Hardware organization solutions - help my pc is a mess!

[kdub]

Hi all

I just wanted to know how you all keep your pc areas tidy and looking neat.

Here's my problem which I think is fairly typical these days. I have a bunch of external hard drives (5) which are constantly connected as they store all my different media. Each of them requires ac power and all are connected to usb. This set up seriously looks ugly and i'm wondering if there is any way to neaten it up.

Isn't there some thing that could reduce the clutter? Maybe reduce the number of plugs that are needed? A good way to keep all the usb cables neat? A way to keep all the hard drives neatly next to each other without big power adapters getting in the way?

 

[Pada]

This is why you should rather get a bigish PC case that can house all the drives internally, rather than having that many external drives.

Alternatively get some kind of a neat box where you can house all the drives in.

 

[garyc]

I sorted out someones mess with a three level letter tray.

http://www.makro.co.za/p/11857/bantex-letter-tray/

This works well since the stuff goes up vertically as well instead of spreading out on the desk. Other options are:

1- What Pada said.
2- Get one big USB drive
3- Networked storage

Personally I go for 1 for the desktop plus 3 for the backups plus 2 for off-site backups.

 

[Quey_Quick]

get one of these:

http://www8.hp.com/za/en/products/proliant-servers/product-detail.html?oid=4248009#!tab=features

Can hold 4 hard drives.

 

[ponder]

NAS or multiple HDD enclose with dedicated power and usb/sata connection.

 

[Pada]

The HP Microserver is awesome and if you get a 5.25" -> 3.25" bracket, you can install 5x 3.25" hard drives. The link that Quey_Quick posted had it advertise at a ridiculously expensive price! Like here it's going for ~R2300: http://www.wootware.co.za/hp-prolia...on-ii-neo-2gb-ddr3-250gb-hdd-microserver.html

At my flat I used the following plastic cabinet to store my routers, switches and portable hard drive: http://www.game.co.za/promotion/sto...rs/big-jim-3-draw-unit-bkc-st-ms-003-bkc.html

 

[Quey_Quick]

The HP Microserver is awesome and if you get a 5.25" -> 3.25" bracket, you can install 5x 3.25" hard drives. The link that Quey_Quick posted had it advertise at a ridiculously expensive price! Like here it's going for ~R2300: http://www.wootware.co.za/hp-prolia...on-ii-neo-2gb-ddr3-250gb-hdd-microserver.html

Well to defend myself that was direct from HP. The price however is crazy, when I got mine they were retailing for R 1300 (got mine from a Tarsus special from work for R 699.)

 

[kdub]

Thanks for the input so far. The only problem with the microserver route is I do still use the hard drives as portable ones (I take them with me every so often.) Will have to think about what i'm going to do.

 

[grok]

Thanks for the input so far. The only problem with the microserver route is I do still use the hard drives as portable ones (I take them with me every so often.) Will have to think about what i'm going to do.

You can plug the hard drives into the microserver's usb ports and still access everything as if they were internal drives, but that won't solve your mess of plugs etc.

 

[Bull1012]

+1
with some tinkering you can actually fit all 5 + 1 for OS

get one of these:

http://www8.hp.com/za/en/products/proliant-servers/product-detail.html?oid=4248009#!tab=features

Can hold 4 hard drives.

 

[Bull1012]

You can get aftermarket cases for all your hard drives that are exactly the same
If you only use 2 or 3 at a time, then you can fix the cables neatly in an install and swap hard drives at will

But with the current price of cases, it will be almost the same price as a microserver/buying another external

Or you can start selling the smaller externals and recouping some funds for bigger hard drives

It would be awesome if they made something like this for 3.5inch drives
http://www.mitabyte.co.za/pCR MIS-MRK250ST-BK/EZ-SWAP-EX-25-InternalExternal-HDD-Enclosure.aspx
Works like a charm on a 2.5 inch drive