How many SATA ports in Asus A7N8X deluxe?

I have bare minimum knowledge in hardware. Can someone help me figure
otu how many SATA ports are there in Asus A7N8X deluxe?

Currently, in my main desltop of ASUS A7N8X witj 1GB RAM, I have 2
PATA drives where one has Windows XP Pro installed (say Drice C) and
the other is purely for data (say Drive G).

I am taking two classes in Network Administartion where one is with
Linux - using SUSE ver 10.0 - and the other is Windows Server 2003.
I am not going to get another desktop for Linux due to space issue. I
have a spare dekstop with 128 MB RAM but SUSE 10 needs 256 MB RAM

People in Windows Server 2003 class are getting removable cages for
seperate hard drives where each of the two windows OS is installed.
Since I need to use the same machine for all 3 OS, I would have to buy
3 cages if I go that route but Windows Server 2003 is trial version.
I'd like to keep Linux for the long run.

I have a spare PATA drive and a STAT drive. Both are 120 MB. I do not
wan tto buy any more hard drive. I have room for 2 more hard drives
in case and I have 2 Bay.

Would you advise that I partition the drive with XP Pro and installed
Server 2003 in the new partition instead of using a separate hard
drivea nd then use SATA drive to install Linux. That way, I won't need
to buy any removeable cage for any hard drive.

If I do buy removable cases for the hard drives if I isntall each OS
in a separate drive , I'd need to buy 2 for PATA and 1 for SATA.
Fry's doesn't even sell the cage for PATA anymore.

Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.

Thanks.

>
> Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
> motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
> Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>
> Thanks.
>
>

That Motherboard only has PATA connections, sata had not come out yet
Kevin

Kevin wrote:
>> Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
>> motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
>> Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>
> That Motherboard only has PATA connections, sata had not come out yet
> Kevin
>
>
No. That is just wrong.

The A7N8X deluxe has two SATA connectors. There is also a jumper,
which, in default setting, enables the SATA connectors.

I have never used mine, so I have no knowledge about their use...but
they ARE there.

mm wrote:
> I have bare minimum knowledge in hardware. Can someone help me figure
> otu how many SATA ports are there in Asus A7N8X deluxe?
>
> Currently, in my main desltop of ASUS A7N8X witj 1GB RAM, I have 2
> PATA drives where one has Windows XP Pro installed (say Drice C) and
> the other is purely for data (say Drive G).
>
> I am taking two classes in Network Administartion where one is with
> Linux - using SUSE ver 10.0 - and the other is Windows Server 2003.
> I am not going to get another desktop for Linux due to space issue. I
> have a spare dekstop with 128 MB RAM but SUSE 10 needs 256 MB RAM
>
> People in Windows Server 2003 class are getting removable cages for
> seperate hard drives where each of the two windows OS is installed.
> Since I need to use the same machine for all 3 OS, I would have to buy
> 3 cages if I go that route but Windows Server 2003 is trial version.
> I'd like to keep Linux for the long run.
>
> I have a spare PATA drive and a STAT drive. Both are 120 MB. I do not
> wan tto buy any more hard drive. I have room for 2 more hard drives
> in case and I have 2 Bay.
>
> Would you advise that I partition the drive with XP Pro and installed
> Server 2003 in the new partition instead of using a separate hard
> drivea nd then use SATA drive to install Linux. That way, I won't need
> to buy any removeable cage for any hard drive.
>
> If I do buy removable cases for the hard drives if I isntall each OS
> in a separate drive , I'd need to buy 2 for PATA and 1 for SATA.
> Fry's doesn't even sell the cage for PATA anymore.
>
> Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
> motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
> Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>
> Thanks.
>

One way to get the info on a motherboard, is to visit the product page.

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?mo...=13&l3=57&l4=0

You can find several generations of products, in the master list. (I have
trouble with this link sometimes, with the Asus server sending me a
"connection reset". So these two links can be temperamental.)

