Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
OpticalDrive
ASUS DRW-24B1ST DVD writer
(
http://www.asus.com
)
Most mainstream systems need only a DVD writer. Among the many inexpen-
sive DVD writers available, we chose the ASUS DRW-24B1ST. Similar models
from LiteOn or Samsung are also good choices.
If you need to read Blu-ray discs and you have two external 5.25” drive bays,
install a separate BD-ROM drive. The ASUS BR-04B2T is a good choice, as is the
LiteOn iHOS104-08. If you have only one external 5.25” drive bay and need a
combo DVD writer and Blu-ray reader, install the ASUS BC-08B1ST, the LiteOn
iHES208-08, or the Samsung SH-B083L/BSBP. If you need to write BD-R/RE
discs, install the Pioneer BDR-205BKS.
BackupHardware
Antec Easy SATA hard drive docking station
(
http://www.antec.com
)
The only practical way to back up systems with a terabyte or more of disk stor-
age is to use external or removable hard drives. Optical discs simply hold too
little and are much too slow. Tape drives are simply too expensive.
We have used and continue to use external hard drives, but many of those
use slow 5,400 or 5,900 RPM drives, and having multiple units means paying
repeatedly for the enclosure. Better is something that uses bare 7,200 RPM
hard drives, which are inexpensive and fast. That means a hard drive docking
station, either internal or external.
The type of interface is also an issue. USB 2.0 has real-world throughput of
25 to 30 MB/s, which means it can take 10 hours or more to transfer 1 TB. An
eSATA interface is bound only by the sustained data transfer rates of the hard
drives themselves. In our testing, we were able to transfer data from our inter-
nal 7,200 RPM Seagate Barracuda to an eSATA docking station using a similar
drive at sustained rates of about 100 MB/s, three to four times faster than a
USB external drive. At that speed, routine daily partial backups take only a few
minutes to complete.
We've used and can recommend both the Antec Easy SATA hard drive dock-
ing station and the SYBA SD-ENC50020. The Antec unit fits into an external
5.25” drive bay and allows you to slide standard 3.5” SATA hard drives in and
out. The SYBA unit is an external stand that holds two 2.5” or 3.5” hard drives,
which connect via two supplied SATA cables to eSATA ports on your system.
The SYBA unit is rare in that it supports faster native SATA transfers rather than
the slower bridged transfers more common with external eSATA docking sta-
tions. Either unit costs about $25, and both provide very fast transfers.
We chose the Antec Easy SATA hard drive docking station for this system, but
the SYBA SD-ENC50020 would be an equally good choice. Either of these units
is a good way to recycle older SATA hard drives (run tests first to make sure
they're not on their last legs). These units are an inexpensive way to main-
tain good backups even if you don't have any spare hard drives sitting around
gathering dust, though. Hard drives are inexpensive enough now that it's no
