HDD Size Limitations?

[Auric]

I want to install a new HDD in an old system and need some advice.

Dell P166s, Intel VX chipset, circa 1996
P233MMX, 64MB, Windows XP

One of the last BIOS updates removed the 8.4GB limit. I understand that at least certain systems have a limit at 33.8GB. Will a Seagate Barracuda IV 40GB sans software overlay or add-on ATA controller work? That would seem ideal but if an inexpensive controller will add significant performance and/or eliminate any limits I will consider it. A faster, higher density HDD will reduce the pain of swapping but will the ATA spec (33, 66, 100)? The main limitation to the system's performance is the RAM which cannot be increased without actually degrading performance due to a quirk of how the external cache was designed (thanks Intel!). Quiet is also important (actually the main reason for the swap) so are any controllers available that allow spinning down the drives (not much of an issue with the 'cuda... but still it is an important consideration)?

There are similar 20GB models available (though not widely) which would presumably avoid any potential problems but the price difference is negligible and while the extra space of the 40 is not necessary it could be made use of. What are the differences betwixt the ST340016A and ST340014A? Newegg has them for $71 and $74 shipped respectively. The latter boasts a seek time of 8.5ms instead of 9ms. Judging by the model numbers the slower was made later as a way to lower costs but could this be the most pointless savings of $3 ever? Sure, it is 4% afterall which does add up but for the individual buyer... actually it is still a difficult decision to make

 

[Lord Evermore]

You're running XP on a P233?! With only 64MB of memory?!

I'm sure you could get a definitive answer from Dell about the limits of the hard drive size. Without knowing a model number it'd be hard for anyone else to find out, and all we'd do is look it up on their support page anyhow.

You would be limited to PIO speeds for the hard drive if you used the onboard controller -- the VX didn't support ATA33. This is a significant limitation to performance, since PIO mode 4 is only 16MBps. A cheap ATA33/66 controller would do wonders, and doesn't need to be an expensive brand like Promise.

That performance will degrade if you added more memory isn't automatically true. You may in fact see a performance gain due to the increased memory, despite the issue with the cacheable memory area (and you can't really blame Intel, considering that at the time, 64MB was an almost unheard of amount of memory in a desktop). The maximum memory is only 128MB anyway.

The ST340014A is actually in the "7200.7" line, while the 340016A is a Barracuda ATA IV. The 7200.7 is supposedly better than the ATA V line even; it apparently doesn't have the SeaShield metal plate on the bottom, either.

It's unlikely that you'll notice any noise from the hard drive compared to any drive you currently have. The idle noise is essentially nil, and the seek noise is almost silent as well.

 

[Adul]

You're running XP on a P233?! With only 64MB of memory?!

You're running XP on a P233?! With only 64MB of memory?!

You're running XP on a P233?! With only 64MB of memory?!

Are you mad?

why not win2k?

anyways an add in controller card would be the best thing to do right now. You are still going to have a slow slow system simple due to age of it.

 

[Auric]

I may just be stark raving mad, but actually the XP performance ain't bad and it is just a matter of disabling the unnecessary junk to make it equivalent (or better) than a default 2000 setup. It's not like mum is multi-tasking anyway

I scoured Dell support but could not find any info on the max. It seems controllers are available for $10-15 so I guess that ain't bad if the performance will be significantly increased. Spin-down be damned.

Dell support does specifically mention the memory/cache performance limitation. Crucial shows the max as 64MB also. The thing is, trying 128MB could be relatively expensive (have to buy two 64MB modules) and could be problematic as far as compatability. And if it comes down to replacing the mainboard soon it will be wasted expense and/or effort whereas at least the drive can be made use of (replacing the mainboard is another can o' worms due to the proprietary power wiring).

So is the 7200.7 noisier (lacking SeaShield) than the IV? I do use a 80GB IV so know how quiet they can be.

 

[SXMP]

correct me if im wrong, but Win 2k Pro doesn't even boot up with less than 128mb!

 

[Lord Evermore]

Win2k is a 64MB minimum and a 133MHz CPU. Of course, that's the minimum, I expect you'd be able to go make some coffee while you waited for IE to load.

XP is 64MB and 233MHz minimum. Shutting off the XP garbage does bring the performance closer to a bare Win2k install, but again, bare minimum. I couldn't stand the slowness even single-tasking.

The SeaShield doesn't really make a huge difference in noise. The ATA IV is 21 dB while the 7200.7 is 25dB. (The 60GB and 80GB ATA IV also has 25dB ratings.) I imagine the lack of a SeaShield also makes the drive run cooler; a lot of reviewers mention the SeaShield possibly being a heatsink, but don't mention that there's a layer of dense foam between the metal plate and the drive/PCB, which is meant for shock and impact protection but probably holds in warm air.

Incidentally, the Dell link redirects to the registration page (where you can also skip registration but we don't know what machine this is).

 

[Auric]

Win2k is a 64MB minimum and a 133MHz CPU. Of course, that's the minimum, I expect you'd be able to go make some coffee while you waited for IE to load.).

Actually, it only takes a few seconds.

XP is 64MB and 233MHz minimum. Shutting off the XP garbage does bring the performance closer to a bare Win2k install, but again, bare minimum. I couldn't stand the slowness even single-tasking.).

It is a myth that XP has higher requirements when using the same GUI and services. BTW, this is XP Pro versus 2000 Pro.

Incidentally, the Dell link redirects to the registration page (where you can also skip registration but we don't know what machine this is).

D'oh! Well if you wanted to read the blurb about the memory, choose Home & Home Office > Sign in to standard support > Dimension XPS P___s MT.

Anyhoo, I appreciate y'all's advice.

 

[Lonyo]

In terms of the HDD, I would go for a controller card, for 2 reasons, then you'll get faster transfer times, and you won't have to worry about BIOS limitations, as the controller card should eliminate any.