ATA vs SATA

ATA vs SATA

Hard Drives: ATA versus SATA

The performance of computer systems has been steadily increasing as faster processors, memory, and video cards are continuously being developed. The one key component that is often neglected when looking at improving the performance of a computer system is the hard drive. Hard drive manufacturers have been constantly evolving the basic hard drive used in modern computer systems for the last 25 years, and the last few years have seen some exciting developments from faster spindle speeds, larger caches, better reliability, and increased data transmission speeds.

The drive type used most in consumer grade computers is the hearty ATA type drive (commonly called an IDE drive). The ATA standard dates back to 1986 and is based on a 16-bit parallel interface has undergone many evolutions since its introduction to increase the speed and size of the drives that it can support. The latest standard is ATA-7 (first introduced in 2001 by the T13 Technical Committee (the group responsible for the ATA standard)) which supports data transfer rates up to 133MB/sec. This is expected to be the last update for the parallel ATA standard.

As long ago as 2000 it was seen that the parallel ATA standard was maxing out its limitations as to what it could handle. With data rates hitting the 133MB/sec mark on a parallel cable, you are inviting all sorts of problems because of signal timing, EMI (electromagnetic interference) and other data integrity issues; thus industry leaders got together and came up with a new standard known as Serial ATA (SATA). SATA has only been around a few years, but is destined to become �the standard� due to several benefits to be addressed in this Tech Tip.

The two technologies that we will be looking at are: ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) � a 16-bit parallel interface used for controlling computer drives. Introduced in 1986, it has undergone many evolutions in the last 18+ years, with the latest version being called ATA-7. Wherever an item is referred to as being an ATA device, it is commonly a Parallel ATA device. ATA devices are also commonly called IDE, EIDE, Ultra-ATA, Ultra-DMA, ATAPI, PATA, etc. (each of these acronyms actually do refer to very specific items, but are commonly interchanged) SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) � a 1-bit serial evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface.

Basic Features & Connections

SATA drives are easy to distinguish from their ATA cousins by the different data and power connections found on the back of the drives. A side-by-side comparison of the two interfaces can be seen in this PDF from Maxtor, and the following covers many of the differences�

Standard ATA drives, such as this 200GB Western Digital model, have somewhat bulky, two inch wide ribbon cable with 40-pin data connections and receive the 5V necessary to power them from the familiar 4-pin connection. The basic data cables for these drives have looked the same for years. A change was made with the introduction of the ATA-5 standard to better improve the signal quality by making an 80 wire cable used on the 40-pin connector (these are commonly called 40-pin/80-wire cables). To improve airflow within the computer system some manufacturers resorted to literally folding over the ribbon cable and taping it into that position. Another recent physical change also came with the advent of rounded cables. The performance of the rounded cables is equal to that of the flat ribbon, but many prefer the improved system air flow afforded, ease of wire management, and cooler appearance that come with them.

SATA drives, such as this 120GB Western Digital model, have a half inch wide, 7 �blade and beam� data connection, which results in a much thinner and easier to manage data cable. These cables take the convenience of the ATA rounded cables to the next level by being even narrower, more flexible and capable of being longer without fear of data loss. SATA cables have a maximum length of 1 meter (39.37 inches), which is much greater than the recommended 18 inch cable for ATA drives. The reduced footprint of SATA data connections frees up space on motherboards, potentially allowing for more convenient layouts and room for more onboard features!

A 15-pin power connection delivers the 250mV of necessary power to SATA drives. 15-pins for a SATA device sounds like it would require a much larger power cable than a 4-pin ATA device, but in reality the two power connectors are just about the same height. For the time being, many SATA drives are also coming with a legacy 4-pin power connector for convenience.

Many modern motherboards, such as this Chaintech motherboard, come with SATA drive connections onboard (many also including the ATA connectors as well for legacy drive compatibility), and new power supplies, such as this Ultra X-Connect, generally feature a few of the necessary 15-pin power connections, making it easy to use these drives on new systems. Older systems can easily be upgraded to support SATA drives by use of adapters, such as this PCI slot SATA controller and this 4-pin to 15-pin SATA power adapter.

Optical drives are also becoming more readily available with SATA connections. Drives such as the Plextor PX-712SA take advantage of the new interface, although the performance will not be any greater than a comparable optical drive with an ATA connection.

Performance

In addition to being more convenient to install and drawing less power, SATA drives have performance benefits that really set them apart from ATA drives.

The most interesting performance feature of SATA is the maximum bandwidth possible. As we have noted, the evolution of ATA drives has seen the data transfer rate reach its maximum at 133 MB/second, where the current SATA standard provides data transfers of up to 150 MB/second. The overall performance increase of SATA over ATA can currently be expected to be up to 5% (according to Seagate), but improvements in SATA technology will surely improve on that.

The future of SATA holds great things for those wanting even more speed, as drives with 300 MB/second transfer rates (SATA II) will be readily available in 2005, and by 2008 speeds of up to 600 MB/second can be expected. Those speeds are incredible, and are hard to imagine at this point.

Another performance benefit found on SATA drives is their built-in hot-swap capabilities. SATA drives can be brought on and offline without shutting down the computer system, providing a serious benefit to those who can�t afford downtime, or who want to move drives in and out of operation quickly. The higher number of wires in the power connection is partially explained by this, as six of the fifteen wires are dedicated to allowing the hot-swap feature.

Price

Comparing ATA drives to SATA drives can be tricky given all of the variables, but in general it is the case that SATA drives will still cost just a bit more than a comparable ATA drive. The gap is closing rapidly though, and as SATA drives gain in popularity and availability a distinct shift in prices can be expected. Considering the benefits of SATA over ATA, the potential difference of a few dollars can easily be justified when considering an upgrade. Computer Geeks currently has a limited selection of SATA drives, but several technical sites, such as The Tech Zone and The Tech Lounge, offer real time price guides to see how comparable drives stack up.

