IDE Drives

stokecity_m · 3 May 2009 at 14:39

I've currently got two IDE hard drives and two IDE optical drives.

My motherboard only allows to IDE cable to connect to it.
Is there any way to connect another IDE hard drive?

Cheers in advance

Sasahara · 3 May 2009 at 15:04

You can buy PCI IDE Cards, but you'd better off buying a PCI SATA Card and use a SATA drive.

stokecity_m · 4 May 2009 at 14:46

i've got SATA on my motherboard - however the hard drive i want to install has only got ide i think.

Monkeynut · 4 May 2009 at 15:40

You'd be best off with a PCI IDE card then. I don't know whether these allow you to boot from them but they'd be fine for a storage drive.

Blackbadger · 4 May 2009 at 16:44

It actually maybe cheaper to buy a fast sata DVD-writer to replace one of the older ones, which costs approx £15. Giving you a free IDE slot.

stokecity_m · 4 May 2009 at 16:56

yeah that's all i want it for - storage.

might even get an external usb drive.

Silenced · 4 May 2009 at 18:08

stokecity_m said:
I've currently got two IDE hard drives and two IDE optical drives.

My motherboard only allows to IDE cable to connect to it.
Is there any way to connect another IDE hard drive?

Cheers in advance

How many IDE Cables can be plugged into your mobo?

stokecity_m · 4 May 2009 at 18:14

sorry two

Duke · 4 May 2009 at 18:26

Just get a PCI IDE card.

eXor · 4 May 2009 at 18:57

Allows two cables?

Can't you run two devices off each cable? Hard drives as master and slave on IDE channel 1; optical drives as Master and slave on IDE channel 2? If you jumper them as CABLE SELECT, it should be plug 'n' play.

Did I misunderstand? :confused:

EDIT : NM. It has sunk in. OP has 3 drives.

IIRC, you can get SATA / IDE adapters. Or you can get IDE / USB adapters, complete with power brick. I have one of the latter and it cost pennies.

Silenced · 4 May 2009 at 19:06

Question - Aren't IDE Hard Drives REALLY old? My dads PC has them and it's like, 8 years old.

Silenced · 4 May 2009 at 19:18

eXor said:
IIRC, you can get SATA / IDE adapters.

From googling "IDE to Sata" I've seen some. Don't think OcUK Stock them though.

eXor · 5 May 2009 at 11:22

Silenced said:
Question - Aren't IDE Hard Drives REALLY old? My dads PC has them and it's like, 8 years old.

OcUK still stock a few. It's old tech, but doesn't mean that they all have to be discarded. Storage space is storage space.