Can New PCs w/Serial ATA HDD have a 2nd HDD add in future?

[Denvers Dawgs]

I have been checking out new HP's with Serial ATA Hard drives. One of the models didn't allow for a 2nd hard drive that could be added later, and I haven't heard back from HP about the other model yet. My question is are is it possible to have a 2nd hard drive with these new Serial ATA sytems?

[adam]

The motherboard almost surely has two Sata inputs, so you could add a second one that way. I couldn't know this for sure without seeing the motherboard or reading its specs, but I just can't imagine any mobo would only have one sata input. They should come in pairs. And then of course the mobo should have at least two IDE inputs that you could use for multiple hard drives as well. And then on top of that you can always add a separate controller card for either IDE, SATA, or even SCSI if you wanted. There's always ways to add more hard drives to any mobo but since you are working with a totally integrated proprietary computer the ultimate limitation is probably going to be the case. Some of those smaller pcs simply have no room to expand for much of anything but even still I can't imagine there is anything out there that you couldn't squeeze a second hard drive into.

[rallynavvie]

Every chipset I've ever come across that has SATA has had at least two SATA ports on it. Most of the recent ones carry four.

[thevoelk]

Are you sure that they didn't mean you won't have a bay for a second had drive? I've seen that in a friends HP.

[waheed]

Thats what I was thinking. Maybe its a micro case with no drive bay spare to fit other hard risk rather than being no spare SATA port to spare.

Denver Dawgs, could be provide the model number of the PC so we have more accuarte information. Without this info, its just guesses people can make.

[Denvers Dawgs]

Hp said that there was no room for addition of a 2nd HDD in the HP Media Center m7250n Photosmart Desktop PC. I'm looking into getting the Pavilion a1350y series now, but still haven't found out from them if the 13 series allows for a 2nd internal serial ata hdd?

[guns1inger]

Worst case, external HDD on USB2.0 or firewire.