IDE-RAID With Notebook Drives: Quick And Quiet

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The 2.5" RAID-Array

As already mentioned, we still need an IDE RAID controller. Models from HighPoint (HPT372) and Promise (PDC20265R) are widely used. Both of them can be found either as on-board components on an increasing number of motherboards, or as stand-alone PCI cards (see picture above). Our IDE RAID Controller Test did not reveal significant differences for general purpose use, so your decision can be based on the prices. You can find more information about both controllers on the following websites:

http://www.promise.com
http://www.highpoint-tech.com

Installing 2.5" Drives Into Desktop Computers

2.5" drives are made for notebooks, so how can you install them properly into your home computer? There are two things that are required: first, we will need an adapter, since the connector of notebook drives unifies both data lines and the power supply; second, we need to get mounting frames for the hard drive. There are such frames for 3.5" that are to be installed into 5.25" bays - so there must be frames for converting 3.5" to 2.5".

This image shows an adapter which splits the data lines from the power connector. It is the only piece of hardware that is required to run 2.5" drives with any IDE controller. At the right side you can see the mounting frames for installing drives into a desktop computer.

After installing the frames, you can finally install the drive into a 3.5" bay.

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Patrick Schmid was the editor-in-chief for Tom's Hardware from 2005 to 2006. He wrote numerous articles on a wide range of hardware topics, including storage, CPUs, and system builds.