[NTLUG:Discuss] SATA 3.0GB/sec

[Chris Cox]

Todd Robinson wrote:
> I don't recall much talk on how robust SATA compat. is for Linux these 
> days. What driver and/or Linux core version and/or distros can reliably 
> handle SATA 3.0GB/sec hard drives? You can get 300GB HDs, 7200rpm, 
> 3GB/sec for < $100 now.
> Also, decent motherboards that can handle the same would be nice to 
> know, especially ones that can use AMD CPUs in the ATX or smaller form 
> factor.

Unless it's some kind of bizarre new SATA chipset, I say it's no
problem at all.  Just realize that the fake-RAID that so many
chipsets and BIOS's want to use by default, may not work.  But if
you just have a single drive, should be fine... might still
have to tweak a BIOS setting.

There is NO benefit to 3GB/sec SATA over the older 1.5GB SATA
currently.  At least, not in your specific case.  Your drive
will likely not get over 70MB/sec anyhow (if even that good).

The giveaway box at the NTLUG fair was using a DFI Lan Party NF4 DR
board with a SATA WD Raptor drive... no problems.  My Mom's machine
is SATA to an Accordance ARAID... again, no problems (it was a
stock Intel MB with a P4 though).  I know many people in NTLUG
have run the el-cheapo AMD MB's that Fry's has been known
to practically give away... again, AFAIK, without problem.

As long as you aren't buying something that nobody else
has (e.g. the VERY latest and greatest bizarre radical board),
you should have no problems at all.

If you want to do RAID with Linux using the consumer SATA chipsets,
you'll want to put it in "dumb" (non-RAID) mode and use software RAID...
which is essentially the same sort of thing the heavy-weight fake-RAID
driver does anyhow.

Hope that helps a bit.  I won't say it's impossible to mess up,
on a purchase of a new MB, but it is unlikely.

Chris