Where can I get IDE to Serial ATA adapters?

[DannyLarry]

I know about the Highpoint Rocket raid controller card package, which comes with 2 "Rockethead 100" adapter plugs that go into an ata100/133 ide hdd and convert it to serial ata output. I just want the converters, not the whole <$100. usd card.

Anyone know where to get just the converters/adapters for a reasonable price?

This would be for an Asus P4 sys based on the Sis648 chipset. I have 2 ata133 drives and this mobo supports serial ata raid 0, so I need to convert my 133 drives to use the serial raid.

TIA for any thoughts, I'm on a quest - I can't stop looking for these damn things...

DL

 

[Mday]

they dont exist in stores yet

 

[Emrys]

Why do you want a converter from IDE to serial with HD's right now, it doesn't benifit you at all does it. From what I have heard the serial drives arn't much faster right now, in the future they will be. I don't know where the converter goes, but even if it is on the HD so you get the smaller cables, it is still mainly a waste in my humble opinion, because you are spending more money on those than you would be on simple rounded IDE cables?

Maybe I read into this wrong, and if I did- oops.

 

[Sunny129]

well maybe he wishes to do so b/c the mobo supports serial ATA RAID 0. then again, i suppose you could just use parallel ATA RAID 0...or does the controller only allow for serial communication? i cant imagine that there isnt a RAID option on the board that allows for the more common parallel communication.

 

[DannyLarry]

Sorry it took so long to reply..

The mobo is the new Asus based on the Sis648 chipset (I forget the model #). Yes, it has only a serial ata RAID connector and I have 2 ata133 drives ready to go into a raid setup but this mobo only has one ata133 plug (very strange..) and the raid is on the serial connectors.

Serial ata runs @150MB/s (that's faster than 100/133 for those numerically challenged..) right now and the smaller cables are nice.. Of course, soon enough it will hit 300 then 600, so there really is no rush to this iteration of the standard.

The adapters WOULD be a kludgey kind of thing and added expense, but it is really to accomodate this mobo.

I think instead I will wait for somebody like Gigabyte to come out with their version of an Sis648 mobo, they are usually cheaper and more feature-packed..

It's just the wait that hurts as I sit on the fence for this chipset to mature..


Thanks for the insight - I didn't think they were around right now....

DL

 

[Emrys]

They may run at 150, but that doesn't mean that it uses all of it. It's like SCSI, guess what they are 160 or 320 now, but the only way they use all of that is when they are in large arays, meaning more than 2, and with one they are barely using even half if that.
But I do understand looking for them if you don't have ide raid.
Just my input.

 

[DannyLarry]

HEy Emrys,

I see you have the Abit 648 chipset mobo.. I've read alot of reviews on that one, it was one of the first (maybe the first..) to come out based on this chipset.

What do you think of it so far and how about the RAM performance?

I really don't know what I will do now with my upcoming rig. I think I will just find a mobo that has "traditional" ata133 raid0 connectors and go from there (I already bought the 2 ata133 drives - maybe a premature move..)

It seems most of the 648-based mobos are rotating right over to the serial connectors very quickly.

As far as definitive advantage for this current SATA, I'd say you're right in that it really doesn't give you a whole lot except better airflow, and, theoretically, better protection from clock skew, EMI (less parrallel inductance..), and data corruption. Honestly, that stuff aside, I'm just looking for the SPEED - and that won't really get going until SATA II.

Thanks for the thoughts..

ANYONE ELSE HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS SATA WAVE?

DL

 

[volfan]

Anand just posted an interesting article in the News section Here. It is reviewing the first true SerialATA drive from Seagate. It looks very promising. These people aren't sure why, but the benchmarks will blow you away!

 

[DannyLarry]

Yeah, I just finished the article - great stuff IMHO.. I hadn't heard of Lost Circuits before, looks like a very good info site (bookmarked for sure...)

Some stuff I didn't know in the text, I actually saved the article, good for reference.

DL