First post, by ncmark
I have yet to activate my new XP box because I know once I do I am "stuck" with that configuration.
One my my last issues is the.......hard drive. It currently has a ST340016A (40-gigabute). Old reliable - I probably have 10-12 of these drives and have bot had one fail. But a tad small.
The MB is an Asus a7v600 which DOES have SATA support. Now I have ZERO experience with SATA.
(1) Would a newer drive work with it? I have heard different things about that.
(2) Would the computer be able to recognize it without loading drivers? I have heard stories about people having to boot on an IDE and install drivers to get the SATA recognized. Like I say, I have no experience with SATA.
My gut tells me it works, leave it alone, and save SATA for the next build. This is kind of an "in-between board," The small drive size can be compensated for with external drives.
I am also dubious as to the reliability of these newer drives. Seems when you start reading reviews they are all VERY mixed - regardless of which brand you are talking about.
Any feedbck will be appreciated.