Please explain the different type of HDDs

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Please explain the different type of HDDs

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LufianGuy

Senior Member

19. October 2007 @ 16:01

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So I have only ever worked with ATA IDE HDDs, my comp was built in 2002.

I have a 250GB slave and a 80GB Master.

I plan to be storing lots of anime and video games on my comp, so I think I need to buy bigger HDDs.

The bigger HDDs seem to be cheaper if they are SATA and I don't know what PATA is.

How do I know what is compatible with my Mobo and what is not?

What are the differences between the types?

How do they work? What do they need to work?

Links are welcome too

[ + quote]

Thanks to everyone for enlightening me!

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19. October 2007 @ 19:59

BigDK

Senior Member

3 product reviews

19. October 2007 @ 18:15

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Chances are that you won't be able to use SATA drives, if the machine is over few years old, or is a pre-build of low budget.

The main difference in SATA and PATA is the way they connect to the PC, they use different power and data cables so they can not be just swapped over, you would need to use a SATA on a seperate connector if one was available on the PC.

Another option would be to just but a SATA PCI controller card and connect to that, if your PC does not natively support SATA, or use an external drive.

If you do go for a PCI card, then get a SATA 300 or SATA 2 card (both the same thing by the way) as SATA drives come in both SATA 1 (150) and SATA 2 (300) and most newer drives will be SATA 2, and although backwards compatible to controller ports, you may as well get the better one.

If you post the motherboard details, or at least the PC make and full model number, then it will be easy enough to see if you do have support already.

[ + quote]

LufianGuy

Senior Member

19. October 2007 @ 20:05

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Here is my computer:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/produ...〈=en&cc=ca#

I recently installed USB 2.0 ports with a PCI card, I have two PCI slots left.

I also have 1GB of DDR SDRAM I need to install.

[ + quote]

Thanks to everyone for enlightening me!

BigDK

Senior Member

3 product reviews

20. October 2007 @ 04:49

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That link doesn't work without the cookies on my PC.

[ + quote]

LufianGuy

Senior Member

20. October 2007 @ 11:39

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Try these (I don't know what to do):
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/produ...&lang=en&cc=ca#

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/prodi...=240406&lang=en

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docum...=240406&lang=en

[ + quote]

Thanks to everyone for enlightening me!

BigDK

Senior Member

3 product reviews

20. October 2007 @ 17:18

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Your PC won't take SATA drives directly on the motherboard.

Your options are to use either a bigger ide drive (bios limitations dependant possibly) or use either the external drive via firewire or usb, or add a sata controller card and connect a sata drive to that.

[ + quote]

LufianGuy

Senior Member

21. October 2007 @ 00:30

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Thank you for your time and advice, it is greatly appreciated!

[ + quote]

Thanks to everyone for enlightening me!

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