Will this Hitachi work as a master drive?

L

Leonard Marsh

Registered
I need to replace my dying master drive. Apple support notes "The drive that came with your Macintosh is designated the primary drive (sometimes called the "master drive" or "drive 0"). Your Macintosh doesn't work with Ultra ATA devices set for cable select mode."

I bought a Hitachi 7K160 for the new master. See specs here: http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.8ad64ff886ef0714e85c1a70eac4f0a0/.

Is this drive okay to install as a master for this QuickSilver2002 (800 MHz CPU) G4? Are there any details or tips that I should be aware of/prepared for?

Thanks.

Leonard
 
If your new hard drive is the ATA model, then be sure to set the jumper on the drive as a Master. It will probably be listed as a choice on the label of the drive.
If you purchased an SATA version of that 7K160 (available either way), then you have the wrong drive.
If your Quicksilver G4 is actually a 2002 model, then you will be OK with a 160GB hard drive. If you did purchase an SATA drive, then you may be able to add a PCI SATA drive controller card, and then jumper selection is not necessary. SATA drives no longer use the master-slave configuration, and have one drive per bus.
Does that info help, or still confused?
 
DeltaMac said:
If your new hard drive is the ATA model, then be sure to set the jumper on the drive as a Master. It will probably be listed as a choice on the label of the drive.
If you purchased an SATA version of that 7K160 (available either way), then you have the wrong drive.
If your Quicksilver G4 is actually a 2002 model, then you will be OK with a 160GB hard drive. If you did purchase an SATA drive, then you may be able to add a PCI SATA drive controller card, and then jumper selection is not necessary. SATA drives no longer use the master-slave configuration, and have one drive per bus.
Does that info help, or still confused?
Click to expand...

Hi DeltaMac,

Say, less confused. Your info definitely helped.

1. The new Hitachi is a Serial-ATA (SATA).
2. My QSG4 is actually a 2002 model.

Bottom line: I need a SATA card. Do you agree?

L.
 
The cost of a card is about the same amount as an ATA drive. Can the drive I have be used for data storage, not startup, without a card? If so, I would buy an ATA drive for start up.
 
No. The drive connects to the computer via the "SATA" connection standard. It uses a special cable and power supply. Your QuickSilver does not have support for SATA drives -- only ATA (or IDE) drives.

SATA or ATA or IDE has nothing to do with whether you can use the drive for startup or simply use it for data -- it has to do with whether you can connect the drive to your computer at all.

You will need to purchase a SATA PCI card to use the Hitachi SATA drive at all.
 
Leonard Marsh said:
The cost of a card is about the same amount as an ATA drive. Can the drive I have be used for data storage, not startup, without a card? If so, I would buy an ATA drive for start up.
Click to expand...

It is certainly best to buy a IDE (or ATA or PATA) drive as your first drive (make it master by its jumper settings, cable select is another (not recommended) jumper-setting). If you have 2 drives, the 2nd drive shooild be jumpered in the slave setting.

I suggest that if you can replace the drive you lready have with a pata (the new name for ata / ide when sata came out) drive o buy and sata enclosure for the drive to connect it to you mac via usb or firewire (what is available on your mac).


Good luck, Kees
 
Thanks ElDiabloConCaca and Kees Buijs.

I have oredered a PATA drive for the master and will later install the SATA, with a card, for addtional storage.

Cheers,

Leonard
 
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