Serial ATA 2

[ElementalDragon]

Ok, i know SATA 2 has a 3.0Gb/s transfer rate.... but there's one thing that's been on my mind. Does any SATA port have the capability to use a SATA 2 hard drive and get that 3.0Gb/s transfer rate, or does it have to be a newer motherboard with a SATA 2 port? (hoping it's the earlier)

 

[ShepsCrook]

I'm sure it's just SATA works at SATA speeds. And SATA 2 drives can only work with SATA 2 motherboards at their rated speeds. But if you put an SATA 2 Drive on an SATA board, it will only go at SATA speeds.

 

[American Zombie]

Ya the board has to support it or the drive will fall back to SATA speeds.
Some newer boards like the nForce 4 boards support the new standard.

 

[ElementalDragon]

ugh. stupid inventors. :-/ why can't they make something that works with everything?

 

[Admiral Michael]

ugh. stupid inventors. :-/ why can't they make something that works with everything?

Cuz this way they make more money!

 

[ElementalDragon]

actually i kinda think they'd make more money if people didn't have to upgrade every single thing in their computer just to get one thing better. kinda sad to think that if i wanted to get a SATA-2 hard drive, i'd have to buy a new motherboard, but then i'd have to buy a new CPU also because the newer motherboards are only LGA-775 processor types, and i'd also probably have to buy a new video card since the new motherboards only support PCI-Express. pretty friggin outrageous.

 

[sean.ferguson]

i agree with you to an extent, but this is the way of the world

 

[ElementalDragon]

i mean, i'm pretty sure there'd be some way they could make current motherboards support SATA-2, like a new firmware update or something MIGHT work. just don't see the point to upgrading everything to get a better hard drive, even if my current stuff is working fine.

 

[Terrahertz]

I hear you ED. SATA 1 is more than enough. It doesnt even reach its peak with any of the drives out.

EDIT: Well for now anyway.

 

[ElementalDragon]

hmm..... WOULD such a thing be possible with just a simple firmware update?

 

[Weasel]

hmm..... WOULD such a thing be possible with just a simple firmware update?

It honestly depends on the controller chip and what they've changed. My guess is that it'll be like IDE and that you'll need to buy a new motherboard in order to use the full potential of SATA2.

 

[mightymo]

I can't wait for SATA 2. And BTX, and DDR2, and PCI-E, ect ect all to become affordable.

 

[ElementalDragon]

uuh..... PCI-E video cards are more affordable than AGP cards, if you already have a PCI-E mobo that is. DDR2 is now i think only slightly more than regular ol' DDR. correct me on that one if i'm wrong since i'm not really that interested in DDR2 yet since they say the timings on the current DDR2 make it not much different from DDR.

Motherboards should be sold a lot fuggin cheaper if we have to practically upgrade it every time we want something new to connect to it.