Can I Replace IDE HDD with SATA?

dohouch · 06-02-2010 7:53am #1

Got a sick HP PC from a friend. It seems to need a new HDD. Went to this site and all the seem to have are SATA drives.

Will this work in place of old IDE drive without any complications? Or are IDE drives still available, and do I have to get one?

docmol · 06-02-2010 8:16am

No, you must replace with an IDE drive. These are still available, but only just!
http://www.dabs.ie/category/components-and-storage,storage,internal-hard-drives/11154-52420000-47240000
Also, how old is the PC? Some older machines will have limits on the the size of the harddrive they can take. You might want to ask yourself is the repair worth doing. You might get a newer secondhand PC (with a SATA interface) cheaper on adverts.ie

dohouch · 06-02-2010 8:20am

just had a 2nd look at old drive and it says "Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 8 ATA/133 HD" so is this a SATA? year on drive is 2004.

06-02-2010 8:35am

No, it's IDE.

dohouch · 06-02-2010 8:49am

Had a 2 1/2 22 HDD from a now scrapped laptop lying around and found a 3 1/2 converter for this on focalprice.com. , but it just occurred to me that the there is a big voltage difference involved here, 2 1/2 is 5V and 3 1/2 is 12V, what do you think?

hugoline · 06-02-2010 9:28am

dohouch wrote: »

Had a 2 1/2 22 HDD from a now scrapped laptop lying around and found a 3 1/2 converter for this on focalprice.com. , but it just occurred to me that the there is a big voltage difference involved here, 2 1/2 is 5V and 3 1/2 is 12V, what do you think?

If you meant this adaptor (sorry, your link wasn't working) then it will work fine.

You are right, 2.5" HDDs only run on 5V, where as 3.5"HDD use 12V and 5V through an additonal power cable.

On the 2.5" HDD the 5V power is supplied as part of the data cable (no seperate power cable required) and the above adapter takes care of that (and although 12V and 5V is going to the adaptor, only 5V is passed on)

old_aussie · 06-02-2010 9:29am

Check the motherboard to see if there is any SATA connectors.

If there is SATA connectors on MoBo then you can replace the PATA HDD drive with a SATA HDD

dohouch · 06-02-2010 8:18pm

old_aussie wrote: »

Check the motherboard to see if there is any SATA connectors.

If there is SATA connectors on MoBo then you can replace the PATA HDD drive with a SATA HDD

Will Google image search to see if I can find out what SATA connectors looks like. But if this PC left factory with this

Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 8 ATA/133 HD" so is this a SATA? year on drive is 2004

fitted the motheboard is unlikely to have SATA type connectors? Yes/No

Can I Replace IDE HDD with SATA?

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