Bad idea to install a PCI SATA controller card?

Synaesthetic · Post by **Synaesthetic** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:20 am

My mobo doesn't support disks larger than 120 gb but I need more space, much more space. My friend wants to sell me a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200GB S-ATA together with a one port S-ATA controller (PCI) for quite a good price. Do you think my mobo can handle it without PCI overflows or other problems? In this moment the Luna card is my only PCI card.

My spec's:
Asus P4T533-c
P4 2.4 Ghz 533 FSB
Samsung 512 mb RAMBUS 1020 @ 1200 Mhz
Geforce 4 Ti 4200 64 mb
WD 120 gb, 8mb cache
IBM 60 gb. 2mb cache
Nec ND-1300A
Luna card + 8 channel I/O-box running SFP 3.1c in Windows Xp

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:44 am

Can't you get an external firewire drive?

Works wonder here

Synaesthetic · Post by **Synaesthetic** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:35 am

That was a fast reply!
Hmmm, an external firewire drive, you say.. Connected to a USB 2.0 connector or to an actual firewire connector? Would it decrease the risk of problems? What are benefits of your solution? Buying a s-ata disk is much cheaper so I would appreciate an explaination.

Synaesthetic · Post by **Synaesthetic** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:35 am

* DOUBLE POST * SORRY *

[ This Message was edited by: Synaesthetic on 2004-03-01 10:36 ]

Post by **garyb** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:07 pm

"don't do it" is my opinion. you need more than 120gig for your WORKING files? i agree with marcus,get a firewire or usb drive to archive the stuff you are not currently working on. you have 2 ide slots which can control 4 devices.if one is a cd or dvd burner and one is your program data,that leaves space for two 120gig drives. is that not enough for your current working files?

AndreD · Post by **AndreD** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 4:23 am

hi,
a pci ide controller will kill your pci-performance..

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:18 am

On 2004-03-01 09:20, Synaesthetic wrote:
My mobo doesn't support disks larger than 120 gb

where can i see this info. i'm using 2 hd now(40Gb+80Gb) and wanted to buy another one.
my setup:Mobo-Asus p4T; Processor-1.4 Ghz+p4,512Rdram, all seagate 7200 IDE, Pulsar2+
thanks

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:24 am

On 2004-03-02 04:23, Andre Dupke wrote:
hi,
a pci ide controller will kill your pci-performance..

is that ture!!! what is best solution?
thanks

AndreD · Post by **AndreD** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:44 am

On 2004-03-02 07:24, firubbi wrote:
On 2004-03-02 04:23, Andre Dupke wrote:
hi,
a pci ide controller will kill your pci-performance..
is that ture!!! what is best solution?
thanks

hi,
write unused data on dvd-rw or dvd-ram?

best,
andre

Post by **garyb** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 12:40 pm

i use an external usb hard drive to unload stuff that will not be used in the near future.

Synaesthetic · Post by **Synaesthetic** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 5:45 pm

Thanks for the answers. I love this community, I chose my system parts after suggestions from this site. Anyways,
actually I wanted to buy a large and fast disk that I could use on my next system, an "investment for the future"

. But after your anwers I
guess I'l buy another 120 gb disk or try to find an external disk second hand.

Another question:
It seems like the usb devices share resources with the PCI-busses. Doesn't that mean that an external disk is as bad as an internal?

Post by **garyb** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:50 pm

well,you only need to use the usb drive for archiving so it won't have an effect on your system when you're recording.....

*edit*you can probsably get about 100 songs on a 120gig drive,how many can you work on at once?

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-03-02 18:54 ]

Synaesthetic · Post by **Synaesthetic** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 9:09 pm

I can't afford a separate DAW system. It's a little embarrasing. But I can assure you that 120 gb isn't even near the amount of hd memory I need for recordings, samples and programs. Maybe 240 gb's for the music related stuff and the same amount of memory for the rest.

Edit:
Oops I didn't get the bit that the USB disk was meant for archiving. Can't understand how I could miss that and it's not very respectful to start a new topic and not read the answers properly. I am sorry for this and blame my lack of sleep. That's quite a good solution. It's a shame that those disks are that expensive.

You have all been of great help!

[ This Message was edited by: Synaesthetic on 2004-03-02 21:25 ]

valis · Post by **valis** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 7:15 am

Thanks for the apology and I hope you find a solution that works for you

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 7:28 am

On 2004-03-02 12:40, garyb wrote:
i use an external usb hard drive to unload stuff that will not be used in the near future.

Garyb, i want to buy a lacie hd where i'll put all my cakewalk project/data. One hd only for rec as you told me. now i'm using 2 hd (seagate III and IV 7200rpm,40+80Gig). is it possiable to hook another big hd (external firewire)like LaCie Bigger Disk (1 terabyte capacity) or lacie Big Disk (500Gb)? My setup--- Asus P4T mobo,512 RDRAM,Pentium 4 (1.4).(Maybe not so good setup for hook a big hd),Pulsar2+
Thanks
*FireWire 800: 800 Mbits/s;--- does it means 100Mb/sec!! 1 track 16 bit needs 5Mb/min or 0.083Mb/sec..... in that case 100Mb/sec is huge!!!!
* http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10123

Post by **garyb** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 10:14 pm

i'm really not sure how well that'll work.

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 11:35 pm

Is there any external hd that will be hook to secondary master? Can you tell us your current setup?
thanks

[ This Message was edited by: firubbi on 2004-03-05 23:48 ]

Post by **garyb** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 2:22 am

secondary master?i don't think so.

my hd setup?
1x 30gig for programs
2x 60gig data

2x 120gig usb.one for backup,one for archive

also, cdrw,pulsar1,powerpulsar,pulsar1 srb,akai mpd16(usb),2 usb dongles(logic and sx)....

firubbi · Post by **firubbi** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 3:37 am

On 2004-03-06 02:22, garyb wrote:
1x 30gig for programs
2x 60gig data

1x 30gig for programs-primary master.
2x 60gig data-secondary primary and secondary secondary Master? how do you hook your cdrw? can i hook it after primary master?
thanks

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 5:49 am

No matter how fast the bus you're using is, you will always be limited by the speed of the slowest thing in it.

With a Firewire 800 bus, even though it is theoretically capable of 100MB/sec (although real-world performance will be significantly lower), the hard drive connected to it will certainly not be capable of that kind of speed.

It's certainly a good thing for connecting several firewire devices though.. I wish more PC motherboards/laptops came with FW800.