Old Dell Optiplex SFF Pc - no Sata ports need to fit Sata drive...

gazjam · 7 Feb 2009 at 21:09

Bought myself an old Dell GX260 Optiplex from an online Auction Site to use as a music server / torrent box, and my original plan was to "transplant" my 1TB Sata drive straight into it.

But...

It seems is Pata only - no Sata ports

Whats my options guys?
PCI SATA controller or Sata to Ide adapter?

As its SFF I wonder if I need to be careful about which card I buy?

Dirt cheap would be best if possible, I've spent enough on this thing!

Thanks for any replies.

Monkeynut · 7 Feb 2009 at 21:16

I've used an IDE drive on a SATA PC with one of those converters, I don't know whether it works the other way round.

K.C. Leblanc · 7 Feb 2009 at 21:30

Monkeynut said:
I've used an IDE drive on a SATA PC with one of those converters, I don't know whether it works the other way round.

You can't just use an adaptor the wrong way round. But I have seem adaptors that let you connect SATA kit to an IDE connector.

jbloggs · 7 Feb 2009 at 21:40

The "MY-Link IDE Ultra ATA 100/133 To SATA Converter Adapter" should do....

Pity you didn't get the Optiplex GX270 which does come with a SATA port...

gazjam · 7 Feb 2009 at 22:27

jbloggs said:
The "MY-Link IDE Ultra ATA 100/133 To SATA Converter Adapter" should do....

Pity you didn't get the Optiplex GX270 which does come with a SATA port...

Yeah, tell me about it...

and there was me thinking I had done all my research too!

Its a Samsung Spinpoint F1 Drive, which is Sata II.

Any percieved problems with this in an old Dell PC?

I have a WD Mybook 1TB USB external HDD which Icould use instead of my Samsung F1, but I think the WD drains a lot more power than the F1 internal, which would defeat the purpose of using a low power old PC as a file server.

Help! :eek:

jbloggs · 7 Feb 2009 at 23:31

Was just having a look at the "MY-Link IDE Ultra ATA 100/133 To SATA Converter Adapter" again, and it only appears to support SATAI transfer rates, so it may not work with your 1TB F1, which also can have problems running on older mobo., that only support SATAI speeds...

Sorry about that, I would think a 1TB WD or Seatgate would probably work, as they are not so fussy about running @ SATAI speeds, especially the Seagate which has the SATAI/II jumper...

gazjam · 8 Feb 2009 at 00:17

Thanks for the reply...

Yeah, I've read the F1 can have problems running at Sata 1 spec.

Theres a firmware patch from the Samsung site which apparently fixed it, so we shall see.

My plan was to transplant the Samsung F1 into the Dell, and use the WD Mybook as backup....

perhaps it might be the other way around - the WD used as my Media drive and the Samsung as backup....

funny old world innit?

*EDIT*
Came across this, which may mean its not bad all bad news after all *

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/support/utilities/Support_HUTIL.html

Enables you to set the Max UDMA mode for the drive.