best SATA controller card?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ian Roberts
  • Start date Start date
I

Ian Roberts

Hi

I'm looking at getting an SATA drive and want to know what are currently
regarded as the best controllers?

I'm using AMD XP3000 on an MSI K7N2 Delta board - mine is the version w/o
SATA on board needless to say but thought I would anyway! 8^)

Thanks guys

I^)
 
I'm looking at getting an SATA drive and want to know what are currently
regarded as the best controllers?
Click to expand...

Don't bother. They all suck. Ad-on controllers are a kludge. Just
because the interface is faster doesn't mean performance will follow.

The ONLY advantage TODAY I've determined with SATA is that you get that
nice skinny cable vs. the wide ribbon cable of PATA. I was actually
surprised and very disappointed that my new Seagate SATA drive has half the
burst rate and slightly less sustained transfer rate than a one year old WD
UDMA-100 PATA drive. Wait a year or so and then get a motherboard that has
SATA on-board. By then performance and prices of the SATA drives should be
where the PATA drives are today.
 
Ian Roberts said:
Hi

I'm looking at getting an SATA drive and want to know what are currently
regarded as the best controllers?

I'm using AMD XP3000 on an MSI K7N2 Delta board - mine is the version w/o
SATA on board needless to say but thought I would anyway! 8^)
Click to expand...

There are several good ones at www.siig.com Use one that uses a Silicon
Image chip.
 
Nomen Nescio said:
Don't bother. They all suck. Ad-on controllers are a kludge. Just
because the interface is faster doesn't mean performance will follow.
Click to expand...

Ignore the troll.
The ONLY advantage TODAY I've determined
Click to expand...

For you "I've determined" is an oxymoron.
with SATA is that you get that
nice skinny cable vs. the wide ribbon cable of PATA. I was actually
surprised and very disappointed that my new Seagate SATA drive has half the
burst rate and slightly less sustained transfer rate than a one year old WD
UDMA-100 PATA drive.
Click to expand...

Not to mentioned how disappointed you will be when you determine that you've
never heard of an apples vs. apples comparison.
Click to expand...
 
Hi

I'm looking at getting an SATA drive and want to know what are currently
regarded as the best controllers?

I'm using AMD XP3000 on an MSI K7N2 Delta board - mine is the version w/o
SATA on board needless to say but thought I would anyway! 8^)

Thanks guys

I^)
Click to expand...

Frankly, despite what people say, SATA is just marketing bullshit
right now. It's just a pata drive with an extra chip to convert the
signals to SATA. What's wrong with this picture ?

Oh, they'll all scream and yell, but SATA won't be worthwhile until
they get to the next version. This one's hosed.
 
Frankly, despite what people say, SATA is just marketing bullshit
right now. It's just a pata drive with an extra chip to convert the
signals to SATA.
Click to expand...

In some cases. Not all.
What's wrong with this picture ?

Oh, they'll all scream and yell, but SATA won't be worthwhile until
they get to the next version. This one's hosed.
Click to expand...

Tell that to the people running Raptors. Sure, they'd run the same with
PATA, but you can't _get_ them with PATA.
 
Frankly, despite what people say, SATA is just marketing bullshit
right now. It's just a pata drive with an extra chip to convert the
signals to SATA. What's wrong with this picture ?

Oh, they'll all scream and yell, but SATA won't be worthwhile until
they get to the next version. This one's hosed.
Click to expand...

This version works just fine.
 
Nomen Nescio said:
The ONLY advantage TODAY I've determined with SATA is that you get that
nice skinny cable vs. the wide ribbon cable of PATA.
Click to expand...

I think thats a great thing, I have hated those ribbon cables for years. I
also worry sometimes when I really have to tug on ribbon cables, I wouldn't
want to pull a conductor loose.

--Dan
 
dg said:
I think thats a great thing, I have hated those ribbon cables for years.
I also worry sometimes when I really have to tug on ribbon cables, I
wouldn't want to pull a conductor loose.
Click to expand...

Trouble with them is that they don't have any kind of positive retention and
have far fewer pins than PATA, so they actually are _easier_ to
accidentally unplug. I understand that the most recent revision of the
spec addresses this, but it will be a while before the changes are
reflected in the hardware you buy.
 
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