SCSI on my PC

[twodayslate]

Here my computer model: http://emachines.com/support/product_support.html?cat=Desktops&subcat=T-Series&model=T6524 and its full specs: http://twodayslate.wordpress.com/about/my-computer/

I have two hard drives that I need to run some tests on. I am doing a physics project and comparing old and new hard drives and their speeds etc;
http://twitpic.com/1yri4

I would like the cheapest/best option to get these running. This isn't a long term thing, just for the project. I have seen SCSI to USB but it was $100
I am looking for something that is less than $50.

[oracleguy]

There are different types of SCSI interfaces that have existed over the years.

Here is the spec on the Seagate drive: http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=fa4c5a802efbd010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f424072516d8c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD&locale=en-US&reqPage=Legacy It looks like it uses the Ultra Wide SCSI interface.

From what little information I could find on that Stinger drive it uses Ultra Wide as well. Your best bet to get those running is to find a PCI controller card for your computer. If you look on Froogle for "ultra wide scsi controller" there seems to be a fair number and since it is pretty old tech now they seem fairly reasonably priced considering how expensive it was back in the day.

If I remember right, Ultra Wide SCSI came out in the mid 90s-ish. What are you going to compare those drives with? Each other or like a newer version of SCSI?

[twodayslate]

Thank you for the reply :)

So this would work? http://www.amazon.com/Adaptec-AHA-2940UW-Storage-controller/dp/tech-data/B0007RATMU/ref=de_a_smtd + http://www.amazon.com/Compaq-3-dev-Ultra-Terminator-Deskpro/dp/B000AARPJY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1236727368&sr=8-5
Why is this one so expensive? http://www.amazon.com/Adaptec-2940-UW-Storage-controller/dp/B0002AEGOE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1236726968&sr=8-7 Or does this do something special?


I was going to compare these hard drives with each other and my current one. I was then going to try to get some flash memory tested. Old vs Current vs Future
The main part of the project is going to be the research on future drives.

[oracleguy]

The first one looks like it should work. I'd go on adaptec's website and see how recent their driver support for it is. It might be lacking on the Windows side, so you might have to use Linux.

The second one is more expensive probably because the seller doesn't know any better.

[twodayslate]

OK, ordering that stuff now...

And for programs... Thinking of using h2benchw, that good?

Thanks again for the help :)

edit:// Drivers... http://www.adaptec.com/en-US/support/scsi/2940/AHA-2940UW/ They have vista so I am good :) No XP though? wtf

[oracleguy]

Yeah weird, unless the Windows 2000 drivers work on XP.

I don't know about the benchmarking program.

Also keep in mind when doing your comparison that SCSI hard drives are targeted at enterprise environments, SATA drives aren't, those are desktop orientated.

[twodayslate]

Yeah weird, unless the Windows 2000 drivers work on XP.

I don't know about the benchmarking program.

Also keep in mind when doing your comparison that SCSI hard drives are targeted at enterprise environments, SATA drives aren't, those are desktop orientated.
OK, thank you very much.
I will mention the difference in types in my paper :) There are so many
I will just do IDE, SATA, SCSI, and flash memory. And then possible a future memory that has not been created yet (one with DNA or something?)

If I can't get results in all catagories I can use: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/hard-drives,3.html and http://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/

Thanks again! :)
Will post again once I get the hardware.

[twodayslate]

Update: I received items today. Trying to get HDs to work... will post screens soon.

edit:// Having a hard time installing the driver :/ How do I run .inf? Have people not heard of readme files or .exe's?

[oracleguy]

Update: I received items today. Trying to get HDs to work... will post screens soon.

edit:// Having a hard time installing the driver :/ How do I run .inf? Have people not heard of readme files or .exe's?

You right click and hit "Install". Does the controller show up in device manager, perhaps as an unknown device? If it does, then what you can do is say "Install Driver" and then hit the choices so it lets you specify the driver and then it will ask you for an an .inf file.

[twodayslate]

The device shows up in the 'Device Manager' and I can boot to it. The actual drives do not :/ The drives are not spinning or hot. I plugged them in via the back of the computer, not in the port for the inside...

[oracleguy]

The device shows up in the 'Device Manager' and I can boot to it. The actual drives do not :/ The drives are not spinning or hot. I plugged them in via the back of the computer, not in the port for the inside...

The drives don't spin up? (You should be able feel if the drives are spinning or not.)

That could mean the drives are dead or they just aren't configured correctly. If you have them plugged in via the port in the back of the computer, how are you powering them.

Also the drives themselves, you might need to set their IDs with jumpers and you need to make sure the SCSI chain is properly terminated.

[twodayslate]

The drives don't spin up? (You should be able feel if the drives are spinning or not.)

That could mean the drives are dead or they just aren't configured correctly. If you have them plugged in via the port in the back of the computer, how are you powering them.

Also the drives themselves, you might need to set their IDs with jumpers and you need to make sure the SCSI chain is properly terminated.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious :P Didn't do that. LOL


edit://
Powered up. One works...
The other HD does not. The light goes on and it is very loud.

edit://
Downloading h2benchw ZDWinbench99
Also downloaded HDTach
edit://HD Tach looks PERFECT!!! <3

[twodayslate]

OK, question not related to SCSI

I am comparing ATA, SATA, SCSI and SSD
ATA, SATA, SCSI are all interfaces which are found in hard disk drives. SSDs usually uses the SATA II interface.
How do I compare SSD to HDD when they both use SATA? SSD uses nodes while hard disk drives use platters but they use the same interface.


edit:// should I do
HHD vs SSD
then
ATA (IDE) vs SATA vs SCSI

edit:// Think I got it
There can be SCSI SSD, SATA SSD etc;
The reason why there are not a lot of SCSI SSD is because it is expensive. SATA SSDs are faster than SATA HDD because there is not spinning which causes faster seek times.

[oracleguy]

I would compare the underlying technology and then their interfaces.

Such as:

SSD via SATA vs platter based drive over SATA vs platter based over IDE vs platter based of SCSI.

You should look up the short lived Gigabyte I-RAM drive. That thing best the hell out of SSDs; it is a shame they stopped making it.

[twodayslate]

I finished the project last night.

I will try to upload the powerpoint later. It is 40 slides long.



Thanks for the help oracleguy! I don't think I would have figured out SCSI etc; without you! :D

[oracleguy]

I would be interested in seeing what you put together. If you don't want the link to where you uploaded it to be indexed by Google, just send me the link via PM.