laptop interfaces? help.

Ultra_Extreme · 4 May 2006 at 13:33

Been getting loads of calls on jobs lately for laptoip hard drive replacements. However the tech specs have me a little confused (scared) and i was hoping some laptop hard drive guru could explain a bit.

I know that the two main details are form factor (2.5in etc) and drive height (9.5mm for me) but im seriously struggling to tell which connectors i need, the replacment part from HP in this case lists the drive as 30.0GB ATA-100 EIDE hard disk drive - 4,200 RPM, 2.5-inch form factor, 9.5mm height so im geussing it must be EIDE? sodding confused ATM

semi-pro waster · 4 May 2006 at 14:17

You can now get SATA laptop hard drives but most are/were IDE so you need a standard 2.5" laptop hard drive(just make sure the height is ok), the connection is IDE but it is a smaller version than the one you have with a normal hard drive(3.5") which is why you would need a adaptor if you want to connect a laptop hard drive to an ordinary PC. Also even if 30gb is supposedly the maximum you can fit into the laptop you can probably get away with fitting a 40gb or even a 60gb but that isn't guaranteed.

Ultra_Extreme · 4 May 2006 at 14:34

semi-pro waster said:
You can now get SATA laptop hard drives but most are/were IDE so you need a standard 2.5" laptop hard drive(just make sure the height is ok), the connection is IDE but it is a smaller version than the one you have with a normal hard drive(3.5") which is why you would need a adaptor if you want to connect a laptop hard drive to an ordinary PC. Also even if 30gb is supposedly the maximum you can fit into the laptop you can probably get away with fitting a 40gb or even a 60gb but that isn't guaranteed.

well im not sure on max sizes but id be wary above 60gig anyway for bios reasons, but what you saying is that ALL 2.5in laptop HDD's have the smaller IDE interface? therefore any laptop HDD that meets the dimensions i require should fit np?

rpstewart · 4 May 2006 at 14:41

Ultra_Extreme said:
well im not sure on max sizes but id be wary above 60gig anyway for bios reasons, but what you saying is that ALL 2.5in laptop HDD's have the smaller IDE interface? therefore any laptop HDD that meets the dimensions i require should fit np?

Pretty much. Every laptop HDD I've seen in the last 5-6 years has had the same style of connector. Occassionaly you'll come across a wacky one with a weird connector on the long edge but they turn out to be caddies containing standard disks.

Clarkey · 6 May 2006 at 14:45

Mine runs an 80gb SATA drive. Its great, the hd just slots in no messing around, 2 screws thats yer lot.

Ultra_Extreme · 7 May 2006 at 19:04

Anyone give me some info on converters? so i can hook a laptop drive to a standard IDE con? Wher, how much etc? ta

semi-pro waster · 8 May 2006 at 00:44

Ultra_Extreme said:
Anyone give me some info on converters? so i can hook a laptop drive to a standard IDE con? Wher, how much etc? ta

Come on, you ought to know better than that, I can't let you know where to get them just because OcUK don't sell them. You are looking for a 2.5" adapter to 3.5" adapter, plenty of places sell them but as you ought to know well enough I can't say exactly where but it shouldn't cost more than £10 max

Ultra_Extreme · 8 May 2006 at 21:03

semi-pro waster said:
Come on, you ought to know better than that, I can't let you know where to get them just because OcUK don't sell them. You are looking for a 2.5" adapter to 3.5" adapter, plenty of places sell them but as you ought to know well enough I can't say exactly where but it shouldn't cost more than £10 max

tis ok, got a caddy instead, FUN

cheers guys.