Will Dell XPS8700 support HGST 12 TB hard drive?

Two would be your max. If you need 12TB get yourself a Server I use a model made by APC. 4 slots 3TB per = 12 TB that's a lot of storage check the Amazon they sell them. So your looking for a UPS (uninterrupted  power supply) by APC. There's a whole world of them out there

People misunderstand the issue, because it is not the version of Windows but the partitioning scheme that rules maximum hard disk size. In addition, the maximum size of a hard drive partition depends on the file system used to format it rather than which Windows versions.

Therefore, disks initialized with the same partitioning scheme have the same disk size limit, and partitions with the same file system have the same partition size limit, no matter they are in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or any other OS including Linux.

Traditional hard disks are always using 512B sector, but Advanced Format Drives employ 4K sectors via emulation of a 4K physical sector to 8 512B sectors for compatibility, which is the so called 512e.

ANY MBR disk is using 512B sector or 512e sector, you can only use 2TB space. But if it is employing GPT with 4K native sectors and F6 Drivers, you can use 16TB space. 

Optional: one of the following F6 Driver Diskettes (depending on your operating system):

f6flpy-x86.zip
 - for 32-bit versions of the operating system
f6flpy-x64.zip - for 64-bit versions of the operating system

GPT Boot Drives larger than 2TB REQUIRE 64 bit os.

Advanced format Drives REQUIRE AHCI and GPT.

AHCI Requires F6 Drivers in windows. Intel recommends the installation of Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver v9.6 and above for advanced format Drives.  HOWEVER the version of this driver in windows 10 is not backwards compatible with older chipsets. The XPS 8700 needs at least 12.8.0.1016 I think and I doubt 13 or 14 or 15 will work.

• 15.7.0.1014
• 14.8.14.1063
• 15.5.0.1051
• 14.8.14.1061
• 15.2.0.1020
• 15.2.16.1060
• 14.8.0.1042
• 14.0.0.1143
• 13.6.0.1002
• 13.2.4.1000
• 13.1.0.1058
• 12.9.0.1001
• 12.8.0.1016
• 12.5.0.1066
• 12.0.0.1083
• 11.7.0.1013

For many dells from 2006 to 2010 version 10.1.0.1008 may be max.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20104

http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/218571en?language=en_US

I think I purchased this computer in 2013. It came with Windows 8 and I upgraded to Windows 10. I am only wanting to use the drive for storage not to boot. So, I don't THINK I will need the F6 stuff... correct?

Thanks!

Looking at my 4T hard drive installed on this computer... disk management only states NTFS... no other details. chkdsk shows 4096 bytes per allocation unit and shows no errors so I should be good on my 4T drive. I just hate to purchase the 12TB and find that I face a hardware limitation or something.

The F6 RST Drivers are required for advanced format drives to allow the machine to "see" the whole drive. For Example - If your system uses windows driver instead of the Intel RST 9.6 or higher driver, your 3TB disk drive may appear to be 800GB.

 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2581408/

Basically All drives older than 2011 and larger than 120 gigs are Advanced Format Drives.

The issue with newer and newer versions of windows is that older versions of chipsets are not supported.  This means there are "issues" with ram and hard drive formatting and such with older INTEL ICH Sata Controllers and Chipsets.   This is also why the OLDER INTEL RST drivers and control panel must be RE installed along with DOTNET 2.0 3.5 because 7 and 8 and 10 REMOVE these Items.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170101231540/http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/4/408172

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverid=VF6WW

 MBR is limited to 2TB period End.

GPT is REQUIRED for drives larger than 2TB

INTEL RST 9.6 or Higher IS REQUIRED

INTEL RST 15 or 14 or 13 is NOT LIKELY applicable or compatible based on the AGE of your system.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverid=VF6WW

Yes I understand that MBR is limited to 2TB. I do NOT intend to boot on this drive it is strictly for archive purposes.

As I understand it, if I am not using MBR then I am using GPT is that correct. How do I verify this?

Perhaps I just don't get it... if I am NOT going to boot on a drive, why must RST be loaded via F6.

I do have Intel RST version 14.8.0.1042 running.

My 4TB hard drive SEEMS to have no issues...

Thanks