XPS 8930, Hard Drive Rails

...actually, the plastic drive caddy is not required, or needed to mount additional hard drives in the 8930.  The drive bays are secured with two fasteners each and when removed, a hard drive can be inserted and secured with additional fasteners on the sides of the drive bay (four total per bay).  3.5 inch drives fit easily, but smaller 2.5 inch drives, including a solid state drive, will require an adapter to fit properly.  Aapters can be found on Amazon, as can an assortment of fasterers for computers.

This forum is a trove of information regarding anything and everything involving the 8930. Especially worth investigating, IMHO, is info regarding installing a M.2 NVme SSD for a VERY fast C: drive.  I like the 1TB size.  Fan noise, heat, etc, if annoying, is easily cured and again that info is available herein.

Enjoy the 8930, it's a hotrod of a computer. As always, YMMV.

The XPS 8930 does not use or require hard drive rails. The hard drive mounts directly to the hard-drive cage using #6-32x1/4" screws (4). See the Service Manual at dell.com/support.

Thank you very much.  I'm happy to hear it's something simple.

I appreciate the thorough response.  Thank you.  I will be attempting to mount my hard drive per your instructions.  I will also reference the manual.

Regarding a SSD, I do have one (512GB) as my boot disk.  I have one additional, typical hard drive in there, but would like to add more storage.  Hence my question about the bay, as I thought I needed a hard drive rail.

In buying this computer, which functioned off an SSD, I had hoped for a silent unit.  Akin to my apple laptop, which is considered solid state.  However, unfortunately, this PC is VERY loud with fans working at seemingly full speed upon startup and onward (doesn't require the computer to be working hard for the fans to come blasting on). I realize none of this fan noise is coming from the hard drive, rather the 'main computer' fan, but nonetheless very disappointed in that aspect of this hotrod.

Thanks again. 

@MissleFaceOne more thing I should have mentioned. You should get a right-angled SATA cable for your hard drive. The side panel may not close completely if you use a cable with a straight connector. Look at the cable that you currently have connected to the hard drive that came with your computer.

https://www.amazon.com/SDTC-Tech-Splitter-90-Degree-Extension/dp/B07NYZZDZR/

Extenders with right angle cables are not expensive.

I should have said the SATA data cable should have a right-angle connector. There should be spare SATA power connectors available that already have right-angled connectors.

The same is true for the new XPS 8940.  Four empty bays (two 2.5 and two 3.5 bays).  The $2700 computer comes with one ONE 2.5 plastic rail.  The rails seem to be specific to the chassis, so good luck finding one even on the Dell site.

Dell touts this new chassis as tool-less...unless you need to install a 3.5" drive.  Then you'll need a Phillips screwdriver and a diagram (on a sticker on the lid) to know how to remove the steel cage properly.

Also, the 8940 only has three available data cables (two near the 2.5 bays and one near the 3.5).  So much for loading it up with four drives.

According to the XPS 8940 service manual, the computer comes with two 2.5" drive cages.

In a discussion with Technical Support, I have been advised that the computer no longer comes withe the 2.5" drive cages.

Tech Support advised that the part number for the blue plastic 2.5" drive cage is: "YHNFX". 

Do you mean blue plastic hard drive carrier not "blue plastic 2.5" drive cage"?

I do mean the blue plastic hard drive carrier.

I received two new XPS 8940 systems last week that did not include any of the blue plastic hard drive carrier. As a result, it is difficult to mount 2.5” SSDs in these systems.

Tech support provided the part number for the carrier above. Unfortunately that part number is incorrect.

Has anyone had success with convincing Dell to supply missing drive carriers, or found a source from which I can order the carriers?

Did anyone ever come up with a correct part number for the 8940 2.5 drive trays?

So far we've got YHNFX (which was said to be incorrect above but most closely resembles the picture in the service manual)

65KHD

X9FV3

My 8940 should arrive soon, when it does I'll pop out the single tray it ships with and get the number straight from that.

My earlier post stating that "YHNFX" was not correct.

I based that post on looking that the search results when searching for "YHNFX" at https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/partsforyourdell/index 

That parts site returns a metal 3.5" to 2.5" drive adapter made by StarTech when searching for "YHNFX". This metal part is clearly not a suitable replacement.

Dell Technical Support has recently shipped me the correct blue plastic drive carrier for the XPS 8490 system. These carriers were listed on the invoice as item number "YHNFX". This carrier fits into my XPS 8940 system in the 2.5" drive bay.

Therefore, "YHNFX" is the correct part number for the 2.5" drive carrier for the XPS 8940.

Tech Support has said that they don't have information about how customers may order this part. The information they shared with me was:

• despite what is printed in the service manual, they understand that the drive carriers only ship with systems that are ordered with the 2.5" drive bays populated.
• Tech Support does not have information about where customers may order this part. Internal requests for this information have been sent out. Tech Support expects that it will take time before they get an answer. They have stated that an answer will be forwarded to me.

The Silverstone SDP09 will not work at all because the carrier @mrichmond is looking for is for the 2.5-inch hard-drive cage. 

Silverstone SDP09 works better .

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049MPQDG/

if you cannot use this you cannot mount a standard 3.5 drive.