Could this USB drive be SATA?

[madwand1]

I have a Cavalry CAUM Series CAUM3701T0 1TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822101121
that I got for $80 after rebate. It's nice. I'm wondering, without having taken it apart yet, is there a chance it could be a SATA drive in that enclosure? If it is, I could use it in my new build, since I still have a 300G USB for that purpose.

 

[xthekidx]

I wouldn't count on it. Why do you want to take it apart? No doubt you will void any warranty it had if you do...

 

[madwand1]

Cause I don't have a SATA drive and if it is one, I could use it in my new build. I don't care about the warranty. I don't need it to be USB if I can use it internally.

So you think it's just an IDE drive?

 

[madwand1]

Cause I don't have a SATA drive and if it is one, I could use it in my new build. I don't care about the warranty. I don't need it to be USB if I can use it internally.

So you think it's just an IDE drive?

 

[xthekidx]

Most likely. There would be no point for the manufacturer to put a SATA drive in an external enclosure, the USB 2.0 port would be a bottleneck even for the IDE interface, so using SATA would not increase the speed any, and it would be more expensive to make. But if you don't care about the warranty and are sure you would be able to put it back together again if it turned out it wasn't usable, then I suppose you can take it apart and see.

 

[madwand1]

Is there a problem using IDE drives in a SATA system? I assume you just don't benefit from the speed or whatever SATA gives you. I could instal it on an IDE spot, it would have to be better than USB, wouldn't it?

 

[outlw6669]

As I have never seen an EIDE drive larger than 500Gb, I would assume it is a SATA drive.
As you do not mind breaking the warranty, just remove the two screws at the back and see for yourself...

 

[Mousemonkey]

Most likely. There would be no point for the manufacturer to put a SATA drive in an external enclosure, the USB 2.0 port would be a bottleneck even for the IDE interface, so using SATA would not increase the speed any, and it would be more expensive to make. But if you don't care about the warranty and are sure you would be able to put it back together again if it turned out it wasn't usable, then I suppose you can take it apart and see.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=223570

Think again, these are SATA drives in an external enclosure utilizing the USB 2.0 interface.

 

[xthekidx]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=223570

Think again, these are SATA drives in an external enclosure utilizing the USB 2.0 interface.

I take it back. Look at the price though, 250GB for that price for a SATA USB drive. I think a 1TB drive might cost a bit more...Eh I have already demonstrated my ignorance on this topic, so who knows. If you really want to know and don't care about the warranty just open it up and see.

 

[Mousemonkey]

At no point would I dare suggest that buying one represents VFM.

 

[madwand1]

What is VFM?

How do you know that drive is SATA? It doesn't say it in the description.

That does seem very expensive, even if it is SATA. You can get a 500G SATA Seagate 7200 for $52US. That thing is half the size and slower and is $150US.

 

[Mousemonkey]

What is VFM?

How do you know that drive is SATA? It doesn't say it in the description.

That does seem very expensive, even if it is SATA. You can get a 500G SATA Seagate 7200 for $52US. That thing is half the size and slower and is $150US.

Value For Money, and if you can find a 1TB IDE drive please post the details as no one else can find an IDE much bigger than 300 - 500 GB.

 

[madwand1]

I'm not looking for one. I don't know why you would think that.

At least that suggests mine should be SATA and I can use it in my new build.