Running from an external HD?

[Wiley]

Can I run FSX and CSF3 from an external HD? If 'yes' what do I look for other than at least, for now, a USB interface?

Reason I'm asking is that in the next few months I will be replacing my 2yo box which has served me well but has some defencies (AGP, 80GB sata drive). Having FSX and CSF3 already on a separate drive would simplify upgrading.

(After two years I'm only using ~42GB of the 80. And up untill FSX and CSF3 I was only using maybe 20 so I may be able to continue to use the 80 in the new box.)

I like the concept of keeping the OS and generally required files on the onboard HD but having personal programs/data, games, development on separate external HD's (hot swap would be a plus) that I can add or remove depending on what I want to use the machine for.

Thoughts?

John

[txnetcop]

Ok Wiley, now you've done it...this will turn into a dogfight, but no, usb is too slow to run FSX properly as it does access the hard drive constantly, however and esata external should do just fine. You can use usb externals with FS9, don't know about CFS3...
Ted

[Wiley]

Ok Wiley, now you've done it...Ted Just trying to keep you awake :costumes:

Ok, USB is out (kinda thought that would be the case). In doing a little looking around, I've seen externals with esata and since the mobo allows for 2 sata's and I'm only using one...

Toughts on an esata drive hooked either directly or through an esata backplane conneter (think I've seen such an animal) to the second sata mobo connection?

John

[Henry]

correct me here
i have 2 ide hard drives both full
i was thinking of getting an external usb drive
at the moment i use a program called link magic
so my aircraft folder is on a different drive
but windoze thinks its not.
I would like to put fs9 and a few other programs on the usb drive
and keep fsx on the the c drive
good or bad?
H

[Reddog]

That's how I have it Henry. FSX on the C drive and FS9 and GW3 on an external drive.They work okay. I also have my Hanger FSX on the external drive and access it thru the addtion of a line in the FSX cfg file in the SimObectsPath section and seems to work okay too.

[Wiley]

Found on newegg.com: backplane brackets with one or two sata->esata connectors. Rosewill (11" internal cables) and Kingwin (15" internal cables). With a 500GB+ external esata disk I could move FSX and CFS3 off the internal disk and run from the external. Maybe?
(as a side note the 3 day shipping is more than the Kingwin bracket :isadizzy:)

Henry, Reddog: What I have been reading is that USB data transfer rates are 400 MegaBits/s, esata or stata are 3 GigaBits/s. There are also PCI-E sata adaptor cards that y'all could use if you have a PCI-E (1x) slot open. (I don't have any PCI-E slots.)

John

[txnetcop]

I have FSX on C, and FS9, GW3, and CFS2 on the external and they do just fine.

[NSS]

I have all my Flight sims on a 500gb external USB drive...

So far no issues to report!!

[Wiley]

Thanks for the info everybody!

Not that I'm a wimp, but I just ordered a Seagate 500GB external that can run usb or esata. (No 'swings both ways' comments please...) Plus short esata cable and sata to esata backplane adaptor. With any luck at all, by next week I'll be running all the games on the external. With no luck and it goes up in a sheet of blue flame, well I've got full replacement insurance on the house.

John

[David_L6]

Why not just add another internal drive? Out of SATA ports?

I'm running everything - CFS2, FS9 (although it's been ages since I opened it), and FSX on my C drive (two 150GB drives in RAID 0). However, I just finished a new Vista computer and I planned ahead (for once) and built it using a 750GB C drive.

[Wiley]

I could have put another internal sata HD in but it seemed to make more sense to go with an external for the future. As to a large single internal, I've never been comfortable with 'all my eggs in one basket' so to speak. If one drive fails, I haven't lost everyting. And I'm almost anal about backups now.

For the future, I'm more comfortable with a smallish drive for the os with externals sized for what's on them. Getting the drives out of the enclosure will reduce heat and power requirements. Also having removable drives for the personall stuff will add a little extra security: If it ain't hooked in, nobody can get to it.

When I upgrade I'm even thinking of using a micro- or mini-atx board. We'll see.

John

[Wiley]

Just got the Seagate FreeAgent Pro (465GB useable, usb2.0 or esata) this afternoon. I've got it hooked up with the esata. Getting it up and running was maybe 2 min. (plug in power, plug in cable.) Took longer to install the cableing inside the case than to get the drive running. Comes formatted NTFS.

On a clear disk you can see forever! More tomorrow.

[Wiley]

OK, got everything moved over: FSX, CFS3 and OFF (aka 'fresh meat'). Running the esata with no decernable drop in fps rates in FSX. Ran the Lear over Friday Harbor at 300+kn at 1200ft everything was smooth.

All in all, was what I hoped for. Still have about 430GB to fill up :cost1: .

If anybody has any questions I can answer, post them and I will try to answer.