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[Chippychap Profile]

Hi Guys, It's nice to ask a question whilst my PC is running OK, Seems to have been quite a while. .
I'm using a 150GB HDD and wish to add a 2nd larger one to use as storage.
I have searched and there is a ton of stuff about HDD's, but, I keep coming up against terms like ATA, SATA,RAID etc
and frankly it has scared the bejasus out of me.
When I bought the machine they sent me a spare flat ribbon type cable which I guess is to connect a second drive.
I guess that the original drive is set at Master, the 2nd as slave.
Do I need a special drive? I am thinking of a 7200 spin speed 200GB
Apart from just bolting the drive into its carrier and connecting the cable what will happen?
Bless you guys.

[Grav!ty Profile]

According to this image below and the specs for your motherboard at ASUS, you have two SATA plugs - the red ones at bottom left of the image.

It's better to get SATA as transfer rates are much faster than IDE which is probably what the ribbon you've mentioned is for. I'd just open the case to see if you have a SATA DVD drive plugged in to one of the SATA plugs before buying SATA though. SATA drives use the type of cable in the second image.

[Chippychap Profile]

Thanks for doing that for me Grav!ty.
Mine has 4 of the little sockets and one is connected via one of the narrow red ribbons that you showed.
Is that good?

[yeshuas]

Yes SAT-A is a faster than IDE, so having your HD connected to one of the SAT-A connections is a good thing.

[Grav!ty Profile]

If your current HDD is plugged into one of the black SATA connections just in front of the red ones, then plug your new HDD in there too. The red connections could be on a different chipset.

[Chippychap Profile]

The thin red ribbon goes from the red socket on the MoBo to the back of the HDD.
Coming out from the rear of the drive is a plug consisting of 5 wires in the order Yellow black Red Black Yellow.
Is that a power splitter?
It is plugged into the drive butted up to the red ribbon.
Sorry to be vague, I learn something every time I open the case

[yeshuas]

The thin red ribbon goes from the red socket on the MoBo to the back of the HDD.
Coming out from the rear of the drive is a plug consisting of 5 wires in the order Yellow black Red Black Yellow.
Is that a power splitter?
It is plugged into the drive butted up to the red ribbon.
Sorry to be vague, I learn something every time I open the case

That other connection is the power connection, you have to get a adapter to adapt a 4 prong 12 v connector the 5 wire one if you didn't get any with your power supply, they are like 3 or 4 dollars here.