IDE HDD into SATA Motherboard

M

ME2

I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE hard
drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive. What is the
cheapest way I can do this? Where can I buy what I need? I have
found power cables, but not data cables. I don't to spend too much.

Thanks

Me
 
J

John McGaw

I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE hard
drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive. What is the
cheapest way I can do this? Where can I buy what I need? I have
found power cables, but not data cables. I don't to spend too much.

Thanks

Me
Click to expand...
Something like this is probably the cheapest and most usable way to do that
job. But on the other hand, I can't think of any IDE hard drives that would
be a good match with a modern computer and software needs. To each his own,
I guess...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1734003&CatId=508
 
C

Chris S.

V

VanguardLH

[email protected] said:
I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE hard
drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive.
Click to expand...

I remember using a Seriellel converter when I wanted to put an IDE drive
on a SATA port on the mobo. The mobo had IDE ports but they all got
used for other IDE devices there were no open card slots open to us an
IDE controller card, so this is how I added another IDE drive for a few
years by utilizing one of the unused SATA ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813999402

That was a long time ago and Newegg shows that out of stock (it hasn't
been made in a long time). They still do sell others like it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232004
http://www.vantecusa.com/front/product/view_detail/263
 
G

GMAN

I remember using a Seriellel converter when I wanted to put an IDE drive
on a SATA port on the mobo. The mobo had IDE ports but they all got
used for other IDE devices there were no open card slots open to us an
IDE controller card, so this is how I added another IDE drive for a few
years by utilizing one of the unused SATA ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813999402

That was a long time ago and Newegg shows that out of stock (it hasn't
been made in a long time). They still do sell others like it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232004
http://www.vantecusa.com/front/product/view_detail/263
Click to expand...

I agree the one here is good
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232004
 
V

VanguardLH

VanguardLH said:
I remember using a Seriellel converter when I wanted to put an IDE drive
on a SATA port on the mobo. The mobo had IDE ports but they all got
used for other IDE devices there were no open card slots open to us an
IDE controller card, so this is how I added another IDE drive for a few
years by utilizing one of the unused SATA ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813999402

That was a long time ago and Newegg shows that out of stock (it hasn't
been made in a long time). They still do sell others like it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232004
http://www.vantecusa.com/front/product/view_detail/263
Click to expand...

A warning: make sure you have room behind the IDE drive wherever you
mount to ensure you have room the the converter hanging off the end of
that drive. You'll need something like a couple inches of free space
behind the drive. Also, the converter is about twice as thick (for its
body) than the IDE connector so you need to have room around the drive's
IDE connector. It's a dongle sitting at the backside of the IDE drive
that slides into its IDE connector. If you have more than one IDE drive
to convert to SATA, and if you have a spare card slot, buying an IDE
controller card is cheaper (but make sure you have the correct IDE
cables, you have room for them, orient them to not block airflow, and
they can reach from the drive to the card, especially if using a tall
tower case).

Because you are using an IDE device on a SATA port, and because there is
no Master/Slave relationship of devices on a SATA port (since only one
SATA device connects to one SATA port), make sure you jumper the IDE
device as the master device. That may mean you have to put the jumper
across a couple of specific pins or let it dangle from one pin so it
doesn't jumper across any pins (i.e., no jumpering defaults to master).
You'll have to read the manual or look at the label on the drive to
determine how to make it the master IDE device.

The Vantec site has an online manual (a link at the above Vantec page)
to show how it gets used.
 
V

VanguardLH

GMAN said:
NOOOOO, he wants a SATA to IDE converter so he can use his OLD IDE
drive with a SATA controller. He wants just the opposite of what you
posted.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the product title doesn't match the product description.
There are a lot of these devices that don't know the difference between
"to" and "from". It depends on which viewpoint the product is written.
Is it to get from the device to the mobo or from the mobo to the device.
It like someone saying "go to the left" when facing you but they could
mean their left instead of your left.

From the title: IDE to Serial ATA (SATA) Port Mini Converter

Sounds like what the OP asked for.

