How many hard driver slots does Studio XPS 435MT have?

In case you didn't see it, and for the possible benefit of others, here is the answer I posted to your question in the other (435MT fan) thread:

The 435MT can take a third 3.5-inch hard drive in the FlexBay, which is more often used for the 19-in-1 media card reader. The other two HDDs go in the internal bays.

Bob N.

Thank you for your answer. In that case, I may have a problem since my 435MT has a 19-in-1 media card reader......

looks like I have to tape my third HD somewhere else :)

I've ordered a Studio XPS 435MT. It's still in production. But I already got another two 500GB SATA HD. I'm not sure if 435MT supports three HDs. It's just a "mini tower" after all.

dunkirk_16

The XPS 435MT motherboard supports four SATA drives, to install more than four, you would need to install a PCI SATA controller card.

See HERE

Bev.

I need to mount one HD on the back of another HD using double-sided tape.

It's a _very_ tight fit in there for the two HDs. I really doubt that it would be possible to squeeze in another drive (but I'm always willing to learn).

Bob N.

Thanks. Now I understand. The required parts are the PCI SATA controller card and one or two 15-pin SATA power Y splitter.

And I just found out there are only two HD slots in the Studio XPS 435MT. I need to mount one HD on the back of another HD using double-sided tape.

dunkirk_16

You are welcome.

I have a 530 that has the same chassis as the XPS 435MT, to install a third hard drive, I used a USB powered external case, instead of using a PCI card controller card.

I have thought of buying a eSATA PCI Card and connecting the third drive to it.

Bev.

I double checked. The Studio XPS 435MT chassis does have only two HD slots. However, it has enough spaces for the third or even the forth HD. It just doesn't have anything to hold them. Of course we can install some kind of frame to fix them. But it's difficult to find such frame. I will try double-sided tape first. 

Well, I opened the case of my 435MT and rechecked the layout. The two HDs are rather unusually placed one above the other in the vertical position (long side up), like this:

I___I

I___I

Nothing can be taped to the lower one, as the video card interferes. There is, however, enough room on the inner surface of the upper HD that one could theoretically tape another drive there. I would worry a little bit that the considerable heat inside the case would eventually dry out the double-sided tape, but you can probably work around that with some sort of clamp, belt or rubber bands. Interesting concept.

Why not just pick up an external HD case and put the extra drive in there, though? I have two 640GB internals and a 500GB external drive for a total of 1780GB. This represents 89,000 times as much storage as I had in my first computer (20MB HD)! Should be enough for a while.

Bob N.