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mcleb · Nov 23, 2004, 10:39 PM

I have a G4 Dual 800 with an 60GB HD. I want to add a 200GB HD to it but I am very confused. I am told that it need to be IDE and that I need be to be able to set it to slave......so to the internet I went. I don't understand the difference between IDE and ATA and SATA. It seem to me that that IDE and ATA must be similiar - either that or there are very few IDE drive for sale. Xan someon help me please. I want to buy it on the net (as they are MUCH cheaper) but if I end up with one that won;t work, it defeats the purpose. Thanks for any help you can give.

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 23, 2004, 10:44 PM

IDE and ATA are the same thing. IDE is kind of the older name for them, like back when a 10GB drive was HUGE. The biggest drive you can put in that computer is 120GB.

SATA drives are different. They have different power and data connections.

mcleb · Nov 23, 2004, 10:47 PM

Originally posted by sodamnregistered2:
IDE and ATA are the same thing. IDE is kind of the older name for them, like back when a 10GB drive was HUGE. The biggest drive you can put in that computer is 120GB.

SATA drives are different. They have different power and data connections.

Thanks, so as long as it is an ATA drive I will be ok. How do I know if I can set it to slave?

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 23, 2004, 10:55 PM

Originally posted by mcleb:
Thanks, so as long as it is an ATA drive I will be ok. How do I know if I can set it to slave?

They can all be set to slave.

There are 4 sets of pins on the back, and usually a guide on the label as to which pins to bridge to set the drive to master or slave.

Yes, any ATA drive will work. Get an ATA 133 though. I think they are all ATA 133 these days. They are backwards compatible.

I had a dual G4/800. I had 4 120GB drives in it. I added 2 more using a Sonnet Tempo PCI card.

deboerjo · Nov 24, 2004, 08:04 AM

Might want to stay at 120GB or below, ATA's got limit of 127GB which only recent computers have implimented a way to circumvent. I don't know if your system can handle drives over 127GB or not. Just to be safe (data corruption can occur if you stick the drive in an unsupported machine) I generally stick to 120GB drives on ATA systems, even if the system supports it.

Other than that, "IDE" is a generic term to refer to any type of drive with integrated control electronics, but it's usually used to refer to ATA (aka parallal ATA aka PATA) drives. Just 'cause the industry likes to be confusing like that. SATA and SCSI are entirely different interfaces.

mcleb · Nov 24, 2004, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by sodamnregistered2:
They can all be set to slave.

There are 4 sets of pins on the back, and usually a guide on the label as to which pins to bridge to set the drive to master or slave.

Yes, any ATA drive will work. Get an ATA 133 though. I think they are all ATA 133 these days. They are backwards compatible.

I had a dual G4/800. I had 4 120GB drives in it. I added 2 more using a Sonnet Tempo PCI card.

How did you like you Dual 800. I just had it given to me and I have never used a MAC before. SO far so good, but I am interested in how you found yours.

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 24, 2004, 10:45 PM

Originally posted by mcleb:
How did you like you Dual 800. I just had it given to me and I have never used a MAC before. SO far so good, but I am interested in how you found yours.

Best Mac I've ever had, and I've had a few. Put a decent video card in it and enjoy.

OSX needs 32MB to take advantage of Quartz Extreme acceleration, so a better faster video card will make the UI seems faster, and thus make the whole computer feel faster.

I never really felt the need to upgrade until I got my current dual G5/2GHz. The dual CPUs really make the computer at least feel like it's giving a solid effort.

scottiB · Nov 25, 2004, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by mcleb:
How did you like you Dual 800. I just had it given to me and I have never used a Mac before. So far so good, but I am interested in how you found yours.

As an owner of a DP800 (and typing this on it), I'd thought I'd chime in. I've had it since September 2001, and it's been a great machine. It did have a couple processor problems in the first couple months (taken care under warranty), but since then--nary an issue.

As a first Mac (and since you've gotten it for free), it's a good introduction: dual processors, SuperDrive, expandable with PCI slots and HD bays, upgradable video. Panther (OS X 10.3), iLife, MS Office, internet apps, etc., run great. I also, as a rank amateur, use Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and DVD Studio Pro effectively.

Other than processor or video upgrades (mine has GeForce 3), I've pretty much expanded it as much as I can: 1.5GB RAM; 2x120GB drives and 2X250GB drives (with a RAID card); FW800 PCI card; Alchemy TV Tuner/DVR card. I also swapped the stock 2x SuperDrive for a newer 8x model.

sodamnregistered2 is dead-on. Max the memory (at least a gig) and swap for a better video card (I'm not a gamer, so my GF3 is fine). The largest drive that that Mac can see is 120GB. Anything larger requires a PCI card.

I could see me using it for at least a couple more years if not for Apple's Motion--which requires a more modern Mac. Next summer, I'll be upgrading to a G5, but keeping the DP800 as a server.