Recommend an IDE/SATA to USB adapter..?

esuhl

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

I got this one in the end (which looks identical to the cheaper ones that were recommended): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150773686999?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

I'm not to worried about USB3.0. I don't have native support, so I'd need a controller card, and speed isn't really an issue. I'll only be using the cable to provide external CD/DVD support to a netbook, run backups, extract data from friends' PCs if they have any problems, etc. -- generally stuff that I can leave running in the background.

Anyway, thanks again y'all! :beer:

andy2004

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

That is not a true transfer value because USB2 cannot transfer at that speed. The theoretical maximum is 480 Mbit/s (57MiB/s) which can never be achieved because of overheads. 480Mbit/s includes control information, checksums etc etc and not just the transferred data. Real world and 30MiB/s would be good going, possibly just over with everything working right.

Add to that, that USB2 is unidirectional only, unlikely USB3.0, which means that data can only go in one direction at a time. Therefore asking the controller for the data that is required also takes up some data transfer space, which prevents any data reads. It's physically impossible for USB2 to transfer at 55MiB/s.

USB2 is too slow for many fast memory cards, especially compact flash and hard drives are equally hindered as those fast memory cards.

that was the speed teracopy was saying.
note that the system is a brand new build, and has a 6 core processor nothing else was running on the system, etc the standing OS, all drives are running at sata 300 speed, 300mb/s i think not the 150 i had on my old system.
it could have been i just happen to look at the teracopy window as it showed that speed, and then slowed down again.

esuhl good choice, had mine for 5years infact i bought 2, 1 with a power source and 1 without.
if the power supply dies not to much to worry about as you can power the device using the computer PSU, you need to turn off the pc though to connect the device and then power up, making sure not to connect the usb to the computer until after its up and running.
whilst waiting for my local pc shop to get a pci sata controller i actually used one of these internally, going through the back plate where the slots are in the back of the case for 1month.
powered of course internally by the PSU.
Oh and you can buy a power supply quite easily from ebay to replace it just make sure you dont get them from china like i did, ordered 2 1 each from 2 different suppliers.
1 lasted a short period about 3weeks, and the other is still working after 2years, and they cost exactly the same.