Replacing Hard Drive question

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Hello. I may need to replace a hard drive in a Dell laptop. The old drive is
4200 RPM with an ATA-5 interface. I found a new (2.5 inch) drive that's 5400
RPM, and with an ATA-6 interface. Are these two interfaces different,
connector-wise? I mean, can I replace an ATA-5 interface drive with an ATA-6
one? I assume the higher RPM will just be a plus, but am wondering if the
different interface means I can't just plug in the new drive in the old
drive's cage. Thanks in advance.


F

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

The faster drive *may* need more power.

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On 10/08/04 09:51 pm Dan Koren put fingers to keyboard and launched the
following message into cyberspace:

>>Hello. I may need to replace a hard drive in a Dell laptop. The old drive
>
> is
>
>>4200 RPM with an ATA-5 interface. I found a new (2.5 inch) drive that's
>
> 5400
>
>>RPM, and with an ATA-6 interface. Are these two interfaces different,
>>connector-wise? I mean, can I replace an ATA-5 interface drive with an
>
> ATA-6
>
>>one? I assume the higher RPM will just be a plus, but am wondering if the
>>different interface means I can't just plug in the new drive in the old
>>drive's cage. Thanks in advance.

> All notebook ATA drives use the same 40
> pin interface. The only difference from
> ATA-x to ATA-y is transfer speed. Higher
> speed drives are backward compatible with
> lower speed interfaces. An ATA-6 drive will
> run with ATA-5 or ATA-4 interfaces, but only
> at the lower of the two interfaces' speeds.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Actually, it's a 44-pin interface (not even including the 4 extra
configuration pins).


Dan Koren wrote:

> "Fr@nk" <fr@apaNOSP@AMwizard.net> wrote in message
> news:JeG9d.8117$tU4.2156@okepread06...
>
>>Hello. I may need to replace a hard drive in a Dell laptop. The old drive
>
> is
>
>>4200 RPM with an ATA-5 interface. I found a new (2.5 inch) drive that's
>
> 5400
>
>>RPM, and with an ATA-6 interface. Are these two interfaces different,
>>connector-wise? I mean, can I replace an ATA-5 interface drive with an
>
> ATA-6
>
>>one? I assume the higher RPM will just be a plus, but am wondering if the
>>different interface means I can't just plug in the new drive in the old
>>drive's cage. Thanks in advance.
>>
>
>
>
> All notebook ATA drives use the same 40
> pin interface. The only difference from
> ATA-x to ATA-y is transfer speed. Higher
> speed drives are backward compatible with
> lower speed interfaces. An ATA-6 drive will
> run with ATA-5 or ATA-4 interfaces, but only
> at the lower of the two interfaces' speeds.
>
>
>
> dk
>
>