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I'm attempting to add a single 256GB SSD drive as my server system and OS drive. I intend to install WSE 2019 with 4x1TB HDD's in RAID 0 in the existing 4 bay drive cage.

Two things I have noticed is that there is a spare unused SATA connector on the MB. There is also a pre-existing SATA (Data & power) connection available from a redundant DVD ROM drive I no longer use.

I gather there might be an issue with using the DVD ROM SATA connectors on this machine, as there might not be sufficient power or bandwidth to run an SSD/HDD drive.

What would be a suitable SATA connector to use in this machine to facilitate my system needs. Thanks.

EDIT - Just to clarify I am asking this question mostly because dedicated server boards often disallow normal procedures you might follow on a desktop system for security and data integrity reasons.

I can't find much help on this with HP as it's considered a redundant system for them.

EDIT 2 - So I attempted to install the SSD drive using the SATA power and data cables from my DVD drive. This resulted in a rather worrying non ending beep and a flashing red LED on the front panel. This LED signifies the system is in a critical condition.

I thankfully managed to return the system to a healthy state after a few hours of removing the SSD and putting the DVD back in and finally having to re-seat all the memory on the MB.

The only option I can see is to use the SATA connection on the MB. But a power cable seems to be lacking for it. I have read somewhere that this MB might take an SSD PCiE card. At least a version 3 (post 2010) one. But this kind of defeats the object of the exercise.

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  • DVD/CD rom drives usually require 20-30 watts of power, while an average SSD is in the ballpark of 2-6 watts. My best guess is that it would be fine to use. If it is true SATA and not some proprietary wiring, then it has more than enough power to power the ssd.
    – Narzard
    Jan 9, 2020 at 17:15
  • Thanks for your response.. I don;t think it's power so much as it's bandwidth. I gather it might half the speed of the drive to 1.5Gbs. Why it would do that I'm not sure. It's what I read on the server support forum.
    – Patrick Chapman
    Jan 9, 2020 at 17:32
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the author appears to have answered their own question due based on their last edit to the question.
    – Ramhound
    Jan 11, 2020 at 22:58
  • Well technically my question hasn't been answered yet. I'm merely back at square one, having made some poorly educated deductions.
    – Patrick Chapman
    Jan 12, 2020 at 0:03

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Just use an add on SATA/SAS card for your boot SSD drive and change the boot controller in BIOS.

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