6GB/s drive jumper settings

[pulsewithin]

Just bought 2 Western Digital 750GB 6GB/s HDs model wd7502aaex. On the label it says jumper 5,6 for 1.5GB PHY mode but the WD website says all 6GB drives jumper 5,6 for 3GB mode. Anyone know which is correct? Also if this is an advanced format drive and what exactly the PUIS mode is supposed to do?

 

[sminlal]

Basically you should ignore the PHY mode unless you have problems with the drive when it's connected to a SATA 3 port. If the drive can't be recognized when attached to a SATA 3 port, use the jumper to force the speed down. It doesn't really matter whether the speed gets forced to SATA 3 or SATA 1.5Gbit/sec mode, since the drive itself can't transfer data any faster than 1.5Gbit/sec anyway.

"PUIS" means "power up in standby". It means that the drive won't spin up when power is first applied to the system - it will wait for a "power up" command from the host. This protocol is used with large arrays of drives so that they don't all try to start up at the same time - drives consume the maximum amount of power during spin-up and by staggering them the maximum power draw is reduced. For a desktop system with just a few drives you shouldn't use this jumper.

 

[pulsewithin]

If a drive can only transfer data lower than 1.5GB then why are there even 6GB/s drives and MoBos. What is the point?

 

[sminlal]

The faster transfer rates are required for faster storage devices such as SSDs. The industry is now using 6Gbit/sec SATA chipsets for all devices for the same reason that keyboard manufacturers use 60MByte/sec USB chipsets - because that's what's available. Chipset manufacturers make the latest and greatest - nobody makes USB 1.1 chipsets any more, and soon nobody will be making SATA 3Gbit/sec chipsets either.

 

[pulsewithin]

Best answer selected by pulsewithin.

 

[pulsewithin]

Makes sense. That's why things become obsolete by the time i can afford them. This time i figured i'd get the jump on them. I see a 6GB MoBo in my slightly distant future, and an SSD in my more distant future. Havent got that kind of $ to blow yet. Thanks for the input.

 

[pulsewithin]

BTW how do i make this thread a solved case?

 

[sminlal]

I think you did it by selecting a best answer...