Matt Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hey all. I got a few questions regarding buying a new harddrive. I want to buy a secondary harddrive, and this is the one I was looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16822135106I know very little in the aspect of hardware, so I don't know if it matters much for HDDs, but I want to make sure it will be compatible with the rest of my system. Here's my specs:Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600)2.00 gigahertz Intel Pentium 48 kilobyte primary memory cache512 kilobyte secondary memory cacheMain Circuit Board: Dell Computer Corp.Bus Clock: 400 megahertzBIOS: Dell Computer Corporation A03 11/12/2002WDC WD1200JB-75CRA0 [Hard drive] (120.00 GB) -- drive 0, s/n WD-WMA8C3561095, rev 16.06V16,HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8400B [CD-ROM drive]Lite-On LTN486S 48x Max [CD-ROM drive]3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]Bus Adapters Intel® 82801DB/DBM USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller - 24CDIntel® 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2Intel® 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4Intel® 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7Sorry, I didn't know how much of that is needed... So, can you tell from this if I have (i dont know what its called) an open "space" for another HDD? Also, would the one listed above work with what I have (do you need more info)?Now, I plan to install linux on this HDD. Will I make this drive a slave drive? Will i beable to boot linux from this slave dirve?Thanks for the help.. I know im (very) noobish in this areaMatt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpfeif101 Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Yeah, everything should work fine. Yes, you can easily use this as a slave drive for linux Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Thanks mpfeif101, Ill go ahead and order the drive.Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tictoc5150 Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Matt, I didn't see anything indicating you have SATA connectors on your motherboard...I'd check that before you order a SATA drive Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hey toc! Is there anyway I can check that without opening my case? SATA are the ones that look smaller--compared to the ribbon connectors right? Would belarc or everest tell me this.. or am I just gunna need to open up the case?Also, While looking at this I came accross the term "RAID" and "RAID 0" do I need to worry about doing those, and if so, what are they? Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tictoc5150 Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Answered in chat but...I forgot to mention that you could've gotten a SATA controller card (PCI slot)Better choice going with the uATA, IMHO...cheaper anyway Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Answered in chat but...I forgot to mention that you could've gotten a SATA controller card (PCI slot)Better choice going with the uATA, IMHO...cheaper anyway <{POST_SNAPBACK}> huh? what a SATA controller card? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
handplane Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hey toc! Is there anyway I can check that without opening my case? SATA are the ones that look smaller--compared to the ribbon connectors right? Would belarc or everest tell me this.. or am I just gunna need to open up the case?Also, While looking at this I came accross the term "RAID" and "RAID 0" do I need to worry about doing those, and if so, what are they? Matt<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I read you got your answer in the chat room, but let the rest of us know how to do it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hey handplaneT0c instructed me that by using belarc advisor, (a program that generates a list of your system specs) I could look under the "controllers" section and find whether or not SATA was compatible with my mobo. It was not, as my mobo can use any form of ATA, specifically, my current HDD is ultra ATA. So, I am now going to buy this harddrive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16822144122About RAID, I don't think I have to worry about that.. so I won't mess with it or anything.Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
handplane Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Hey handplaneT0c instructed me that by using belarc advisor, (a program that generates a list of your system specs) I could look under the "controllers" section and find whether or not SATA was compatible with my mobo. It was not, as my mobo can use any form of ATA, specifically, my current HDD is ultra ATA. So, I am now going to buy this harddrive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16822144122About RAID, I don't think I have to worry about that.. so I won't mess with it or anything.Matt<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks, Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murtu52 Posted June 21, 2005 Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 yeah, RAID 0 is nice technology, but it gets quite complicated....good buy, i must say . Good luck with linux . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 Thanks murtu52Ill probably order the drive tomorrow (If I can get my parents to let me use their credit card) and have Linux going for the first time as soon as possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murtu52 Posted June 21, 2005 Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 but, first please check if you have an available IDE port, because i think the limit on most mobo's are 4....you don't want to buy the HD and find out you can't connect it... :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 but, first please check if you have an available IDE port, because i think the limit on most mobo's are 4....you don't want to buy the HD and find out you can't connect it... :D <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hey, good call. How do I check for an open IDE port? Would that show up on belarc or everest? Or will I have to open the case?I found this in belarc:Controllers Standard floppy disk controllerIntel® 82801DB Ultra ATA Storage Controller - 24CBPrimary IDE Channel [Controller]Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]do I have an available ide port?Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murtu52 Posted June 21, 2005 Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 well, it's a physical thing-open up your computer and find out. Think of it as USB, if you buy another USB device and have no ports for it, could you connect it? Yeah, works on the same principle... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
robroy Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 what hardware do you have, hard drives and cd or dvd drives? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I currently have 1 hdd1 cd drive1 cd burner driveand a floppy drive (does that count) t0c told me that as long as i didn't have 4 things (not couting the floppy) id have space.do i really need to open my case? (lol i know that sounds sad...) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
robroy Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 not until you install the hard drive, you have room for one more Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 not until you install the hard drive, you have room for one more <{POST_SNAPBACK}>aight, thanks robroy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
robroy Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 you are welcome, but if you are nervous about opening up the box to check how are you going to install it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I just didn't wunna shut down my system right now.. thats all lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 thanks all for the helpHarddrive Ordered Quote Link to post Share on other sites
murtu52 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I currently have 1 hdd1 cd drive1 cd burner driveand a floppy drive (does that count) t0c told me that as long as i didn't have 4 things (not couting the floppy) id have space.do i really need to open my case? (lol i know that sounds sad...)<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm pretty sure that floppy uses IDE>....hmm, Matt, sorry, just open ur computer and put my fears to rest.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
robroy Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 You can have 2 floppy drives and up to 4 hard drives, cd or dvd drives in a standard computerthere is a cable for the 2 floppies and 2 ide cables with 2 connections on each Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted June 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 OK, I'm not sure If I have a problem or not. I opened up my case, and yes, the floppy drive uses a different kind of connector. BUT I seem to have only TWO IDE ports. It looks like my 2 cd drives are sharing one, and my current harddrive has the other. Is it possible to only have 2? If this is the case, can I make my two harddrives share the other one I have? This really sucks if not, the harddrive is alreay on its way. Any suggestions would help. (I'm not sure if you addressed this in your last post or not robroy...) Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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