SATA or E-IDE (ATAPI) questions

Status
Not open for further replies.

saintpat86

Solid State Member
Messages
8
So my current DVD burner has gone on the fritz and I have decided to replace it but I am having a hard time shopping for said replacement because I am confused by the SATA, E-IDE (ATAPI) stuff. My current one is a Lite On SOHW-832S which is E-IDE (ATAPI), but some electronics sites don't even list which the drives are, so does it matter?
 
I believe SATA optical drives, such as a DVD burner, is not that much faster than an IDE. I think SATA are a little more money, though...I could be wrong, but I'd get one, because it's doesn't clutter as much as ribbon IDE cables, or the round IDE cables.
 
Yep, there really isn't too much of a price difference in *most* SATA models compared to IDE.... I believe the Plextor ones are a pretty penny, but what's new lol .... Mainly the only reason to get SATA over IDE is to use smaller cables resulting in better airflow for your computer.... As far as any performance gain, you probably won't see any at all since the DVD drive itself can't transfer as fast as SATA speeds allow.
 
So can I use either or do I have to use E-IDE since that is what my current one is? How do I know which one is supported by my comp?
 
You can use either. Your motherboard obviously supports E-IDE, since your previous was an IDE. Does your motherboard have SATA ports?
 
So I looked up the specs of the motherboard and it says "Two serial ATA (SATA) connectors, each supporting one serial ATA-150 disk drive; Hot swap function" so I guess it does. Also, it makes no mention of E-IDE so how is it using it now? Would it have anything to do with the fact that I have 2 optical drives and the hard drive?
 
You said your current is E-IDE, so of course it supports E-IDE. Plus it doesn't matter if you use IDE or E-IDE.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom