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Can I connect IDE drive via Serial ATA connector?

A

Argo

Lifer
I just upgraded my system and the new mobo came with 1 IDE (old style 40 pin connector) and 6 serial ATA connectors.

Now, I have 2 hard drives and 2 dvd drives. Obviously, I can only connect 2 devices to an IDE port, so something's gotta give. My question is, do I have any options of connecting my current 4 idea devices (some sort of switch, etc) or is my only choice to get a new HD or DVD drive?
 
What would give me more bang for the buck - getting a new dvd drive(s) or just getting a new SATA hard drive. My current hard drive is a 80GB Wester Digital 7200rpm drive.
 
well personally i like to accumulate HDs so even if i got a new SATA HD i wouldn't throw out the IDE one

do you need two dvd drives?
 
IDE connectors are all 40-pin (actually 39-pins, but called 40-pin). "Faster" IDE cables are 80-wire but have 40-pin connectors. The ATA66/100/133 standard uses 80-wire cable (40-pin connector) which is what any new mobo will support.
 
Argo
In my opinion, get a new sata HD. 80GB is old technology--currently WD, Samsung, and others ship HDs with 320GB per platter. (This will translate to just less than 4x the Read/Write transfer rate of the 80GB drive--much faster).

If you don't want to spend $75.00+ consider the following...
(# 1)
If your 2 HDs are identical, try installing this raid card: ($15.99)->http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16816132004.
-!- you would need to backup all your data first (as setting up a raid array requires reformatting your drives).
(# 2)
If your 2 HD's are not identical, or if you don't want to re-format your HDs, try installing this "un-raid" card: ($14.99)->http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16816132005
(this just adds 2 extra -ata/ide ports, but it is more reliable than the "masscool" cards listed in the previous post by tynopik).
(#3)
Switching to a sata DVD Drive ($24.99) doesn't make sense to me, because -ONE- it will not upgrade your performance, -TWO- you will downgrade (system wise) from a dual optical drive interface to just one, and -THREE- it is more expensive than options #1&2.




PS. Anandtech.com has given these good reviews:

Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB WD3200AAKS
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3236

Samsung SpinPoint T166 500GB
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3031

Western Digital WD1600AAJS: 160GB
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2920

PPS. Here is a good place to see HD comparisons:
http://diskcompare.com/
 
Originally posted by: mmc4587
(# 1)
If your 2 HDs are identical, try installing this raid card
Click to expand...

i wouldn't mess with raid, it's just going to cause you problems

Originally posted by: mmc4587
(# 2)
If your 2 HD's are not identical, or if you don't want to re-format your HDs, try installing this "un-raid" card: ($14.99)->http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16816132005
(this just adds 2 extra -ata/ide ports, but it is more reliable than the "masscool" cards listed in the previous post by tynopik).
Click to expand...

good call on this adapter, i was just showing the first one i found


Originally posted by: mmc4587
(#3)
Switching to a sata DVD Drive ($24.99) doesn't make sense to me, because -ONE- it will not upgrade your performance, -TWO- you will downgrade (system wise) from a dual optical drive interface to just one, and -THREE- it is more expensive than options #1&2.
Click to expand...

1. it probably will improve your performance (but probably not not noticeably), but then the previous 2 options definitely won't improve performance

2. i guess i don't see the downgrade because i personally have never had the need for 2 optical drives simultaneously, but i suppose some people do

3. it is more expensive BUT it's also less hassle

fewer adapter cards, fewer things that can go wrong

my personal opinion is saving the few extra bucks getting the adapter card isn't worth the potential hassle vs just getting a native burner

it just depends on what's important to you

just as an example of the possible hassle look at the first 2 review of the unraid card

"Attached optical drives. Slowed the system down to being almost unresponsive"
"Could not get the PC to recognize the CD-ROM drive plugged up to the card to install windows"
"The device will not boot from just this device. You need to have atleast 1 workable IDE slot"

so if you can't attach CDs to it, you would have to attach your HDs to it. But wait, if you attached your HDs to it, you can't boot! Hmmmm

now supposedly it supports boot and perhaps the person just set it up wrong, but there you go

also it's a PCI device and if your motherboard attaches the ethernet port to the pci bus and if you have a PCI sound card, well i would just rather not

but again, such a setup will work perfectly fine for many people
 
I have used several of the IDE/SATA adapters. They work very well for connecting IDE (PATA) hard drives to SATA ports on the motherboard. Do NOT use one for a DVD burner, but they are fine for hard drives. This is your least expensive option.

On the other hand, if you are presently running off of an 80 gig IDE hard drive, you will get a boost in performance from a new SATA hard drive, as others have recommended. I would not recommend buying an aftermarket PCI card to implement more PATA ports, as I have personally seen too many problems resulting from such a configuration.
 
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