PDA

View Full Version : Sata, Pata...sata/pata??


Whyzman
11-03-2006, 11:30 PM
I'm putting together my first build using a SATA drive. I've a question regarding the cable and power supply.

The Antec power supply has a special lead with SATA power connectors. The SATA harddrive has both a SATA cable connector and SATA power connector. It also has and IDE and molex power connector.

Is the harddrive capable of either SATA or IDE setup? If chosing SATA do you only connect the SATA power connector...or do you also need the molex?

Or, is it simply one or the other IDE with molex power vs. SATA with SATA power?

saphalline
11-03-2006, 11:41 PM
Wait, so the hard drive has a SATA and PATA connector? It's a hybrid? What hard drive is this?

Whyzman
11-03-2006, 11:43 PM
Western Digital 250G...

I'll see if I can find the number... It's the build for my brother-in-law and it's at his place...

Whyzman
11-03-2006, 11:47 PM
Here 'tis

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144701

Whyzman
11-03-2006, 11:54 PM
I think I took too quick a look at that thing... NO IDE...

My question would then have to do with the molex or SATA power connector. Does it have both due to the fact that some of the older power supplies only have molex?

Paul Komski
11-04-2006, 12:05 AM
Does it have both due to the fact that some of the older power supplies only have molex?
In a word - YES.

karthik
11-04-2006, 12:08 AM
Wait, so the hard drive has a SATA and PATA connector? It's a hybrid? What hard drive is this?

A hybrid! Never heard of it.
But it could possibly be an IDE inteface provided with an PATA adapter(you see the HD manufactures want quickly convert into PATA becuase of its advantages)

Erik
11-04-2006, 01:03 AM
No, it is just a regular SATA drive with a molex and the newer SATA power connector. Basically the molex is for backward compatability, they also make convertors that snap onto the molex.

Whyzman
11-04-2006, 10:18 AM
Yep, I don't have the drive in front of me, but I think I was too quick in my assessment of the pins I saw next to the molex plugin... Must have looked like IDE pins...

They didn't have the OS yet. When I build, I don't connect anything until I run the system barebones...monitor temps while idling in the BIOS...and then hook up a floppy to get to the A:

I do place the other parts, optical drives, Harddrives, etc., into position...I just don't connect them as yet...

Whyzman
11-05-2006, 03:24 AM
I looked over the Western Digitial install instructions and and noted that there is an important usage of the SATA power connectors. Namely, that the drives can be hot swapped. Using the legacy molex connectors...they cannot...

karthik
11-05-2006, 05:58 AM
A hybrid! Never heard of it.
But it could possibly be an IDE inteface provided with an PATA adapter(you see the HD manufactures want quickly convert into PATA becuase of its advantages)

Small correction:
I was speaking of SATA and I mis-spelled it as PATA
----------------------------------
But it could possibly be an IDE inteface provided with an SATA adapter(you see the HD manufactures want quickly convert into SATA becuase of its advantages)