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=-1
http://www.asus.com.tw/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=-1

For that generation of boards, the Southbridge has IDE ports. To get
SATA, they put a SIL3112 on some models but not all.

You can add a hard drive controller card to the machine, to allow
more drives to be used. That is, if you want to keep a whole bunch
of disks all resident at the same time.

Or you can use my approach to OS management. My computer case has
side mounted drives (Antec Sonata), and the drives fit in trays.
The trays are open on the top. They slide into place. If I want to
run Linux or FreeBSD or whatever, I just slide the desired tray
into place. Then, I check the BIOS, to make sure the boot order
is correct. That way, there is no boot manager to deal with. I might
have two hard drives present, if doing a backup, but most of the time,
there is just one hard drive present. The CDROM is on the other IDE
cable. So far, I still don't own any SATA drives (but my motherboard
does have a couple connectors, if I ever need them). I have a ton of
the old IDE drives, each one tiny by modern standards (nothing over 120GB).
I keep one OS per drive, as I'm too lazy to do something more clever.

Paul

Bitstring <>, from the
wonderful person Kevin <> said
>
>
>>
>> Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
>> motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
>> Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>
>That Motherboard only has PATA connections, sata had not come out yet
>Kevin

Well my A7N8X-E Deluxe has two SATA ports, raid-able, driven by a
Promise PDC20378 RAID controller .. so sayeth the manual, and indeed I
have a 120GB drive hanging from one of the ports (in JBOD mode), so I
guess it must be there.

'A7N8X' covers lots of ground, but I think all the Deluxe variants had
SATA of some sort, although which controller was fitted may have varied.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
10,414 Km walked. 2,032 Km PROWs surveyed. 36.9% complete.

On Jan 31, 7:06*pm, Paul <nos...@needed.com> wrote:
> mm wrote:
> > I have bare minimum knowledge in hardware. Can someone help me figure
> > otu how many *SATA ports are there in Asus A7N8X deluxe?
>
> > Currently, in my main desltop of ASUS A7N8X witj 1GB RAM, I have 2
> > PATA drives where one has Windows XP Pro installed (say Drice C) and
> > the other is purely for data (say Drive G).
>
> > I am taking two classes in Network Administartion where one is with
> > Linux - using SUSE *ver 10.0 - and the other is Windows Server 2003.
> > I am not going to get another desktop for Linux due to space issue. I
> > have a spare dekstop with 128 MB RAM but SUSE 10 needs 256 MB RAM
>
> > People in Windows Server 2003 class are getting removable cages for
> > seperate hard drives where each of the two windows OS is installed.
> > Since I need to use the same machine for all 3 OS, I would have to buy
> > 3 cages if I go that route but Windows Server 2003 is trial version.
> > I'd like to keep Linux for the long run.
>
> > I have a spare PATA *drive and a STAT drive. Both are 120 MB. I do not
> > wan tto buy any more hard drive. *I have room for 2 more hard drives
> > in case and I have 2 Bay.
>
> > Would you advise that I partition the drive with XP Pro and installed
> > Server 2003 in the new partition instead of using a separate hard
> > drivea nd then use SATA drive to install Linux. That way, I won't need
> > to buy any removeable cage for any hard drive.
>
> > If I do buy removable cases for the hard drives if I isntall each OS
> > in a separate drive , I'd need to buy 2 for PATA and 1 for SATA.
> > Fry's doesn't even sell the cage for PATA anymore.
>
> > Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
> > motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
> > Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>
> > Thanks.
>
> One way to get the info on a motherboard, is to visit the product page.
>
> http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?mo...&l1=3&l2=13&l3...
>
> You can find several generations of products, in the master list. (I have
> trouble with this link sometimes, with the Asus server sending me a
> "connection reset". So these two links can be temperamental.)
>
> http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...spx?l1=3&l2=-1
>
> For that generation of boards, the Southbridge has IDE ports. To get
> SATA, they put a SIL3112 on some models but not all.
>
> You can add a hard drive controller card to the machine, to allow
> more drives to be used. That is, if you want to keep a whole bunch
> of disks all resident at the same time.

