Help with adding newer HD to older system

[LubeDog]

I'm looking to add a third HD to my PC to use basically as a media server. I'm looking to add a 250gb HD to my configuration. I'm confused as to compatibility of my system and drive types and data transfer speeds. My original HD, on which my OS (XP) runs is a Quantum 13.6-GB Ultra ATA/66 IDE Hard Disk Drive. I added a second drive a few years ago which is a 60 GB Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 7200rpm Ultra ATA/133 with 2 MB SDRAM cache which seems to run fine. I don't want to run into speed issues or into problems with the BIOS recognizing a 250GB HD....I don't want to have to create 10 partitions to make this drive work. Am I OK with a 250gb ATA/133 drive? Do I need to find a ATA/100 drive? Am I going to have to replace the controller? Thanks in advance.

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Here is the info on the rest of my system, I tried to include as much relevant data as I could. (P3, 500mhz, 320MB RAM)


Interface/Controller:

Bus Platform peripheral component interconnect (PCI)
Data Transfer Rates Capable of 66 megabytes per second (MBs/sec)
Drives Supported Ultra advanced technology attachment (ATA)
Drive Modes Ultra DMA 4/3/2/1/0 PIO 4/3/2/1/0/ DMA 2/1/0
Drive Control Separate timing controls for each drive
Host Interface 33 megahertz (MHz) bus speed
Logical block addressing
(LBA) BIOS Automatically identifies and configures drive type, EIDE or Ultra-DMA; auto-detects and supports Ultra Mode transfers

IDE Interface
* Is compatible with the latest peripheral component interconnect (PCI) IDE, advanced technology attachment (ATA)-4, ATAPI and enhanced IDE specification. Primary and secondary build in a single chip, four hard disks supported totally.
* Supports ATA and ATAPI proposal PIO Mode 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, DMA Mode 0, 1, 2 and Ultra DMA Mode 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. The IDE drive transfer rate is capable of transferring up to 66 megabytes per second (MB/Sec) each channel.
* Automatically detects whether the cable is suitable for Ultra DMA mode 3 and 4 or not.
* Supports four individual access timing and protocol for four drives attached to IDE bus.
* Has programmable active pulse and recovery time of the read/write command for data access timing.
* Has independent access timing for command block register and data register.
* Supports the options to disable or enable each of the primary or secondary channels, using hardware strap and software programming.

PCI Interface
* Complies with PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.1.
* Supports 32-bit PCI bus master with zero wait burst protocol, up to 33 megahertz (MHz) bus speed and 132 megabytes per second (MB/sec) sustained transfer rate.
* Has latency timer control.
* Supports full set of configuration headers, selectable legacy or native mode complying with the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) IDE Controller Specification Revision 1.0; it can easily implement the plug and play BIOS feature.
* Allows PCI computer to relocate IDE drive registers with an option available to disable the relocation when legacy mode is used.

Motherboard specs:
Intel 440BX PCIset

* 82443BX PMC (492 mBGA)
* 82371EB PIIX4e (324 mBGA)

System Memory

* 100-MHz Memory Bus Speed (FSB)
* Three 64-bit or 72-bit (ECC) 4-clock, 3.3V, unbuffered SDRAM DIMMs
* Expandable to 384-MB of SDRAM (CAS latency of 2) using 64-Mbit chips
* Intel 4-clock 100MHz 64-bit unbuffered SDRAM DIMM specification compatible
* Uses gold-plated DIMM socket
* ECC signal and multiple bit detection (single bit correction) supported, using ECC DIMMs, can be enabled and disable in BIOS

Processor Slot SECC2 connector for Intel® Pentium® III Processor
HDD Interface

* Internal to core logic (PIIX4)
* Supports up to four IDE devices
* Uses two shrouded IDE connectors
* Dual independent channel support for Fast IDE (PIO) mode 3, mode 4, and ATAPI compatible CD-ROM drives
* Support for DMA modes 1, 2 (bus mastering), and Ultra-DMA33 on both channels Bus Mastering supported on both channels

I/O

* SMC FDC37C707 Ultra I/O with BIOS code base to match BIOS, which supports two serial and one parallel port, single FDD, keyboard, mouse, RTC, and IR
* I/O connectors include:
o Stacked PS/2 style mouse (top) and keyboard (bottom)
o Stacked DB25 connector for parallel port and two DB9 serial ports

BIOS

* Intel/Phoenix code base
* 4-Mbit flash support (TSOP)
o Pentium III processor detection and initialization
o Memory auto-configure and ECC support
o AGP set initialization module
o Autodetect keyboard, mouse, floppy, IDE, serial, and parallel devices
o CD-ROM boot
o Password secured boot
o User and administrator mode for system Setup screens with two separate password protected accesses
o Supports NON-volatile storage in BIOS flash
o PCI Configuration space and DMI support
o USB support with support for Legacy input devices
o Audio disable support in BIOS
o Supports bootable LS-120
o Ultra DMA/33 support
o ATAPI support for IDE CD-ROM and tape drives
o Int 13h extensions to support drives larger than 2GB
o AC power loss state retention management

PCI/AGP/ISA Slots

* Six total slots:
o Four PCI, one 1x(3.3v) AGP, one shared (PCI/ISA)
o All PCI slots are masters, rev 2.1
o All slots support full length cards

 

[RKS]

do you have Sevice Pack 2?

 

[2kfire]

Hardware-wise, I think you should be ok. As long as the motherboard supports LBA it will support big hard drives. The 440BX chipset supports LBA. On the otherhand, depending on the file system of your hard drive(s), you might have to split the drive up into different partitions. Here is some info: Link. With that in mind, what OS are you running and what file system are your hard drives set up with? You can find out what file system your hard disks are using by right-clicking your hard drive and choosing properties

 

[LubeDog]

1. Yes, I've got SP2 installed.
2. I'm running XP (Home)
3. My original HD (the one running the OS) is FAT32
4. My secondary HD is NTFS - I haven't had any problems with that drive nor did I have to partition it (60GB drive)

If I install a 250GB drive using NTFS, should I be able to run it without problems and wihtout partitioning?

I assume I am OK running an ATA/133 drive? My 2nd drive is 133 and runs fine but I guess I could find an ATA/100 drive if needed. I assumed that 133 was a MAX and the drive would operate at any slower speeds specified by the bios/controller.

In particular (mostly since I have had good luck with my 2nd drive from Maxtor) I am looking at a Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB Hard Drive (7,200rpm, 16MB cache, Ultra ATA/133). Model: 6B250R0 $95 online.

http://www.maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_...ta_sheets/diamondmax_10_data_sheet.pdf

 

[redbeard1]

With a 440bx board, you are at the mercy of the motherboard manufacturers bios as to whether or not it will see a drive that big.

At worst you would have to add a promise 133 ide card to see the big drive.

 

[imported_nocturne]

You should be able to with those specs Just hook it up, boot up XP, and format it to your prefered Filesystem (I recommend NTFS for big drives) in disk management (C:\WINDOWS\system32\diskmgmt.msc - by default).

 

[imported_nocturne]

Also, ATA133 is backwards compatible with ATA100. Thats just the speed of the interface. There is also a setting in XP (maybe not in SP2) that enables HD's over 160gb (saw it in X-Setup). As long as LBA is enabled in the BIOS it should be fine up to 320gb I believe.

 

[LubeDog]

Great. Thanks for all the tips!