Can I do this? External SATA to a PATA MB?

[Mr Reorg]

Can I use a Sata HD in an external enclosure with USB2 connection to an old motherboard that doesn't support SATA? I want to back-up my old PATA drives so that I can reformat & repartition now.

I'm thinking about getting the Thermaltake Max4 eSata & USB enclosure. I need it to work with my 4 year old Dell Dimension 8200 now, and I want it to be useful when I build my first PC, with a Conroe MB (probably a P965 chipset).

[Devhux]

You sure can -- Windows treats the external drive as a USB Mass Storage Device -- not a SATA device.

[Mr Reorg]

Thanks. I didn't want to make a purchase that wouldn't work.

[DarkFury]

You sure can -- Windows treats the external drive as a USB Mass Storage Device -- not a SATA device.

Having PATA on a mobo just means that you can't directly hook a SATA drive directly to that mobo without using some kind of adapter.

In your case, your external USB 2.0 casing is your "adapter".

[brainsmile]

I did it fine to my 320GB SATA drive

[Mr Reorg]

Anyone have any opinions on the enclosure I'm considering?

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=371358

Any recommendations? I want to use it as USB 2.0 now and eSata in the future.

[brainsmile]

I have this one

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=INO...655377ea5179aa

Works well.

[ArkiStan]

If it's only gonna be a temporary setup you might consider one of the adapter cables rather than a whole external case. It's slightly cheaper.

[Mr Reorg]

Only temporary in that I hope to build a new machine in the very near future. So it has to be compatible with my current (old) Dell, and future proof to use with the new build. I intend on using the external storage for back-ups.

[Napoleon54]

Having PATA on a mobo just means that you can't directly hook a SATA drive directly to that mobo without using some kind of adapter.

In your case, your external USB 2.0 casing is your "adapter".

And by the same token, you'll be limited to 480Mb/sec. If you're using a USB enclosure then it's really just a USB device, regardless of if the HD is SATA, PATA, etc.

[Cheesypuff]

If it's only gonna be a temporary setup you might consider one of the adapter cables rather than a whole external case. It's slightly cheaper.

[IMG]snipIMG]

hey arkistan...where does the hdd get it's power!?? i kinda wanna get one of these. does it get the power via USB!?

[DarkFury]

hey arkistan...where does the hdd get it's power!?? i kinda wanna get one of these. does it get the power via USB!?

I would assume that you would use that kind of adapter for a SATA drive mounted internally using the power from your power supply.

[johnnymk]

Those adapter cables..watch what brand you buy. There is some real junk out there. I don't know what a good brand is, but I would trust a brand name case versus one of them.

And when it comes to external hard drives, whether they are PATA, SATA or Firewire, it's actually cheaper to buy a complete unit than to buy a separate case and hard drive nowadays.

[ArkiStan]

hey arkistan...where does the hdd get it's power!?? i kinda wanna get one of these. does it get the power via USB!?

It doesn't show in the pic, but usually it'll come with a DC adaptor, but you can always use one of the the power cables from your PSU. As Johnnymk mentioned there certainly are crappy ones out there. I brought my hard drive home this winter to copy files I had at home and it was a great temporary solution for that purpose.

[Mr Reorg]

And when it comes to external hard drives, whether they are PATA, SATA or Firewire, it's actually cheaper to buy a complete unit than to buy a separate case and hard drive nowadays.

True, but buying the enclosure and HD separately allows me to choose the parts on a features or performance/silencing/cooling basis. Though I have to admitt, I could not find any (professional) reviews on that Thermaltake enclosure. There aren't too many "complete units" providing a combo eSata/USB connectivity choice.

(edited for spelling)