[Hack Job] Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF - How to add a 2nd 3.5-inch HDD

I went through this issue with my newer Optiplex boxes. I wanted 2 drives to split the camera load.
When @fenderman suggested the best bang for the buck atthe time was the HP SFF Elitedesk/Prodesk G4-800's with 2 native 3.5" bays squeezed into the same form factor.
So i got that.
but then I went straight to overcompensation mode for home, and got a dell Precision 3630 MT, with 3- 3.5" bays and an M.2 Slot.
 
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With the 3630 I got 4 Sata dongles dangling and power supply support for Nvidia GTX 3070 type graphics.
 
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You must have enough boxes now to be able to do some data mining

For one of Dell desktops I grafted another SATA power cable onto the existing, looks a bit like a multi headed hydra but works a treat.
 
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You must have enough boxes now to be able to do some data mining

For one of Dell desktops I grafted another SATA power cable onto the existing, looks a bit like a multi headed hydra but works a treat.
 
@saltwater Hi! im sorry for the necropost, but i am facing the same issue with my optiplex 7050: i want to fit 2 3.5' HDDs inside the chassis, but i wanna think it through before approaching the problem in a more "destructive" way. Did you find a solution or you ended up going a different way about it?

thanks in advance
:)
 
Yeah, get the Elitedesk SFF and put your Tin-snips away. :) or the Dell precision 3630 tower.
all kidding aside they made the 7050 with 2.5" hdd bays. As I recall it might accept 1 3.5 hdd natively....
So it would be interesting to see/hear what @saltwater did.
Having had the 4th Generation Optiplex Towers ( which I really liked) I was disappointed when they went away from the 2HDD Tower.
 
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nnazdu_ said:
@saltwater Hi! im sorry for the necropost, but i am facing the same issue with my optiplex 7050: i want to fit 2 3.5' HDDs inside the chassis, but i wanna think it through before approaching the problem in a more "destructive" way. Did you find a solution or you ended up going a different way about it?

thanks in advance
:)
Click to expand...
I ended up doing nothing. I originally was using a HP Prodesk with an 8TB harddrive and getting around 8 days of 24/7 recording for 13 cameras. There was no second 3.5" drive available. I purchased a HP Elitedesk that has space for two 3.5" harddrives, inserted one 18TB drive and the other is spare at the moment. I transferred Blue Iris to the new machine and now I'm getting 20 days with 24/7 recording. I'm still in the process of configuring my daughter's CCTV setup, the wiring is nearly complete and when done she'll have the Prodesk computer with 8TB harddrive.

Sorry I can't be any more help.
 
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