ATA

Keep hearing about ATA 133/100 etc.

Haven't got a clue what it all means!

Anyone explain?

Errr go read your own post on raid (it has grown!) but ATA stands for AT Attachment but most people don't remember what an AT is anymore (anyone remember the IBM PC/AT?). I remember XT's but that's another story...

Really its just another (interchanable) term for IDE, here is some <a href="http://www.ata-atapi.com/#T2" target="_blank">stuff about ATA</a>

Before you ask IDE=Integrated Device Electronics & here is a link about it....<a href="http://www.acc.umu.se/~sagge/scsi_ide/" target="_blank">some IDE & SCSI info</a>

OK? :rolleyes: :)

The 33/66/100/133 in the ATA or UDMA is the max(burst) transfer speed that the harddrive is capable of in megabytes. The actual transfer speed of the drive won't be that fast at sustained transfer rates. ATA133 is basically just a marketing tool at this point as the transfer speed of ATA100 still hasn't reached its max potential.

For these speeds to be feasible, your HD/mobo has to support it and you have to use an 80 pin IDE cable capable of the speed as well.

As addition, You should have UDMA option enabled in BIOS settings as well as in Windows settings,and have IDE drivers for motherboard correctly installed. ;)