I have a question and need help. My desktop for the FD is old. It has a Microstar 7060 MB. I am adding memory(running with 1-512 stick). I want to add a back up hard drive(external). The transfer rate will be slow via USB,correct?

So, can I add a PCI card that gives me a Sata or Esata output for fast data transfer to the new external HD. The HD that is in it now uses the IDE(big ribbon cable). Or is a adapter made that I can use one of the ribbon cable connectors that is not being used to plug the external HD in?

Thanks for the help, as I am a computer dummy.

The USB drive will only seem slow if your system doesn't support USB 2.0.

I'm not a fan of spending money on old hardware, just get the USB external drive and be done with it.

While we're on this subject, how do you find out if your mobo supports booting to USB?  Boot sequence?

The machine is somehow running XP. It has DUAL 3.2 Pent. but the 512 of pc3100 DDR has to be changed to 2 gig. The old samsung HD is only 80 gig. So with the FD on a spending restriction I am trying to get by without buying a new desktop.

So, I am not sure if it is USB 2.0 or not. I have a 300gig HP media drive and USB 2.0 and I like it. I was just reading on how Esata was the cats ass in transfer rates. So, if I can convert IDE to SATA/Esata and use the esata input on a external HD the transfer rate would be quick.


So any more advise would be great.

Thanks.

The bottleneck will always be the IDE interface to the master hard drive.  Even if you put an e-sata card in the machine, it's still going to be waiting for the data transfer from your hard drive.  
The fastest transfer rate for IDE is 133 mb/s, and with USB 2.0 you can get in theory 480 mb/s.



IF the system supports USB 2.0, just use that and be done with it.

So, just put in a PCI USB 2.0 card? And go with any external drive.