EIDE/PATA/ATA Hard Drive and Motherboard Compatbility

[ossilix]

I posted about a problem I'm having with my hard drive here:

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=108066.0

I hope it's okay to post another thread as I have another question. Since my hard drive is old and has errors I would like to try to get a new one if possible, but don't know if the ones I'm looking at are compatible with my motherboard. (I'm a total noob when it comes to hardware.)

My motherboard is very old and only supports ATA/IDE/PATA/whatever it's called (it's all the same right?) hard drives. I read about getting a SATA drive and a SATA PCI adapter card but I'm afraid the motherboard won't support that option since it's so old (you have to have a driver for it to work, right?) So I tried to find an ATA drive.

The receipt for my current hard drive says it's a Samsung SP1203N, but both AIDA32 and Belarc Advisor say it's a SP1213N. I opened the enclosure and the label on the drive says SP1213N as well. Is it safe to assume that's what it is since it says that on the label? (Yes, dumb question but don't want to get my hopes up in case it's SP1203N after all)

Apparently SP1213N uses the Ultra-ATA/133 interface. Based on that, would this Western Digital HD possibly be compatible with my system?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Western+Digital+-+500GB+Internal+Hard+Drive/8188962.p?id=1164155955173&skuId=8188962

It's listed on Amazon too but with different box:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-7200RPM-Buffer-3-5INCH/dp/B000O9T5IA

On the Amazon page it says the drive is Ultra-ATA/100. Since the drive I have now is Ultra-ATA/133 and obviously works with my motherboard, does that mean this Western Digital drive should work too?

Here is what AIDA32 says about the hard drive:

ATA Device Properties   
Model ID   SAMSUNG SP1213N
Serial Number   [snip]
Revision   TL100-30
Parameters   232632 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors per track, 554 bytes per sector
LBA Sectors   234493056
Buffer   8 MB (Dual Ported, Read Ahead)
Multiple Sectors   16
ECC Bytes   4
Max. PIO Transfer Mode   PIO 4
Max. UDMA Transfer Mode   UDMA 5 (ATA-100)
Active UDMA Transfer Mode   UDMA 5 (ATA-100)
Unformatted Capacity   123891 MB
   
ATA Device Features   
SMART   Supported
Security Mode   Supported
Power Management   Supported
Advanced Power Management   Not Supported
Write Cache   Supported
Host Protected Area   Supported
Power-Up In Standby   Not Supported
Automatic Acoustic Management   Supported
48-bit LBA   Supported
Device Configuration Overlay   Supported
   
ATA Device Physical Info   
Manufacturer   Samsung
Hard Disk Family   SpinPoint P80
Form Factor   3.5"
Formatted Capacity   120 GB
Disks   2
Recording Surfaces   3
Physical Dimensions   146.05 x 101.6 x 25.4 mm
Max. Weight   635 g
Average Rotational Latency   4.17 ms
Rotational Speed   7200 RPM
Max. Internal Data Rate   741 Mbit/s
Average Seek   8.9 ms
Track-To-Track Seek   0.8 ms
Full Seek   18 ms
Interface   Ultra-ATA/133
Buffer-to-Host Data Rate   133 MB/s
Buffer Size   8 MB
Spin-Up Time   7 sec
   
ATA Device Manufacturer   
Company Name   Samsung
Product Information   http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/index.htm

And the motherboard:

Motherboard Properties   
Motherboard ID   06/20/2002-VT8366-8233/5-JL6LVC0CC-00
Motherboard Name   Chaintech 7VJL APOGEE
   
Front Side Bus Properties   
Bus Type   DEC Alpha EV6
Bus Width   64-bit
Real Clock   133 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock   267 MHz
Bandwidth   2133 MB/s
   
Memory Bus Properties   
Bus Type   DDR SDRAM
Bus Width   64-bit
Real Clock   167 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock   333 MHz
Bandwidth   2667 MB/s
   
Chipset Bus Properties   
Bus Type   VIA V-Link
Bus Width   8-bit
Real Clock   67 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock   267 MHz
Bandwidth   267 MB/s
   
Motherboard Physical Info   
CPU Sockets/Slots   1
Expansion Slots   6 PCI, 1 AGP
RAM Slots   3 DIMM
Integrated Devices   Audio, LAN
Form Factor   ATX
Motherboard Size   230 mm x 300 mm
Motherboard Chipset   KT333
   
Motherboard Manufacturer   
Company Name   Chaintech Computer Co Ltd.
Product Information   http://www.chaintech.com.tw/tw/eng/product_main.asp#MP13
BIOS Download   http://www.chaintech.com.tw/tw/eng/Download/dl_SubCate.asp?DCSNo=4

Chaintech's website no longer has any info about their motherboards (they don't make them anymore) so the links don't work, and I'm not sure I have the documentation that originally came with the board (I think the people who made my computer may not have given it to me). So I was hoping if I got a HD with similar specs to the one I already have it would be likely to work even if I don't know what the exact specs of the board are.

Also, I read that older systems have a 137GB cap and that anything above 137GB won't show up on the computer. Would the 500gb drive still work even if my system can only see 137GB of it? I don't mind not being able to access space beyond that (I don't need it and don't want that much stuff on a primary hard drive anyway). As long as I make sure that the drive contents don't go over the 137GB limit (which I read might cause it to go to the beginning of the disk and start rewriting), would it be okay?

