Blue iris PC help PLEASE!

[Wrxyo]

Alright guys this is my first post but I have been combing through this forum for a couple weeks now and I need some help.

I'm switching my camera set up at my house to run IP cameras. I honestly thought I was good to go and pulled the trigger and bought the following things.
-refurb dell optiplex 7050 sff with a I7-7700 cpu, 32gb ram and 1T ssd
- 12T WD purple to use for camera storage
-TP-Link 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express Network Card (TG-3468), PCIE Network Adapter, Network Card, Ethernet Card for PC, Win10/11 supported

https://a.co/d/gtmY9WR

- 2 TP-Link TL-SF1005P V2 | 5 Port Fast Ethernet PoE Switch | 4 PoE+ Ports @67W

https://a.co/d/2ZvMXJQ

- 4 4mp empire tech cameras
-1 4k 8mp empire tech camera

With that out of the way this is the issue. I didn't realize until after I made the purchase that the 7050 optiplex I bought will not fit the 3.5" purple drive I purchase which is a huge problem. I've been researching it and there really doesn't seem like there is a good solution for this. So I'm turning to you guys for the best route to go. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to return the pc I purchased and get something different but my ADD is making it hard to make a decision.

My goal is to have a set up that can run around 16 cameras. most will be 2mp-4mp

My budget for the pc is around 800 max. Unless you guys think that will not get me a good enough set up to accomplish this. My main thing is I don't want to buy a pc that isn't good enough and end up having to buy another one.

Sorry for the long post. Hopefully, you guys can help me out

 

[wittaj]

Don't worry about it not fitting a slot. There had to be some room in there to velcro it to a side or something? It isn't like we are moving the thing around.

You can find a capable computer for far less than 800 lol.

People are running way more cameras than that on a 4th generation CPU with no problem. Someone picked one up recently at a school auction for like 30 bucks lol.

 

[Mike A.]

Move the 1T drive out of the bay and mount it elsewhere?

Or the 7050 should have an NVMe slot. Use that instead of the SSD.

Yeah, hopefully you didn't pay that much for the 7050. Return it if you did and buy one on dellrefurbished.com or ebay/Amazon for a LOT less.

 

[Wrxyo]

Move the 1T drive out of the bay and mount it elsewhere?

Or the 7050 should have an NVMe slot. Use that instead of the MO
Yeah, hopefully you didn't pay that much for the 7050. Return it if you did and buy one on dellrefurbished.com or ebay/Amazon for a LOT less.

No I didn't pay anywhere near that for the 7050 lol. I was just putting the 800 as a price point. I'll look into the NVMe slot but my only concern there is having to move the OS to a different drive. I'm familiar with PCs but I haven't played around on the inside of one in a long time.

 

[looney2ns]

I have that same machine, you most definitely can put the Western digital purple in the bay.
Take the SSd, and put it in place of the CD drive, the cd drive remove's easily, use some cable ties to secure the ssd in it's place.

 

[Mike A.]

OK, was hoping not. lol

It's a new machine right? Nothing that you need to preserve? Assuming not, just start fresh. Download Windows 10 and use the media creation tool to set it up clean from scratch.

Otherwise should be able to clone over the 1TB drive.

Or as above, just stick the SSD in there somewhere. Doesn't need to be mounted all that well.

 

[looney2ns]

I suggest you download the manual for that machine.

 

[Flintstone61]

like dat page

 

[Flintstone61]

Looks like you could eventually go with the onboard M.2 SSD and the 3.5 WD Purple up top......if you want....

OptiPlex 7050 Small Form Factor Owner's Manual (dell.com)

 

[Flintstone61]

 

[Flintstone61]

After seeing the inside of a 7040 MT....from an Ebay purchase for a friend...I could see that they prioritized 2.5" bays and left 1 3.5" bay. and utilized M.2 for C drive.
Having all kinds of 3.5's laying around, i kept poking around and looking at Dell.pdf manuals to see if their was a Tower that still used 2-3.5" bays. and found one with 3 LOL....
The Precision 3630 Tower.
So I bought that, having had a SFF Dell in a BI situation already.
It's not a dedicated BI machine, It's my daily driver ( unrecommended) but I do it anyway.

 

[IAmATeaf]

The specs state that there is a space for one 3.5” HDD and a 2.5” drive.

So I’d just get an m2 SSD and then replace the current HDD with your 8Tb drive.

In terms of OS just download and use the Microsoft Media Creation tool to create a bootable usb, I always disconnect any extra drives when installing the OS and then boot up of the newly created bootable usb stick and install Windows. Most corporate laptops/desktops include the licensing details within the BIOS so it should activate. Then install the 8Tb HDD and get BI installed and configured.

