OK to use PATA to SATA adaptor?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon D
  • Start date Start date
J

Jon D

I want to get a new hard drive but don't know if the adapters to
convert between PATA and SATA could limit performance.

--------

Am in the UK. My home PC has an AMD 2200+ and runs XP Pro.

The motherboard has 2 IDE sockets for HDD. The PC also has an IDE
extender card.

There is no SATA connecter on the mobo although there are some USB-2
ports.

The PC runs these 6 hard drives:
three 160 GB, one 120 GB, one 80 GB, one 60 GB
All are for storing data except for the system drive.

I will replace this PC in maybe 6 to 12 months and I will probably
have to get an all SATA motherboard. Then I will need to use
adapters so I can re-use all my current IDE drives.

But for now, I now want a 250 or 300 GB hard drive.

It would be nice to have the new drive connect via USB but I think
this can be quite expensive and I'm trying to keep the cost down to a
minimum. However I think a HDD attaching to USB-2 would work on my
old and my new PC. Are there any possible pitfalls?

Getting a new drive with SATA seems better than PATA for the long-
term.

So am tempted to get SATA now and using an adapter to attach it to my
mobo. Is this wise? Does an adapter limit the performance of the
HDD?

What will my IDE drives perform like if they all have to connect to a
SATA motherboard thru an adapter2?
 
Previously Jon D said:
I want to get a new hard drive but don't know if the adapters to
convert between PATA and SATA could limit performance.

Am in the UK. My home PC has an AMD 2200+ and runs XP Pro.
Click to expand...
The motherboard has 2 IDE sockets for HDD. The PC also has an IDE
extender card.
Click to expand...
There is no SATA connecter on the mobo although there are some USB-2
ports.
Click to expand...
The PC runs these 6 hard drives:
three 160 GB, one 120 GB, one 80 GB, one 60 GB
All are for storing data except for the system drive.
Click to expand...
I will replace this PC in maybe 6 to 12 months and I will probably
have to get an all SATA motherboard. Then I will need to use
adapters so I can re-use all my current IDE drives.
Click to expand...
But for now, I now want a 250 or 300 GB hard drive.
Click to expand...
It would be nice to have the new drive connect via USB but I think
this can be quite expensive and I'm trying to keep the cost down to a
minimum. However I think a HDD attaching to USB-2 would work on my
old and my new PC. Are there any possible pitfalls?
Click to expand...
Getting a new drive with SATA seems better than PATA for the long-
term.
Click to expand...
So am tempted to get SATA now and using an adapter to attach it to my
mobo. Is this wise? Does an adapter limit the performance of the
HDD?
Click to expand...
What will my IDE drives perform like if they all have to connect to a
SATA motherboard thru an adapter2?
Click to expand...

If it works at all, then reasonably well. You do not get the
full speed obviously.

Arno
 
They won't but you may find that buying a proper SATA card is
cheaper than the adapter and get's you more ports for the money.

AFAIK there is only one manufacturer of SATA->PATA conversion.
http://www.shopaddonics.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={3D15E9E4-F8C9-4C1B-8FDD-7C937EA1CF6EEVEREST}&ic=ADSAIDE
It's $25.
If it works at all, then reasonably well. You do not get the
full speed obviously.
Click to expand...

Nonsense obviously.
 
I want to get a new hard drive but don't know if the adapters to
convert between PATA and SATA could limit performance.
Click to expand...

I've used one, it worked well enough. I don't remember noticing the
unit being overly slow as compared to the other drives in the system.

Frankly, most drives are limited in their performance due to the
mechanics of the situation (rotational rate of the platters, how dense
the information is on the platter) rather then the interface.

Heck, some of the early SATA drives were PATA electronics welded to SATA
adapter circuitry. Or was it the other way around?
 
And another one that can't read.

Toshi1873 said:
I've used one, it worked well enough. I don't remember noticing the
unit being overly slow as compared to the other drives in the system.
Click to expand...
Frankly, most drives are limited in their performance due to the
mechanics of the situation (rotational rate of the platters, how dense
the information is on the platter) rather then the interface.
Click to expand...

Most eh? Care to mention an exception? Just one.
Heck, some of the early SATA drives were PATA electronics welded to SATA
adapter circuitry.
Click to expand...
Or was it the other way around?
Click to expand...

And can't think either.
 
Toshi1873 said:
I've used one, it worked well enough. I don't remember noticing the
unit being overly slow as compared to the other drives in the system.

Frankly, most drives are limited in their performance due to the
mechanics of the situation (rotational rate of the platters, how dense
the information is on the platter) rather then the interface.

Heck, some of the early SATA drives were PATA electronics welded to SATA
adapter circuitry. Or was it the other way around?
Click to expand...

First generation the only vendor not using a bridge chip was Seagate, and
theirs were the drives that had the most problems at the time--seems that
there was some wiggle room in the standard and the manufacturer of the most
common bridge chip wiggled one way and Seagate wiggled the other and the
driver developers mostly tested on the bridge chip drives so they had to do
some patching to get the Seagates to run reliably--this was more of a
problem with Linux than with Windows IIRC.
 
Folkert Rienstra said:
They won't but you may find that buying a proper SATA card is
cheaper than the adapter and get's you more ports for the money.

AFAIK there is only one manufacturer of SATA->PATA conversion.
http://www.shopaddonics.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={3D15E9E4-F8C9-4C1B-8FDD-7C937EA1CF6EEVEREST}&ic=ADSAIDE
Click to expand...

Looks like that link was session specific.

Here's the one from the calling page that works:
http://www.addonics.com/shopaddonics/default.asp?ic=ADSAIDE

http://www.shopaddonics.com/mmSHOPADDONICS/Images/adsaide.gif
http://www.addonics.com/products/io/images/adsaide_enlarge.gif
 
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