SATA or IDE???

[Maschulo]

Whats up guys I just have a quick question with maybe a long explanation:


looking at this HD, am wondering:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-144-160&depa=1

1) How do i install it???
2) Is it hard to install??
3) Windows XP Pro, SATA cable, do i just put in the CD and install it like my IDE's??

am building a machine, gaming machine, and i don't know which should i go with SATA or IDE??
can you guys help me out?

 

[Maezr]

if you don't know, just go with regular ATA (not SATA).

to use SATA devices you'll need an SATA motherboard or an SATA controller.

 

[Maschulo]

I do have a motherboard with SATA controllers

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1

 

[joecool]

i'd go sata just to be a little more "future proof" and also to get the smaller, easy to manipulate cables. beware, tho, you'll need a special power connector - if your mobo didn't come with any (my abit is7 did) and your psu doesn't have any you should get one from newegg. they're cheap.

 

[joecool]

sorry, forgot to answer your other questions:

1) same way you install an ide drive
2) no harder to install than ide, assuming you have the right cables (see above)
3) make sure you can set your bios to recognize it and set it as the boot drive. then it's smooth sailing...

 

[oneshot47]

Assuming your mobo has sata connectors on it (itll say in the description) like maezr said, it is very easy to intall. Just connect the sata cable from the mobo to the drive (just like an ide) and the power connector (its different than standard molex, you might need an adapter). You might need to set it up in the bios too, to boot to the sata drive. Then when you install windows youll have to hit f6 when it asks if you have any scsi or other hard drive drivers to install (something like that) and install the drivers either on a floppy that comes with it or that youve downloaded and put on a floppy. Its not really that hard, just like ide except having to install the drivers seperately and setting the sata controller as the boot device instead of the ide. You dont even have to set jumpers because there is only one drive per cable. I have a seagate 120gb x2 raid 1 array on an asus mobo that was really easy to do. I reccomend it

 

[Maschulo]

can anyone link the power connector that i need from new egg having a hard time finding it pls.

 

[oneshot47]

Originally posted by: Maschulo
can anyone link the power connector that i need from new egg having a hard time finding it pls.

Here

 

[Maschulo]

thanks alot guys, going to purchase the drive and play with it..

 

[oneshot47]

Originally posted by: Maschulo
thanks alot guys, going to purchase the drive and play with it..

Thats the most fun part!

 

[Kishan]

make sure you get the drivers for SATA. I guess that implies you need a floppy.

 

[carni]

Actually...WD Sata drives use legacy 4 prong power connectors, nti teh sata ones. If you click on the picture of that drive you can see it. I have on Seagate (uses special power cable) and one WD drive (uses legacy). So that shouldn't be a concern. The only thing I found I had to do to get teh sata drive working in XP is that you must initialize it before formatting it. This may be pretty standard to most peeps, btu I'm kind of a potato head, and it took me a bit to figur eit out.

 

[oneshot47]

Originally posted by: carni
Actually...WD Sata drives use legacy 4 prong power connectors, nti teh sata ones.

Oops, didnt know that. My seagates have only sata connectors.

 

[carni]

When I bought mine I bought a spare sata power adapter with it (refer to my previous potato head statement to understand why). Got teh thing out the box and thought it was pretty cool that I didnt need to use it. Just felt dumb for not checking befor ei bought it.

 

[Zepper]

Well I guess no one here is an SA... SATA IS IDE! Should be SATA or PATA. BLTN...
IAC, if you buy the same generation drives there really isn't much difference.

.bh.

:beer: :beer: time!