SATA controller

[GT]

2 Questions:

I need more hard disk space and to future proof myself, I want to buy an
internal SATA drive, so need a controller. Can anyone tell me if this
controller will allow me to boot using a SATA drive and still use my 160GB
IDE drive. I can't find any mention of booting on the spec for the device,
but perhaps this is just assumed? I have a Soltek SL75-DRV5 motherboard.

Secondly, hard disk advice please. I am looking for around 250-300GB and
would like the drive as quiet as possible, but obviously as fast as
possible. I am looking at the Western Digital and Samsung Spinpoint drives,
but I don't understand all the different models. Taking Western Digital,
250GB, there is a Caviar WD2500BB, a Caviar SE WD2500JS, WD2500JB and a
Caviar SE 16 WD2500KS
(http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/productcatalog.asp). I presume
that the real-world performance increases in line with the extra parts to
the name (Caviar is slowest, then Caviar SE, then Caviar SE 16), but is
there a review site that compares all these models performance and sound
levels? I have been on TomsHardware, but it doesn't list more than one 250GB
drive per manufacturer.

Would a WD2500KS work with the above SATA I controller?

I guess there is a similar story with Samsung, although I have not
researched them throroughly, so again - is there a review site that covers
various models at the same capacity for Samsung drives

Thanks for any tips

 

[Rod Speed]

2 Questions:

I need more hard disk space and to future proof myself, I want to buy an internal SATA drive, so
need a controller. Can anyone tell me if this controller will allow me to boot using a SATA drive
and still use my 160GB IDE drive. I can't find any mention of booting on the spec for the device,
but perhaps this is just assumed?

That sort of thing is usually better found in the manual, not the specs.

I have a Soltek SL75-DRV5 motherboard.

Secondly, hard disk advice please. I am looking for around 250-300GB
and would like the drive as quiet as possible, but obviously as fast
as possible. I am looking at the Western Digital and Samsung
Spinpoint drives, but I don't understand all the different models.

I prefer the samsungs myself.

Taking Western Digital, 250GB, there is a Caviar WD2500BB, a Caviar SE WD2500JS, WD2500JB and a
Caviar SE 16 WD2500KS
(http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/productcatalog.asp). I presume that the real-world
performance increases in line with the
extra parts to the name (Caviar is slowest, then Caviar SE, then
Caviar SE 16), but is there a review site that compares all these
models performance and sound levels?
storagereview.com

I have been on TomsHardware, but it doesn't list more than one 250GB drive per manufacturer.

Would a WD2500KS work with the above SATA I controller?
Yes.

I guess there is a similar story with Samsung,

Nope, not so much model variability.

 

[Paul]

2 Questions:

I need more hard disk space and to future proof myself, I want to buy an
internal SATA drive, so need a controller. Can anyone tell me if this
controller will allow me to boot using a SATA drive and still use my 160GB
IDE drive. I can't find any mention of booting on the spec for the device,
but perhaps this is just assumed? I have a Soltek SL75-DRV5 motherboard.

Secondly, hard disk advice please. I am looking for around 250-300GB and
would like the drive as quiet as possible, but obviously as fast as
possible. I am looking at the Western Digital and Samsung Spinpoint drives,
but I don't understand all the different models. Taking Western Digital,
250GB, there is a Caviar WD2500BB, a Caviar SE WD2500JS, WD2500JB and a
Caviar SE 16 WD2500KS
(http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/productcatalog.asp). I presume
that the real-world performance increases in line with the extra parts to
the name (Caviar is slowest, then Caviar SE, then Caviar SE 16), but is
there a review site that compares all these models performance and sound
levels? I have been on TomsHardware, but it doesn't list more than one 250GB
drive per manufacturer.

Would a WD2500KS work with the above SATA I controller?

I guess there is a similar story with Samsung, although I have not
researched them throroughly, so again - is there a review site that covers
various models at the same capacity for Samsung drives

Thanks for any tips

You have an item "Boot Other Device" [Enabled] in the
manual, and presumably that would pick up a SATA PCI controller.