 

[TonyR]

Insure you have your Ethernet plugged in as Windows install completes.
When it gets to the part where it wants you to create a MS account, unplug the cable, go back 1 step (arrow at upper left).
Then when you go forward again (next, right arrow), it'll allow you to create a local account (non-MS), then plug your Ethernet cable back in.

I did this with win 10 just 3 weeks ago and with Win 11 a week ago.

 

[VideoDad]

No I didn't pay anywhere near that for the 7050 lol. I was just putting the 800 as a price point. I'll look into the NVMe slot but my only concern there is having to move the OS to a different drive. I'm familiar with PCs but I haven't played around on the inside of one in a long time.

I assume the 1TB SSD is a 2.5" drive mounted in the only large bay. As others have mentioned, you should unmount the SSD from that location and put the 3.5" HDD in its place.

You could get an M.2 drive and reinstall Windows or clone the existing drive.

Alternatively, you can keep the 2.5" SSD and mount it wherever it fits. It doesn't really even need to be flat. I had mine at an angle.

A last option that you can consider is removing the optical DVD drive and using that location for mounting the SSD. I found a caddy on Amazon

https://a.co/7F8L1Gz

that replaces the optical drive perfectly on the Dell 7050 SFF

 

[Wrxyo]

I assume the 1TB SSD is a 2.5" drive mounted in the only large bay. As others have mentioned, you should unmount the SSD from that location and put the 3.5" HDD in its place.

You could get an M.2 drive and reinstall Windows or clone the existing drive.

Alternatively, you can keep the 2.5" SSD and mount it wherever it fits. It doesn't really even need to be flat. I had mine at an angle.

A last option that you can consider is removing the optical DVD drive and using that location for mounting the SSD. I found a caddy on Amazon

https://a.co/7F8L1Gz

that replaces the optical drive perfectly on the Dell 7050 SFF

I think putting the ssd in the optical drive is what I'm going to do. Are you sure the caddy that you linked is the right size for the 7050? I was looking at them earlier and saw they also have a 12mm version. Im at work so I can't measure the drive right this second but if you know for sure I'll go ahead and purchase the 9mm version. the pc was just delivered yesterday so I haven't had a chance to mess with it yet.

 

[looney2ns]

I think putting the ssd in the optical drive is what I'm going to do. Are you sure the caddy that you linked is the right size for the 7050? I was looking at them earlier and saw they also have a 12mm version. Im at work so I can't measure the drive right this second but if you know for sure I'll go ahead and purchase the 9mm version. the pc was just delivered yesterday so I haven't had a chance to mess with it yet.

You don't "need" a caddie, a zip tie or two will work, as I mentioned earlier.

 

[Wrxyo]

You don't "need" a caddie, a zip tie or two will work, as I mentioned earlier.

I will prolly do that for now but I wouldn't want to keep it like that.( not that it would hurt anything just kind of OCD about stuff like that) The DVD caddy would make it cleaner

 

[TonyR]

IMO, hard to beat the Samsung 870 EVO 500GB on sale right now for $50. I've bought and installed 12 of the 870's and 860's in the last 3 years, never an issue. ==>
SAMSUNG 870 EVO SATA SSD 500GB 2.5” Internal Solid State Hard Drive, Upgrade PC or Laptop Memory and Storage for IT Pros, Creators, Everyday Users, MZ-77E500B/AM

 

[Wrxyo]

IMO, hard to beat the Samsung 870 EVO 500GB on sale right now for $50. I've bought and installed 12 of the 870's and 860's in the last 3 years, never an issue. ==>
SAMSUNG 870 EVO SATA SSD 500GB 2.5” Internal Solid State Hard Drive, Upgrade PC or Laptop Memory and Storage for IT Pros, Creators, Everyday Users, MZ-77E500B/AM

Really? I looked into just getting another 2.5" when I realized that is what is in my tower but everywhere I looked people were saying that the 2.5" drives aren't good for storing/writing video and can cause issues so I stopped looking in that direction

 

[TonyR]

Really? I looked into just getting another 2.5" when I realized that is what is in my tower but everywhere I looked people were saying that the 2.5" drives aren't good for storing/writing video and can cause issues so I stopped looking in that direction

I'm talking about for Windows, BI and BI's "db" folder....video clips belong on a surveillance-rated, 3.5" spinning HDD, IMO, such as a WD Purple or Seagate SkyHawk.