SATA optical drives

[Adcadet]

Where are all the SATA optical drives? Newegg caries only 1 SATA DVD drive (Lite-On). Is there any reason not to get a SATA DVD drive? I know I've had issues installing Windows onto a SATA HD who's controller Windows needed drivers for, but shouldn't the BIOS recognize the optical drive an allow me to boot from it?

 

[Adcadet]

Can I just get a SATA to PATA adapter to convert a PATA optical drive into a SATA drive? I'm planning a new system and I really don't want any extra PATA cables.

 

[Handruin]

Mercutio spawned some discussion in this thread about the same topic. Seems like they're trickling out slowly. I don't honestly know if there would be any problems installing windows off a SATA drive.

You can certainly get the SATA->PATA adapters, I believe that's what sechs mentioned in the thread I referenced.

 

[mangyDOG]

I did read somewhere that a few manufacturers will have them out by Christmas, I think Samsung now list their first model on one of their websites and I believe LG also has a model coming out in early 07.

cheers,
mangyDOG

 

[Adcadet]

The review at Newegg for their only SATA DVD burner mentions difficulty installing Windows from it given that you need to install RAID drivers first. Why would Windows be able to boot from the drive but couldn't install from it?

 

[Will Rickards]

I think this is what happens but maybe somebody can clarify.

When you boot from a drive it isn't windows supporting it, it is the bios. Further it starts in like a backwards compatible mode I think. Think DOS mode. The bios reads the boot image on the install cd. This boot image is usually just a floppy image or similar. This is what allows you to boot off it. To read the rest of the cd, the drive would have to be supported in the DOS mode that the boot image uses. Maybe it isn't, maybe it is?

So let's assume it can read the rest of the cd.
But then it does its first reboot after identifying the hardware. Then it continues the install after loading the drivers and starting a base windows. It is this switch of modes that is probably the problem. It won't be able to read from the drive anymore, thus can't copy the files it needs. Maybe.

I think it is a similar problem to a drive connected to a SATA controller that needs drivers. You have to press F6 (I think) during the first part of the install to cue the install of additional drivers. Then it has to read them from a floppy I think.

 

[Mercutio]

Most motherboards with newer chipsets are fine with SATA drives generally. ATI R200 and Via VT890 (every Via chipset I'm aware of at the moment) are two chipsets I know that have a problem, as is nforce2. Intel chipsets with SATA all seem to be fine, and anything nforce3+ seems OK with it as well.

In other words, you may not have a problem.

 

[sechs]

The problem for some SATA controllers is that they don't act as if they are IDE controllers and, thus, need special drivers. Furthurmore, some are barfy with ATAPI devices, as they don't have the protocol implemented correctly.

I have and nForce3-based board, and my drive with the SATA adapter sometimes throws goofy errors, particularly when trying to play DVD video.