SATA to IDE Converters

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Kitsune
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SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Kitsune »

Curious, does anyone use a SATA to IDE converter where you use a SATA drive through an IDE Port? If so, have you had any problems?
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Stark
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Stark »

For $20 you can buy a converter that works fine. Did you think all those products were scams? I personally wouldn't rely on them for anything important, but many HDD enclosures use this sort of hardware anyway (since SATA drives are much more common these days) and they work fine.
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Laughing Mechanicus
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Laughing Mechanicus »

I have a 1TB Samsung SATA drive connected to the IDE of my media PC with one of those converters - I thought it looked suspect when I bought it, but it's been working fine for a good 6 months now.

They aren't exactly elegant, mine is a 1 inch square piece of crude PCB sticking straight up out of the IDE port - if you are tight for room in that area of the case it could be a problem. Otherwise I just set the little switch on the thing to the right setting (mine could do SATA to IDE or vice versa) and it just worked like any other IDE disk.
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Stark
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Stark »

Remember the old 2.5" to 3.5" converters? A breadblock with some pins on it and a power cord. I don't think that sort of thing inspires confidence in todays consumer. :)
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Kitsune »

Stark wrote:For $20 you can buy a converter that works fine. Did you think all those products were scams? I personally wouldn't rely on them for anything important, but many HDD enclosures use this sort of hardware anyway (since SATA drives are much more common these days) and they work fine.
Well, I can get a 500 Gig SATA and an adapter for cheaper than a 500 Gig IDE. I have in the past bought devices that just do not work as listed.

The device I am looking at is suppose to be usable even for a boot drive. Is your concern throughput as far as stating "I personally wouldn't rely on them for anything important" or something else?
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
Thomas Paine

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 (KJV)
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Kitsune
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Kitsune »

Unfortunately, the device does not do what I want I want it to do.
It takes the place of both IDE devices on the motherboard port. As such, I went ahead and ordered a SATA PCI card
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
Thomas Paine

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 (KJV)
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Kitsune
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Re: SATA to IDE Converters

Post by Kitsune »

A final update - I think :wink:
The SATA PCI card seems to be working fine...Some complaints on New Egg stated that the drive light does not show drive activity but I don't have that problem.

750 Gigs on bith of my machines should do me fine for at least a while
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
Thomas Paine

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 (KJV)
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