Build your HDDIt is not difficult to build an addition for your computer. Building your own external hard drive is an easy job that can be done without even opening up the PC’s cabinet. Assembling your own drive also gives you the much needed flexibility to choose the connections, capacity and design that suit your needs. It is also the simplest way to get the drives from your previous computers.



Before getting the components, you should know your drives, enclosures and connections. Basically, there are three physical sizes of internal drives to consider: laptop (1.8 in., 2.5 in.) and desktop (3.5 in.). Laptop hard drives are usually expensive, smaller and lighter, and some of them can draw power through a USB cable. On the other hand, the desktop drives are available with much higher capacities (up to 500GB) but they must have an external power source.



There are two types of hard drives available: SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) and IDE (integrated drive electronics). The IDE drive uses a 40-pin connection and is the most common drive format and is much cheaper. SATA drives have a higher capacity and the data transfer speed is six times that of the IDE drives.



Building your drive:



1. An aluminum enclosure will act as a heat sink to keep the drive cool. If you decide on a plastic case, get one with a fan.



2. The cables inside the enclosure should match the connections at the back of your drive. Also make sure that the output cables from the enclosure match the inputs ones on your PC.



Assembling your drive:



1. Consult the drive’s manual and check that the jumpers are set to the ‘master’ position.



2. Screw the hard drive into the case. The case will be having two wires: a power cable and a data cable. Connect them to the drive.



3. Close the case following manufacturer’s instructions and connect all the necessary external cables like the power and the USB cables. You have now built your own external drive.



Using the drive:



1. Do not forget to install any software that comes with the case before using the drive.



2. Make sure to format the drive before using the drive.







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