Question 1.8" PATA SSD 512GB CF 50 pin Hard Drive

[aoresteen]

I can't seem to find a SSD 1.8" 512GB PATA hard drive with the CF 50 pin interface. My laptop can only use the PATA (IDE) interface (CF 50 pin) and it has to be 1.8" size. Any sources out there? My Google skills have failed to find one.

Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Laptop make/model, and OS please?

 

[popatim]

You either have an extremely old laptop or the wrong specs.
I seriously doubt anyone has ever made a PATA SSD in 1.8" that would be 500GB. There's just no market for them these days and they couldn't make them that big back then. You might get lucky on some auction or used sites and find one in the 120Gb range though. I remember those were around a little while.

Good luck.

 

[aoresteen]

Thanks! The laptop is a 2005 Toshiba Libretto U105 with Windows XP Pro SP3 1GB RAM. I use it mostly for PP presentations. I am starting to embed video in some of my presentations so the 60GB 1.8 Toshiba PATA HD is very small & slow (4200 RPM). It does use a 50 pin PATA/IDE CF interface. The largest spinning HD that I am aware of in 1.8" size is a Toshiba 120GB but they are very rare and folks who have them never let them go. Repacing the HD in the Libby U105 is a pain (requires a full disassembly to get to the HD) so when I do upgrade the drive I want to do it once so 512GB seems to make sense to me. With the extra space I will also put a Linux distro on it.

EDIT: The 60GB HD is a Toshiba MK6006GAH 1.8" IDE drive.

 

[USAFRet]

I've looked, and have not seen any SSDs in your desired size and that connection.
None.

You're looking at 15 year old tech. Long before SSD's were that size.

 

[fzabkar]

Is this 256GB CF card suitable?

https://www.sandisk.com.au/home/memory-cards/compact-flash/extremepro-compactflash

Edit: I haven't tried this, but what about using an SD card with a CompactFlash-to-SD adapter?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Compact+Flash+to+SD+Adapter

 

[aoresteen]

I've considered CF cads but the SSD drives come with wear management software that rotates the block usage. I don't think that CF cards do. That's why I'm looking for an SSD. The largest SSD that I have found is 128GB:

https://kingspec.en.made-in-china.com/product/cBmxnCYuqUVi/China-1-8-CF-50pin-IDE-128GB-SSD.html

I could get by with a 256GB SSD but no luck so far.

 

[fzabkar]

I think you will find that all NAND flash based storage devices perform wear levelling. That includes CF cards.

https://media.kingston.com/pdfs/MKF_283.1_Flash_Memory_Guide_EN.pdf

BTW, one possible problem is that the CF device may be configured as a removable device or ATAPI. ISTR that this causes problems in regard to multiple partitions and bootability.

 

[aoresteen]

I think you will find that all NAND flash based storage devices perform wear levelling. That includes CF cards.

https://media.kingston.com/pdfs/MKF_283.1_Flash_Memory_Guide_EN.pdf

BTW, one possible problem is that the CF device may be configured as a removable device or ATAPI. ISTR that this causes problems in regard to multiple partitions and bootability.

I read the Kingston document, thanks. It's not clear if the CF cards have wear-leveling so I call Kingston and asked about it. They do NOT recommend using CF cards as a hard drive as they will "burn out" quickly as they do not have wear-leveling in them. The tech told me that some INDUSTRIAL CF cards will work but Kingston does not make any. So I will look for some industrial CF cards that have wear-leveling in them.

 

[USAFRet]

Coming at this from a different direction...maybe its time to ditch that 15 year old Toshiba.

Any new laptop would suffice for that use. And wouldn't be much more expensive than trying to find a large CF or SSD that will connect to that Toshiba.
A refurb HP/Dell, or an Asus Transformer (I have one), and a 250-400GB microSD card for your PP and video...probably under $250 total, and much better performance.

I understand that it "works", and it is what you're used to. But there comes a time...

 

[aoresteen]

Coming at this from a different direction...maybe its time to ditch that 15 year old Toshiba.

Any new laptop would suffice for that use. And wouldn't be much more expensive than trying to find a large CF or SSD that will connect to that Toshiba.
A refurb HP/Dell, or an Asus Transformer (I have one), and a 250-400GB microSD card for your PP and video...probably under $250 total, and much better performance.

I understand that it "works", and it is what you're used to. But there comes a time...

The reason I keep it and use it is because of it's size - the Libretto U105 is very small - smaller that any new laptop out there. I can place it on most podiums and open the lid and the audience can not tell that I have a laptop running there. It handles VGA & HDMI output easily. The battery lasts a long time. Surprisingly, I have not had any performance issues with my 1.2GHz M Pentium running PowerPoint from Office 2003. The built in SD reader reads 4GB FAT32 SD cards fine but craps out on a 32GB FAT32 card. I am not sure where the limit is but I suspect it's 8GB. I do have larger mSD cards that it reads via the USB port but I give up a USB port (it has only 2). If a 256GB or 512GB SSD can't be found then I will go with the 128GB SSD that is out there - I will take what I can get.

BTW I still have & use a couple of Libretto 110CT laptops that run Win98SE but that's another story....

 

[USAFRet]

Size of that Tosh is about the same size as an Asus Transformer.

 

[aoresteen]

I have solved most of the issues.

First I have ordered the 1.8" 128GB SSD. That will double the internal storage.

Secondly, the built-in SD slot is too unstable to use anything larger than a 2GB FAT card. Larger cards will lock up the computer requiring a hold-in-power button to restart. I removed the device and reinstalled the driver with the same result so I will not use it.

Thirdly, there is an unused FireWire 400 port on the front of the Libretto u105 so I was able to locate a LaCie 250GB D2 Quadra external hard drive for $38 shipped. It has USB2, FireWire 800, Firewire 400 , and eSATA external connectors and runs on AC power. LaCie support said that the largest capacity that the enclosure would work with was 1TB, so for $18 shipped I bought a Hitachi 1 TB SATA 3.5" drive and swapped out the drives. It's running fine - well worth the $56 it cost. It might take a 2 TB drive but for now 1 TB is way more than I need.

Lastly, I have an external USB WD My Passport 500GB external portable drive that I can carry with me if I need to take a bunch of MP4 movies larger than the internal drive will hold.

Thanks to all for your help. Case closed.