Is there a way to use 120gb Western Digital with my Abit BX6 2.0?

[Snyder81]

The title asks it all. I got one of the Western Digital 120gb drives from Dell, but my mobo is having a hard time recognizing it...I *think* I updated the BIOS, so software should be up to date. Thanks!

 

[Adul]

well make sure you updated the bios. you can purchase a promise IDE card for cheap that will recogniize it.

 

[Snyder81]

Thanks. Do ATA133 drives require any special (newer) versions of IDE cable?

 

[rbV5]

<< Thanks. Do ATA133 drives require any special (newer) versions of IDE cable? >>



80 pin IDE, same as ATA 66/100.

 

[cr4pz0r]

Snyder81,

Your BX6 2.0 doesn't directly support that WD 120GB hard drive. The latest released BIOS for that motherboard is dated sometime in April 2000 - and 120GB IDE hard drives didn't exist at that time.

As it turns out, that latest released BIOS doesn't support hard drives over 64GB, and the BX6 2.0 only supports Ultra ATA/33. So you will need to buy an Ultra ATA/100 PCI controller card for your system.

BTW, the WD 120GB hard drive comes in two versions - one with a 2MB cache (WD1200BB), the other with an 8MB cache (WD1200JB). Both use an Ultra ATA/100 interface.

cya l8r

 

[RGN]

Get a Promise card. They r0x0r.

 

[kursplat]

use the western digital utility and format the drive in to usable pieces ? anybody know of a reason that won't work ?
good luck

 

[Thalasi]

I suggest using MaxBlast from Maxtor. I used it to allow an old PI board recognise a WD 40GB (all as one single drive, not partitioned). Worked perfectly.