Replacing the DVD drive in a Mac Mini with a second drive?

[cstromme]

So I suddenly have a spare Mac Mini here. It's the first of the Intel ones so it's just a Core Solo, but I figured perhaps I could turn it into a file-server with a large internal drive replacing the DVD drive.

Has anybody done this or know of anybody that has? Does a 3.5" drive fit where the superdrive is now, or do I have to go 2.5"?

Looking at specs I think there's a chance that the superdrive in my Mini has a P-ATA interface, so perhaps it would be better to disconnect the HDD as well and just pull the cord (or replace it with a longer one) up to where the superdrive is to connect just one 3.5" drive?

 

[spinnerlys]

Some threads: http://www.google.com/cse?cx=011016...e:forums.macrumors.com&hl=en&as_qdr=all&meta=

Also a 3.5" HDD will not fit in there, even if you take out the SuperDrive.

2.5" vs. 3.5" HDD

P-ATA is more than sufficient with current HDDs though, as the latest revision of P-ATA (IDE) can transfer up to 133MB/s, a transfer speed most HDDs can't offer and no Gigabit connection can even dream of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_ATA

 

[pokeyjoe]

Go here.

 

[ADent]

The optical drive is IDE. You need a couple of adapters to fit anything normal and you won't get even a 2.5" drive to fit afterwards.

I have a full size 1TB SATA and full size IDE Optical hooked up to my Mac mini. Of course I had to put it in something else (a Centris 610) to hold it all (and I didn't want to tax the mini's power supply).

http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21029&centris+610