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XPS 8960, dual 2.5" SSD in 3.5" bay via caddy?
Anyone used the R494D caddy - snapping it 'inside' of the standard blue caddy to hold dual 2.5" SSD's? I've done this and want to make sure I've mounted them correctly. The drives are offset so it's gonna be tricky to get power/data to one of the drives. The connectors are not both at the 'edge' of the drive bay.
Chino de Oro
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September 9th, 2023 16:13
I do not have the exact setup but I can confirm that a dual 2.5" drives with adapter, you will see the connectors are not lining up in the same position.
Straight SATA cables will be required for connecting to the drives due to connectors are recessed from the drive cage's edge.
rh310
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September 9th, 2023 17:26
@Chino de Oro
Thanks, that's what I was thinking/seeing. Which in a way is fine since I don't have to worry about having the proper left/right 'angle' connector for BOTH drives, just the one at the edge.
While searching today I did find another variant that seems to do the same thing without screws.
R494D - the one I have
GW1T5
(edited)
rh310
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September 16th, 2023 22:45
Sharing what I ended up with, since the images many share here have been very helpful for me over the years. After mounting the top drive in the typical orientation with the label down, I realized I needed the connectors to at least be vertically aligned for the power cables to reach - so I flipped it. The power cable just barely reached the lower drive.
Chino de Oro
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September 18th, 2023 00:37
It's very clear pictures from your update. Also, you may have had it backward at first but it's correctly positioned now. In a dual drive installation, Dell has designed the caddy with the drive's connectors staying parallel to each other to properly fit a dual power connector. From your picture, I see the black SATA cable is a 90 degree angle connector. You could use a straight connector cable to prevent stress to the connector end on the SSD.
Anyhow, glad to see your successful upgrade.
rh310
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September 19th, 2023 02:34
@Chino de Oro - yeah, I may replace that black cable, but I only had the 1 red one that was long enough to reach there. I thought about taking a Dremel to the bracket! The black cable IS indeed at 90 degrees and JUST did fit there. I have another red one on my shopping list.
Really like what they did with the snap-open cable guides.
23tb of SSD total
lancelee2022
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September 25th, 2023 08:01
(edited)