In NTFS file system using MBR partition table, volume capacity is restricted to 2TB.

To reach a greater memory capacity (max. 16 TB) there can be used:
  - a larger disk parted into volumes,
  - a greater number of disks with common capacity bigger than 2TB,
  - a combination of these variants.

Avoiding a slowdown of a disk run, due to its partition into volumes, more disks is a better choice, utilizing the free shafts in the computer chassis and comparable costs of a set of 2.5'' (being more silent) disks (e.g. 5x 2TB like Seagate BarraCuda ST2000LM015) and of an adequate larger 3.5'' (not as much silent) disk (i.e. 1x 10TB like Seagate BarraCuda ST10000DM001), at which one in the set would be used as system disk (for the big capacity also with user extra volume/-s, eventually with a volume to run an alternate operating system) and so always running, not switchable, all in the set supplemented with relevant I/O adapters (like Delock 61664 or 61635 in case of PCI/IDE motherboard; check for capacity limit!) if need be.

Then, a multiple disk controller (like Axagon PCIS-50 with its driver SiI 3114 Revision 2 and array manager SATARAID5, both illustrated bellow) ensures user addressing of the other disks, i.e. switches their signal parts to the computer processor, while a disk power switch (like Orico HD-PW4101) supplies even more disks with power at a time.

In case of small (2.5'') slow (5400 rpm) disks, being run separately, despite located near over one another, just system disk needs cooling (due to quicker movements of read/write heads); from the front it suffies.


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