aardfrith
Δ > x > ¥
+145|7095
Budget limit is £100 ($190) and must come from a UK supplier.

My mobo is P5GD1-VM so it supports SATA but not SATA II.  Does this mean SATA II drives will revert to SATA?  I don't know these things because I'm a noob at techy stuff.

IMO the Raptors are too expensive - four times the price of other drives - but if you want to convince me they're worth it, go for it.  Any other recommendations?
jsnipy
...
+3,277|6825|...

Will ur new drive be ur primary storage source ...i.e. do you keep other junk on a  large extrnal drive ...
nieker
THE FLYING DUTCH PENGUIN, THE NINTENDO PENGUIN
+191|6930|The Netherlands
just go to a retailor and ask for a goodone for 100 pound or less
Marlboroman82
Personal philosophy: Clothing optional.
+1,022|6926|Camp XRay

what do you want to do with it? gaming and storage? just gaming? i have a two 36gb raptors in raid zero. they are awesome for gaming. not much storage, but i just use it soley for gaming so it's not a big deal. if you need storage as well alot of top companys have large hard drives 16mb cash drives which might suit you better. really just depends on what you plan to do with it.
https://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l250/marlboroman82/Untitled-8.png
aardfrith
Δ > x > ¥
+145|7095
Well, currently I have an 80GB IDE hdd and it's mostly full of music and games.  And windows crud.

What I'm looking for is one (or possibly two) drives to replace the IDE drive and to give room for expansion.  I'm open to ideas about how to set them up, what would give the best performance for games, etc.

Going to a retailer and asking for advice is tough.  The only hardware retailer locally is PC World and I wouldn't trust them for anything.  What I figured was people here would be more knowledgeable and helpful.
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|7019
no such thing as sata 2... only sata...
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Towelly
It's A State Of Mind
+399|6894|Your attic
As Others have said, what are you hoping to use this drive for, if your looking for a decent storage drive that will only be used for pictures, work files, videos etc. Than a half decent WD/Maxtor 300ishGB will do you fine and be well in your price range.

If your hoping to use this as a boot drive and for games than the best I can find so far is a 37GB WD Raptor.

If you are playing games and like your OS to load up quickly than nothing beats a nice raptor (or two in Raid 0).

Currently my HDD's stand at:

2 x 400GB Maxtor Sata 16mb cache (In Raid 1) Work+ Music + Video Files
1 x 300GB Maxtor Sata 16mb cache  Random drive that I use for games files and the like
2 x 150GB WD Raptor X 10k 16mb cache (Raid 0) OS + Games
fierce
I love [fiSh]
+167|6871

aardfrith wrote:

My mobo is P5GD1-VM so it supports SATA but not SATA II.  Does this mean SATA II drives will revert to SATA?
You can use SATA2 drives with a SATA controller, but probably some features of SATA2 won't work.
Towelly
It's A State Of Mind
+399|6894|Your attic
I always thought Sata 2 was just a media thing?
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6830|Portland, OR USA
SATAII (which does exist) scales back to SATAI on a SATAI controller.  You lose the throughput gained by moving to SATAII (which is the only thing gained)

Assuming your board supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 (which from looking at it, it should) then the choice is between speed, redundancy, or cost.

If it's speed, run two drives in RAID 0
If it's redundancy, run two drives in RAID 1
If it's cost, just run one drive

Raptors DO deliver the performance, especially when you put them in a RAID 0 configuration.  The downside is the obvious lack of space.  So the decision is put back to you to decide on performance vs. capacity (or quality vs. quantity to boil it down to the core of the matter).
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6904|132 and Bush

PuckMercury wrote:

SATAII (which does exist) scales back to SATAI on a SATAI controller.  You lose the throughput gained by moving to SATAII (which is the only thing gained)

Assuming your board supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 (which from looking at it, it should) then the choice is between speed, redundancy, or cost.

If it's speed, run two drives in RAID 0
If it's redundancy, run two drives in RAID 1
If it's cost, just run one drive

Raptors DO deliver the performance, especially when you put them in a RAID 0 configuration.  The downside is the obvious lack of space.  So the decision is put back to you to decide on performance vs. capacity (or quality vs. quantity to boil it down to the core of the matter).
I have 2 150 gig raptors in raid 0 on the way . I have an external 500 gig (Lacie d2) for music/movies/images.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6830|Portland, OR USA
<*hate*>

nice set-up.  I started wishing for my next rig right after I got my present one built and that was less than a year ago.  bah
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|7019

PuckMercury wrote:

<*hate*>

nice set-up.  I started wishing for my next rig right after I got my present one built and that was less than a year ago.  bah
no such thing as sata 2... same thing... only sata 150 and sata 300...
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
-101-InvaderZim
Member
+42|7146|Waikato, Aotearoa
Buy a couple of SATA 16mb cache 200GB HDDs. RAID 0 for striping and voila 400GB.

Partition the drive with 50GB and put nothing but XP on it. If (well WHEN) XP dies all you need to mess with is the
50GB partition.
Make the bigger 350GB partition a Primary Extended Logical Drive (for ease of use).
Dont forget to backup your REALLY important stuff to DVD
Rogue_Delta
Member
+6|6758
is the cache really really important if the only purpose is gaming and the disk will have nothing else but XP and BF2/BF2142 on it?
Dieselboy
Flicker of beans since 1986
+87|6853|Reading, Basingrad
Get 2 x Seagate Barracuda 250GB 16MB Cache and raid 0 em

£58.70 each from Overclockers.co.uk.....just £17 over budget

Then follow -101-InvaderZim's instructions and you will be a RAID convert


http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/ … _SATA.html

Last edited by Dieselboy (2006-09-13 04:51:23)

Dieselboy
Flicker of beans since 1986
+87|6853|Reading, Basingrad

Niekjejeje wrote:

just go to a retailor and ask for a goodone for 100 pound or less
Don't go to any high street store (PC World)....just a bunch of knowledgeless asshats and way over priced.
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6830|Portland, OR USA

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

PuckMercury wrote:

<*hate*>

nice set-up.  I started wishing for my next rig right after I got my present one built and that was less than a year ago.  bah
no such thing as sata 2... same thing... only sata 150 and sata 300...
right, and SATA gen I is 150 and SATA gen II is 300 ... SATA I and SATA II ...
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|7019

PuckMercury wrote:

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

PuckMercury wrote:

<*hate*>

nice set-up.  I started wishing for my next rig right after I got my present one built and that was less than a year ago.  bah
no such thing as sata 2... same thing... only sata 150 and sata 300...
right, and SATA gen I is 150 and SATA gen II is 300 ... SATA I and SATA II ...
same shit lah, all competible...
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Icleos
Member
+101|7045
I would go for two 500GB and get 1TB.
aardfrith
Δ > x > ¥
+145|7095

Icleos wrote:

I would go for two 500GB and get 1TB.
And how would you do that for the budget limit of a hundred quid?

Edit: update...

Dieselboy wrote:

Get 2 x Seagate Barracuda 250GB 16MB Cache and raid 0 em

£58.70 each from Overclockers.co.uk.....just £17 over budget

Then follow -101-InvaderZim's instructions and you will be a RAID convert
Have done, except I bought from www.dabs.com and saved about £12 including delivery.

Last edited by aardfrith (2006-09-13 08:14:36)

Dieselboy
Flicker of beans since 1986
+87|6853|Reading, Basingrad
Good lad

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