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Which SATA controller do I need?
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Original Message
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Name: theidiot
Date: June 13, 2007 at 15:12:17 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need?OS: win98CPU/Ram: P3 |
Comment: Hello. I would like to put another HD in my pc and I would like it to be a SATA drive. But I need to buy a SATA controller, and I'm not sure which one would work with my mobo(BCM QS440BX). Furthermore, how big of a HD could I use?
Do you need to know my BIOS version? Let me know and i'll get it. Thank you for your help. BTW:Would I be better off getting a SCSI controller and drive?
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Response Number 3
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Name: OtheHill
Date: June 13, 2007 at 17:10:43 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)Do you have an open PCI slot?
First of all there are two types of SATA. SATA I (150MB/sec) & SATA II (300MB/sec). Add in PCI cards for SATA I are fairly cheap. Under $20. SATA II PCI cards run about $50 & up. Your system probably doesn't support 48bit LBA. That means you probably can't use any IDE drives larger than 127GB UNLESS you add a controller card. Some things to consider are the following. IDE & SATA don't really perform much different in the real world. Your computer isn't worth much and isn't going to break any speed records, with or without a faster drive. IF you still decide to proceed I suggest you go the cheapest route, which would be either IDE or SATA I controller card. Maybe it is time for a new computer. If you intend to boot to the new HDrive your BIOS MUST support booting to a PCI controller card, the card must support booting and the card MUST still be 48 bit LBA compliant. Look here for an explanation of 48bitLBA. http://www.48bitlba.com/index.htm
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Response Number 4
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Name: theidiot
Date: June 13, 2007 at 18:18:02 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)Thanks for the replies. I would have no problem going with a vanilla PATA IDE drive, but I'm worried I wouldn't be able to find one. I'll have to go to bestbuy.com or something and look.
Othehill,
It is indeed time for a new computer. Unfortunately it is not an option for me right now. And I do have open PCI slots. Hell, I would be happy with a 20GB HD. I would prefer at least a 50 gig though. Is that possible? Would I need to go with a SATA drive definitely, as opposed to PATA EIDE?
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Response Number 6
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Name: theidiot
Date: June 13, 2007 at 20:08:15 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)I think i have two IDE controllers available. I would prefer not to have to buy a controller card...so maybe plain old PATA IDE is my best bet. I've already checked pricewatch.com...but it appears as if they have no PATA only SATA and SCSI. Did i miss something? Also, how can I tell what the max capacity IDE drive my mobo/bios is compatible with? Is it 127GB? I haven't check newegg yet. I'll give them a try. Thanks again.
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Response Number 8
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Name: OtheHill
Date: June 14, 2007 at 06:46:39 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)PATA, IDE, EIDE, ATA are all names for variations of the same types of drive. Use them interchangably. It is safe to assume that your MBoard isn't 48bit LBA compatible. However, Intel did have BIOS firmware that would upgrade to 48bit compliance. I haven't run any Intel based boards in years so I can't tell you more than that. It comes down to how much time and cash you want to spend and how much drive capacity you need. Here is a 120GB 8MB cache drive listed at Newegg for $51.99 plus shipping. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... Here is an 80GB 8MB cache drive for $41.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... If you want to go larger then research your MBOard or get a controller card. IMO none of that is worth the effort. One other thing not touched on is if your are using Win98SE you probably have USB ports. You could consider an external HD, which has no limit on capacity with the MBoard. For best performance you need USB 2.0, which may require an add in USB card.
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Response Number 10
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Name: theidiot
Date: June 14, 2007 at 11:03:09 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)Thank you for the advice guys. But I have had no luck whatsoever with USB due to the fact that my OS is just plain vanilla win98. Most USB devices that I have tried to use(mice, cameras,thumbdrives,mp3 players) are not compatible with my 378 year old operating system. Even if I had SE i don't think i would have much better luck(except with the drive you've mentioned). As far as I'm concerned, USB can go to hell until I upgrade to Windows XP : ). Besides, one of the main reasons I want a bigger harddrive is so I can run a Linux/Windows dual-boot system. So I guess USB would kinda defeat the purpose, right? But anyways, so long as I stick with an IDE UNDER 127 gigs, I should be okay right? And as long as I stay under 127 I shouldn't worry about BIOS compatability? Because I definitely do not want to flash my BIOS. Thanks again for the help.
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Response Number 11
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Name: theidiot
Date: June 14, 2007 at 11:11:47 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)Oh...forgot another question of practical concern:
Should I worry about needing a new power supply to juice up the new harddrive? I can't remember what wattage my PS is, and it is a royal pain in the neck to get my computer out of the little desk cabinet it is in(it is right up next to the wall too...I only pull it out when I to fix something, upgrade it or move it). Are there any software utilities that handle this?
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Response Number 12
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Name: OtheHill
Date: June 14, 2007 at 11:59:59 Pacific
Subject: Which SATA controller do I need? |
Reply: (edit)You are correct as far as staying with 80GB or 120GB drives. Harddrives don't really draw that much current. It does sound like you have your tower positioned in a tight area. That can create cooling issues.
Other issues to note. When buying OEM drives they probably won't come with an IDE cable. Be sure to get an 80 wire cable. The jumpers on the back of both new and existing drives will need to be set properly. I recommend using Master/ slave settings as opossed to cable select (CS). Western Digital drives, for one, have a special setting for Master alone. When using Master/ slave settings it doesn't matter which drive goes on the end connector. Verify that you have both a bay to mount the new drive and an available Molex connector to power the drive. Molex Y adapters are available. Finally, the 120GB Western digital drive I linked to above is a good brand and that is a good price.
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