From the description: Convert SATA to operate with IDE Host Controller

The wrong way for the OP.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812156011

If you look at the pics there (click on the main pic to enlarge it),
especially the one showing the product attached to the SATA drive,
notice how fat (tall) is that thing. It's more likely that there will
be free space behind the drive than above or below it unless you happen
to have the drive in a bay slot with no other drives beside it. I also
don't like dangle boards that expose the contacts on their PCB.
 
Y

Yrrah

(e-mail address removed):
I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE hard
drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive. What is the
cheapest way I can do this? Where can I buy what I need? I have
found power cables, but not data cables. I don't to spend too much.
Click to expand...

Not for the system partition I presume.
Why don't you use it as an external hdd? An IDE enclosure needn't be
expensive.

Yrrah
 
M

ME2

A warning: make sure you have room behind the IDE drive wherever you
mount to ensure you have room the the converter hanging off the end of
that drive. You'll need something like a couple inches of free space
behind the drive. Also, the converter is about twice as thick (for its
body) than the IDE connector so you need to have room around the drive's
IDE connector. It's a dongle sitting at the backside of the IDE drive
that slides into its IDE connector. If you have more than one IDE drive
to convert to SATA, and if you have a spare card slot, buying an IDE
controller card is cheaper (but make sure you have the correct IDE
cables, you have room for them, orient them to not block airflow, and
they can reach from the drive to the card, especially if using a tall
tower case).

Because you are using an IDE device on a SATA port, and because there is
no Master/Slave relationship of devices on a SATA port (since only one
SATA device connects to one SATA port), make sure you jumper the IDE
device as the master device. That may mean you have to put the jumper
across a couple of specific pins or let it dangle from one pin so it
doesn't jumper across any pins (i.e., no jumpering defaults to master).
You'll have to read the manual or look at the label on the drive to
determine how to make it the master IDE device.

The Vantec site has an online manual (a link at the above Vantec page)
to show how it gets used.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. Actually the computer is a one of those small
case Optiplex GX620's. As such, there is minimal space (1" rearward
between drive and heat sink. Got my doubts.

Newegg's Vantec IDE to SATA Converter - Model CB-IS100 looks to be
okay, if it will fit. And if I want to spend the bucks.

Thanks again.

Me (OP)
 
P

philo 

I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE hard
drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive. What is the
cheapest way I can do this? Where can I buy what I need? I have
found power cables, but not data cables. I don't to spend too much.

Thanks

Me
Click to expand...



The others were right to tell you to get a PCI to IDE adaptor

just make sure your mobo has a PCI slot avail,

If it's PCIe only, then obviously you will need a PCIe to IDE adaptor
 
L

larrymoencurly

I have a DELL Optiplex that is strictly SATA. I have a nice IDE
hard drive that I want to hook up instead of a SATA drive. What
is the cheapest way I can do this? Where can I buy what I need?
I have found power cables, but not data cables. I don't to spend
too much.
Click to expand...

Before today, you could have gotten one of these for $3, delivered.
It's now $5:

http://www.meritline.com/ide-to-sata-or-sata-to-ide-adapter---p-36542.aspx

The current version, which is slightly different from the one
pictured, works flawlessly with all types of drives, but the SATA
connectors are labelled poorly, so it's easy to mix them up (the
SATA _controller_ goes to the SATA connector next to the power
connection), and the IDE PATA connector is so small it can be
plugged into the wrong pins and inserted backwards (despite the
key molded into it).

PCI controller cards based on a Silicon Image chip or VIA VT6421A
chip are OK, even the ones selling for $5-10 on Ebay. But don't get
anything that uses a similar VT6421 or VL6421 because they don't work
with SATA II drives, due to achip design flaw that can't be corrected
with a BIOS update (unlike Silicon Image, VIA doesn't give out BIOS
upgrades to everybody, and I had to get mine from MassCool or NewEgg's
Rosewill. The VIA chips support both SATA and PATA IDE drives, but
don't expect VIA or Silicon Image cards to work well with optical
drives. I've gotten them to work 100% only with Silicon Image SATA
cards.
 

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