Final Words

The current SATA standard provides significant benefits over ATA in terms of convenience, power consumption and, most importantly, performance. The main thing ATA has going for it right now is history, as it has been the standard for so long that it will not likely disappear any time soon. The future of SATA will be even more interesting as speed increases will help hard drive development keep pace with other key system components.

Jason Kohrs Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

By : Jason Kohrs
Keyword : ATA vs SATA, ATA defined sata definition, what is ata, what is sata

Apple May Reveal iPods With More Features

Apple May Reveal iPods With More Features

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple Inc. is expected next week to introduce new versions of its digital music players that have more features, but cost the same. The new gear, say analysts, typifies how the Cupertino, Calif., company is focusing on its core businesses after expanding into the cellphone industry earlier this year with its iPhone.

Last month, Apple unveiled a similar update of its iMac desktop computers, in which it added more features and in some cases dropped the prices.

Apple, in an emailed invitation, would only reveal that it has scheduled the media event for Wednesday in San Francisco.

According to Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey -- and several Apple fan sites -- the new iPods would be the first to be based on a version of Apple's homegrown computer operating system. They will be about an inch shorter and will be capable of storing more digital media, according to Apple fan sites.

There is also speculation that the new media players will feature some elements, such as a touchscreen, that Apple first introduced in its iPhone.

Separately, Apple appears to be exploring new opportunities to more deeply integrate its products with the entertainment systems inside vehicles. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs met recently with Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn, according to Hans-Gerd Bode, a spokesman for the German auto maker. German financial magazine Capital reported the two executives discussed a possible "iCar" project that would feature products by Apple, whose iPod music player already has some integration with car stereo systems.

Mr. Bode said "there's nothing going on in the direction of having cooperation" with Apple. An Apple spokeswoman declined comment.

By : BEN CHARNY August 30, 2007; Page D4
Keyword : apple

What Makes a Bad Game?

What Makes a Bad Game?

Many people have many different opinions about what makes a bad game, so I asked some average gamers for their opinions.

"Lack luster effort put in by the developers."

"I think the key element is fun. I can overlook mediocre graphics and story if the underlying game is fun. But if they game is a chore to play, with no enjoyment, what's the point?"

"bad gameplay'

"gameplay and graphics"

"bugs and glitches is always a good recipe for a bad game. Also, horrible presentation can help make it bad. But overall, it's the excecution. If it just plain has bad gameplay or just doesn't work out well, then it can easily make a game bad."

"Lacking in fun factor. With all them fancy normal mapping and physics engines, some developers seem to have forgotten what's truly important."

"A complete and total lack of inspiration, style, or anything unique. This is what makes nearly all bad games bad."

"bad graphics. I hate games with bad graphics."

"Bad fun factor and gameplay. Also, if there is a lot of glitches, it sucks."

"A bad game is a game that isn't fun to play. Everything about a game contributes to the fun factor: graphics, sound, presentation, story, and of course, gameplay mechanics. I hated Star Fox Adventures not because the gameplay was bad, I hated it and called it a bad game because the characters and dialogue were so stupid, it stopped being fun and I couldn't stand it after 20 minutes of turning it on for the first time. So sometimes, a game can be bad because of other factors besides gameplay mechanics.That's my 2 cents worth."

"Boring gameplay, crappy graphics, weak story."

"One of the things that annoys me most about games is when they don't have a lot of interactivity or the game just wastes your time with repetitive elements. (Final Fantasy VII, I'm looking at you! ). I don't like games like linear RPGs where you just tell your party what to do and go to the next place to find the next person to talk to in between hours of random battles. I guess this could also apply to some FPS on consoles where the autoaim is out of control (007 Agent under Fire)."

"A lot of things make a game bad. And these factors change for most people. For me, what makes a bad game is a lack of story, bad controls and games that are either too hard or too easy. There are a few other minors but those are the big ones."

There are so many factors that contribute to a bad game A shortlist in no particular order (IMHO)

- bugs, glitches, exploits, and holes
- bad story
- poor graphics, sounds, physics (where applicable)
- bad level design
- bad NPC AI (enemy or friendly)
- bad UI / gameplay controls
- bad use of checkpoints / save points / no quicksave
- slow load times between levels (or environments)
- lack of innovation, cliched, repetitive levels
- lack of challenge

"It's just lazy game design I guess."

* Unintuitive controls
* Lack of originality
* Having the "been there, done that" feeling.
* Insane difficulty
* Complete lack of challenge
* A poor game-saving system
* Sequels having less features, or gameplay than previous installments.

By : Tony Camara
Keyword : Free Online Games,video game review,online game review,game review

Are You Using A Dial-Up ISP for SEO?

Are You Using A Dial-Up ISP for SEO?

If you are using a dial-up internet service provider for SEO, it could be costing you a lot of time and money. This is especially true if most of your search engine optimization work is off-site optimization, including building links by submitting your websites to directories and submitting your articles to article directories.

I was submitting my articles and websites to directories using a dial-up internet service provider for several months. The work was very tedious and time consuming. Then, later using a cable internet service provider, what took me almost 3 months to do with the dial-up internet service provider, I was doing in a week with the cable internet service provider.

Going from a dial-up internet service provider to a DSL internet service provider can drastically improve the amount of work you can do in a certain amount of time also. Say, for example, your current dial-up connection speed averages around 30 kilobits per second and you switch to a DSL internet service provider. that has an average connection speed of 300 kilobits per second. The new DSL ISP is ten times faster than your dial-up connection. So, you would be able to do around ten times as much work.

By : Brian Shoemaker
Keyword : internet,service,provider,providers,isp,isps