How it is supposed to work, is a separate controller card has a
BIOS chip on it. When the motherboard BIOS enumerates the system,
it will find and load the BIOS chip on the separate controller card.
The controller BIOS will offer a 0x13 INT service, to support
reading the hard drive. The missing ingredient, is whether the
motherboard BIOS properly loads a controller BIOS, and there is
an item in the BIOS setup, that will actually select a "foreign"
device as a boot source.

It the SATA controller doesn't work out, you can always use one
of these. But these take space on the back of the disk drive,
so if your computer case is small, there may not be room to fit
it. Note that these come in two types. IDE motherboard to SATA drive
(like this one). Or SATA motherboard to IDE drive. You have to
read the description carefully, before you buy, and also read the
reviews. Since these things are cheap, there is lots of crap being
offered for sale, which is why you must read the reviews.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16812206001

If you scan through this list, you might find more to choose from:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N=2000010353&Submit=ENE&Nty=1&Subcategory=353

You can select "Idle Noise" here, to find a quiet drive:
http://www.storagereview.com/comparison.html

Paul

 

[GT]

Secondly, hard disk advice please. I am looking for around 250-300GB

I prefer the samsungs myself.


storagereview.com

I have a samsung at the moment and I like its quietness, but this WD
(WD5000YS) drive looks very fast (with NCQ) and only 0.6db louder than the
quietest samsung p120. What do 'we' all think to this WD drive?

 

[Rod Speed]

I have a samsung at the moment and I like its quietness, but this WD (WD5000YS) drive looks very
fast (with NCQ)

I doubt you'd even be able to pick it in a proper double blind trial.

and only 0.6db louder than the quietest samsung p120.

Measurements are pretty dubious, hard drive noises can be very
irritating but dont produce much effect on the measurement.

I wouldnt risk it myself unless you can hear one.

What do 'we' all think to this WD drive?

I avoid WD myself, too many stupid design choices, like the jumpering
scheme used with PATA drives and the terminal stupidity of drives that
have a special error timeout for use with RAID. They should have done
that with a setting, not flog an entirely separate line of drives just for that.

 

[GT]

I doubt you'd even be able to pick it in a proper double blind trial.


Measurements are pretty dubious, hard drive noises can be very
irritating but dont produce much effect on the measurement.

I wouldnt risk it myself unless you can hear one.

I didn't want to influence anyone's comments, but I have read a few non-lab
reviews that say the drive can barely be heard, even when seeking. I don't
mind seeking noise on my SpinPoint, but I hate the annoying whine of a loud
spinning drive.

I avoid WD myself, too many stupid design choices, like the jumpering
scheme used with PATA drives and the terminal stupidity of drives that
have a special error timeout for use with RAID. They should have done
that with a setting, not flog an entirely separate line of drives just for
that.

I have read that same comment elsewhere. If I go with WD, I think I'll go
for a KS instead of YS drive. Spotted a few for around £80 +postage on ebay
(from Canada).

 

[kony]

I didn't want to influence anyone's comments, but I have read a few non-lab
reviews that say the drive can barely be heard, even when seeking. I don't
mind seeking noise on my SpinPoint, but I hate the annoying whine of a loud
spinning drive.

Are you talking about whine from recent generation drives or
only the old ball-bearing types? Most newer drives don't
whine at all from spinning, it's entirely the seek or such
induced vibrations transmitted through a thin walled or
otherwise poorly constructed case.

I have read that same comment elsewhere. If I go with WD, I think I'll go
for a KS instead of YS drive. Spotted a few for around £80 +postage on ebay
(from Canada).

Why risk ebay? It's not as though hard drives are a rare
commodity, and all else equal you're as well off buying the
newest generation retail product as anything else,
especially if you can get one unit with a rebate driving the
price down low. Nothing wrong with WD drives though, Rod is
just an arbitrary snob when it comes to HDDs.