Add 2nd HD to new 2.5-G5 - New Maxtor 300GB SATA ... please advise [Archive]

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photo-video

Sep 24, 2004, 09:53 AM

Hi all,

I just bought my first Mac and I need some advice and guidance. I installed the new Production Suite and I need additional HD Space especially for Final Cut Pro.

I have the standard 160GB drive that comes standard with the system. I was thinking about adding the new Maxtor DiamondMax 10 - SATA 300GB internal drive.

Here are the key features and specs: (from the Maxtor website)
FEATURES
- Second-generation Serial ATA with 1.5Gb/sec interface speed
- Native Command Queuing
- 16MB cache buffer for 250 and 300GB drive
- Fluid dynamic bearing motor for quiet operation
- Improved reliability with:
- Shock Protection System™
- Data Protection System™

High Performance
- DiamondMax 10 supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ). NCQ intelligently reorders read and write commands to improve performance.

Delivering reliability
- DiamondMax 10 drives deliver high reliability and data integrity using the Maxtor-developed Shock Protection System™ (SPS) and Data Protection System™ (DPS)
- SPS and DPS give the drive enhanced protection against operating and non-operating shock.

There are two different things I can buy, a kit and just the drive. I found the drive at Dell Small Business with a 20% discount so the drive comes at only $204 dollars.

link to Dell Small Business (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0391552&Page=productlisting.aspx&spagenum=1&items_per_page=25&orderby=final_price%20DESC&sortdirection=&image_flag=True&show_summary=True&category_id=5727&brandid=&mnfsku=&SearchType=&Pageb4Search=&ModelSelection=&iCompatid=&selectiontypeids=&l=en&c=us&cs=04&SubmitSearch=&servicetag=&reset=True&k=&mnf=1494&prst=&prEnd=&InStock=&refurbished=&fe=)

I think the difference is that the Kit comes with software called MaxBlast but if I understand correctly, that's only for Windows systems. Do I need any special software to format the drive on Mac OS X? Should the drive by itself be all I need or do I need the kit?

Any input, advice, and/or recommendations would be appreciated .... new Mac owner here!!

Thanks!

tomf87

Sep 24, 2004, 10:06 AM

You might want to read the rules about double posting (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=90261).

mischief

Sep 24, 2004, 10:29 AM

Hi all,

I just bought my first Mac and I need some advice and guidance. I installed the new Production Suite and I need additional HD Space especially for Final Cut Pro.

(snip)
There are two different things I can buy, a kit and just the drive. I found the drive at Dell Small Business with a 20% discount so the drive comes at only $204 dollars.

I think the difference is that the Kit comes with software called MaxBlast but if I understand correctly, that's only for Windows systems. Do I need any special software to format the drive on Mac OS X? Should the drive by itself be all I need or do I need the kit?

Any input, advice, and/or recommendations would be appreciated .... new Mac owner here!!

Thanks!

You don't need anything beyond the drive, a grounding strap, the Drive Utility in the Utility Folder in your Applications forlder and some basic knowledge of how to install hardware.

Installing the drive in a G5 is stupidly easy as the case and frame were designed for a screwless, simplified install.

1: Shut down the G5

2: Get your grounding strap on and clear some room before opening the G5. Take off the outer case and orient yourself with where the cables are pre-routed to in the secondary drive bay (the 160GB drive is immediately adjacent in the same section of the frame).

3: When you feel comfortable with where the cables are and how the drive fits into the retaining harness go ahead and remove the inner case cover. Gently pull enough cable clear to hook up the drive without kinking the cable or pressuring the plugs.

4: Unpack and wire in your drive. Hook up the Power ans SATA cables. Using care to avoid pincking or kinking the cables, slide the drive into the retainer harness and flip up the retaining clip to fix the drive in place.

5: Close up the G5, hook up any devices you unplugged to get at the case and boot your machine.

6: Upon Startup your Mac will likely prompt you to format the new disk. Carefully examine the desktop to assure that the drive in question is, indeed your new drive, which will have failed to mount with no readable volumes.

7: Go to: ./Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility if it doesn't prompt you about the blank drive and continue thusly: Select the "Erase" tab and select "Mac OS Extended" or any of the Panther-enhanced versions thereof. Click the "Erase" button.

8: If you want to partition your drive you can do so from another Tab in the same App. You can name, rename and re-erase the drive from here.

9: Quit out of the Utility app. If you like you can rename the drive from the FInder too... Just don't do it too often... It can eventually confuse things a bit.

Official Apple Do-It-Yourself drive-install link: http://www.apple.com/support/powermac/doityourself/storage.html

Official link to G5 Hardware upgrade procedures, parts and disclaimers: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86790

This link may help too: http://home.earthlink.net/~strahm_s/manuals.html

mslifkin

Sep 24, 2004, 10:44 AM

One thing that wasn't mentioned; you have to use the mounting screws supplied with the G5, not the hard drive. There are 4 plastic screws (located on the left side of the drive bracket) that get screwed into the drive. The heads of these plastic screws ride in the slots (or guides, if you will) of the drive bracket. Push the drive all the way in; I think you will hit a "click-stop" at the end. Then connect the two cables and flip the latch on the right side up. Good luck, and enjoy your new drive!

Regards,
Marc

mischief

Sep 24, 2004, 11:07 AM