(Sorry for the long message, wanted to make sure to include enough info)

[ossilix]

After reading more I'm not sure what would happen if you use a large HD in a computer where the motherboard can only register 137GB of space. Would formatting the drive and creating a partition of 120gb or so (and leaving the rest of the drive unallocated) before installing Windows XP be alright? (Like, would that essentially make it into a 120GB hard drive?) Or would it still eventually cause data loss when the partition started filling up?

Would it be able to accidentally access the un-allocated, unformatted part of the disk?

[Computer_Commando]

You can still get 80GB hard drives, ATA or SATA.
ATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603%20600003442&IsNodeId=1&name=IDE%20Ultra%20ATA100
SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603%20600003459&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

[ossilix]

You can still get 80GB hard drives, ATA or SATA.
ATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603%20600003442&IsNodeId=1&name=IDE%20Ultra%20ATA100
SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603%20600003459&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

Thanks! The reason I was looking at the 500gb drive is that I can pick it up at a Best Buy store and if it doesn't work can return it there too, avoiding having to ship it back. I'd rather buy it in person than over the internet. I can't find any brick and mortar stores that carry <137gb drives, but maybe I just haven't looked at the right ones.... If I could get a 120gb drive that would be better than the 500. 

[Computer_Commando]

....... If I could get a 120gb drive that would be better than the 500...

The last 120GB I saw was about 3 years ago.  I don't think they make them anymore.

[ossilix]

The last 120GB I saw was about 3 years ago.  I don't think they make them anymore.

Yeah I noticed that. Seems weird to make 80gb but not 120gb. Do you know of any retail stores that might carry an 80gb EIDE hard drive?

So, do you know if the drive that I linked too might work on my system if I did a <137gb partition? Is it worth just getting one to see if it works? Apparently Best Buy lets you return opened hard drives within 30 days.

[Computer_Commando]

Yeah I noticed that. Seems weird to make 80gb but not 120gb. Do you know of any retail stores that might carry an 80gb EIDE hard drive?

So, do you know if the drive that I linked too might work on my system if I did a <137gb partition? Is it worth just getting one to see if it works? Apparently Best Buy lets you return opened hard drives within 30 days.

BestBuy might be the only one left.
I'm pretty sure your motherboard is not BIOS limited as to hard drive size, which would be some computers before 2000.  I don't know what the CPU is but with DDR memory, it's got to be newer than 10 years.  DDR memory didn't arrive until 2000.  However, you say:  DEC Alpha EV6; what is the CPU?  BTW, partitioning doesn't overcome the 137GB barrier.
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=936&p_created=1049500809&p_sid=RpNDJArh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NTMmcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1zZWFyY2hfZm5sJnBfcGFnZT0xJnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9ZHJpdmUgc2l

In the other thread, I see that the BIOS is 2002, you should have no issue.

[ossilix]

I'm pretty sure your motherboard is not BIOS limited as to hard drive size, which would be some computers before 2000.  I don't know what the CPU is but with DDR memory, it's got to be newer than 10 years.  DDR memory didn't arrive until 2000.  However, you say:  DEC Alpha EV6; what is the CPU? 

So there's a chance it might work? My motherboard is from 2001, cutting it very close.  Is there any utility that would let you check? I've seen posts from people with laptops newer than my desktop computer that had the 137 limit.

Here's the info for the CPU:

CPU Properties   
CPU Type   AMD Athlon XP, 2000 MHz (7.5 x 267) 2400+
CPU Alias   Thoroughbred-B
CPU Stepping   B0
L1 Code Cache   64 KB
L1 Data Cache   64 KB
L2 Cache   256 KB (On-Die, Full-Speed)
   
CPU Physical Info   
Package Type   453 Pin PGA
Package Size   4.95 cm x 4.95 cm
Transistors   37.6 million
Process Technology   6Mi, 0.13 um, CMOS, Cu
Die Size   84 mm2
Core Voltage   1.50 - 1.65 V
I/O Voltage   1.6 V
Typical Power   44.0 - 64.0 W  (depending on clock speed)
Maximum Power   48.5 - 74.3 W  (depending on clock speed)
   
CPU Manufacturer   
Company Name   Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Product Information   http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118,00.html
   
CPU Utilization   
CPU #1   5 %

Here's the BIOS info:

BIOS Properties   
BIOS Type   Award
Award BIOS Type   Phoenix-Award BIOS v6.00PG
Award BIOS Message   06/20/2002
System BIOS Date   06/20/02
Video BIOS Date   02/05/07

BTW, partitioning doesn't overcome the 137GB barrier.

I know it doesn't as far as BIOS limits, but they say that if you make the first partition <137GB and install Windows there, then install Windows with 48-bit addressing Windows can still access the rest of the drive. Actually there's a Windows 2000 doc on Microsoft website that specifically says to do this if your motherboad has the limit but your hard drive is bigger than 137GB. There's no doc that specifically says you can do this with XP, but people have tried it and it worked for them.

[Computer_Commando]

Just get the 80GB for $46 from NewEgg.

[ossilix]

Just get the 80GB for $46 from NewEgg.

Like I said, I'd rather get the 500gb if someone can tell me if it's realistic to expect it to work, or at least that there's no harm in trying. Best Buy has a 30-day return policy with no restocking fee, so I'd have a longer time to test it than with the 80gb from NewEgg, plus with shipping and NewEgg's restocking fee I'd end up spending about the same as the 500gb just to test it out. If the 500 didn't work I could always try the 80 afterward.