Are ATA-100 cables backwards compatible with ATA 33 drives?

[Goatboy]

I just got a new Western Digital hard drive and am getting "Primary IDE channel no 80 conductor cable installed" so it looks like I need a ATA-100 compliant cable. I still have my old ATA-33 hard drive connected, so I need it to be backwards compatible.

Can I just get a new ATA-100 IDE cable and use it with both my new drive and my old ATA-33 drive?

Thanks.
Ishan

 

[OdiN]

You sure can.

 

[Bassyhead]

yep

 

[StrangerGuy]

Hell yes.

 

[DemiSheep]

You can but its not advisable to mix ata-100 drives with slower drives...but the drives being on the cables by them selves should be no problem..

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: DemiSheep
You can but its not advisable to mix ata-100 drives with slower drives...but the drives being on the cables by them selves should be no problem..

That's what I've always heard too, but I've also read that newer controllers allow each drive to run at its own speed. I didn't have much choice, was running out of space and had to add my old ata-33, 5400rpm drive to my system for storage on the same IDE controller (2 opt. drives on the secondary). Benched my boot drive before & after putting in the old one, same speed.

 

[Bleep]

The way the new cables are set up each drive will run at its own speed.
Bleep

 

[EeyoreX]

As long as neither drive operates in PIO mode they will operate at their own sppeds. If one drive is PIO only, both will operate at PIO speeds.

\Dan