external harddrive questions SATA and the enclosure

[1rottenapple]

Ok so I've been reading up on SATA and their importance as to what type of HD and enclosure to use. So I am looking at SATA interfaced harddrive and to make sure that the HD is compatible with the harddrive enclosure, does the enclosure have to state that it is SATA interfaced as well? I'm not seeing the SATA interfaced on the harddrive enclosure in the products that I am viewing so any help is appreciated.

 

[gammamonk]

Yeah, you need to have a External SATA port available to use a SATA external enclosure. I've yet to see a SATA -> USB/Firewire enclosure.

For now, everyone I know has just been buying ATA100 drives (Parallel ATA) and throwing them in an enclosure.

Or buy them pre-built. You can save a little money this way, but the drive warranty will generally be 1 year instead of 3 or 5.

 

[frankblundt]

gooogle it - this turned up as at least one source
http://www.cooldrives.com/usbenclosures.html
but i've seen others - i'm pretty sure Pleiades do a nice sata enclosure (fan-less too)

 

[frankblundt]

yep - here's the pleiades one (although this must be a brand name only used in NZ and Australia, cause i couldn't see any results for it anywhere else.

 

[iPhil]

Or this one:

Linky:

http://www.shopaddonics.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={F987546D-E1FEVERESTC-47A4-964C-8C69B00B0CDF}&ic=AEEHDSA35-R

 

[1rottenapple]

wow, sata drives are kinda expensive. Are they worth it?

 

[frankblundt]

wow, sata drives are kinda expensive. Are they worth it?

depends what yer after - currently 500GB drives are cheaper (and more widely available) here as SATA than ATA
personally i'm hoping the ministack/m9 will do a SATA version soon

 

[EHUnlucky7x9@ao]

Like everyone else said...the enclosure has to have the right plug for the HD.