA and 2 160 SATA drives -- upper bay has 300 giggers -- lower spot has the 2 160s

860 gigs total after formatting

For a fantastic internal solution, the MaxUpgrades deal is the best on the market, bar none. Besides, when you buy Mr. Syed's kit, you get Mr. Syed too! The owner of MaxUpgrades, he's incredibly accessible for *any support or tech question* you may have regarding the installation, how to configure it, RAID support, etc. He answers his own phone, makes the brackets from heavy duty aluminum...Rusty was right, the assembly could withstand a "nuke blast" easy.

I'd already have one in my PCI-X G5 except it died last week (go figure the timing...right after I ordered the MaxConect CPU Drive Bay Kit with SATA Controller, cables), and Apple's replaced it with a new Dual Core 2.3GHz PCI Express G5. So I'm sitting on 4 brand new retail boxed Seagate 300GB ST3300831AS-RK HDs, with nowhere to put them just yet.
I'm waiting on FirmTek to release its new PCI Express SATA controller which will be bootable, like everything else they make is.

Do NOT settle for the Sonnet or RocketRAID controllers. They may be fine as far as a RAID array goes, but they are NOT BOOTABLE. Only FirmTek controllers are bootable. Read the review(s) on them at barefeat.com for starters.

Good luck, and hope this helped.

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What's the difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make some sense.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2006 02:26PM by rexrzer.

Hi, thanks for all the replys. I'll let you know how it goes !

Brian