I'll check inot that ;ater. Right now, I need to get these OS
installed but since Linux instructor is using VMware player to install
Suse on VMWare. (I'll just put it on my Laptop tht has 2GB RAM).
That'd do for now because I need to be reading text book and take
quiz, etc. I have 9 units in three 8 weeks classes. Eventually, I'd
want to istall full blown Linux in a hard drive. When I do that, I'd
either put it in a SATA drive and be present along with my XP Pro in
my desktop or make it so that only one hardrive with one operating
system would be present. Noe that my desktop has a secondary hard
drive for data and i must keep it that way.

As for windows server 2003, to save time dealing with the hard drive
issues, I am thinking to partititon my XP Pro in the desktop with 1 GB
RAM and put it there. My Server 2003 is trial version anyway.

>
> Or you can use my approach to OS management. My computer case has
> side mounted drives (Antec Sonata), and the drives fit in trays.
> The trays are open on the top. They slide into place. If I want to
> run Linux or FreeBSD or whatever, I just slide the desired tray
> into place.

Is there a pic to show me what these side mounted trays look like?


>Then, I check the BIOS, to make sure the boot order
> is correct. That way, there is no boot manager to deal with. I might
> have two hard drives present, if doing a backup, but most of the time,
> there is just one hard drive present.

> The CDROM is on the other IDE cable.
My CDROM and DVD Rom are on the other IDE cable.


> So far, I still don't own any SATA drives (but my motherboard
> does have a couple connectors, if I ever need them). I have a ton of
> the old IDE drives, each one tiny by modern standards (nothing over 120GB)..

For PATA, my drive with XP pro (in desktop) is 80GB, data drive is a
hunderd something. I have another drive that is 120 GB and one 300GB
drive that I ned to find an enclosure to use as external drive.

I inherited one SATA drive that is 120 GB.


> I keep one OS per drive, as I'm too lazy to do something more clever.

I think it is best to keep one OS per drive.

>
> * * Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

On Jan 31, 6:59*pm, tobe <ybotka...@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
> Kevin wrote:
> >> Istill would like to know how many how many SATA ports are on this
> >> motherboard in case I get another SATA and use the tow SATA to install
> >> Linux and Windows Server 2003 respectively.
>
> >> Thanks.
>
> > That Motherboard only has PATA connections, sata had not come out yet
> > Kevin
>
> No. *That is just wrong.
>
> The A7N8X deluxe has two SATA connectors. *There is also a jumper,
> which, in default setting, enables the SATA connectors.

I need to learn how SATA drives are supposeds to be connected to MB.
>
> I have never used mine, so I have no knowledge about their use...but
> they ARE there.

mm wrote:

>
> Is there a pic to show me what these side mounted trays look like?
>

There is a picture here to illustrate the concept. The upper 5 1/4" bays
face the "normal" way, and give the frustrating cable connection issues.
That is where my CD drive goes, and I haven't touched the wires on it
for some time.

The lower, 3 1/2" bays face towards you. You install a drive into the
included tray, and slide it into the computer. Then, the IDE data
connector and the Molex power, are facing you. Connection is dead
simple. The only issue I have with this scheme, is sometimes you
have to move the cables out of the way, to close the lid on
the computer. With a little care and planning, this is not
that hard to work around (at least, if you aren't using all
the 3.5" bays at the same time). You might have to abuse the
cables a bit, if all bays were occupied.

http://www.legitreviews.com/images/r...ta2_inside.jpg

If putting a SATA drive into those trays, you'd want a SATA cable
with a "right angle" connector on the end. There are actually
a number of different SATA cable designs. You can get cables with
"right angle", "left angle", or normal straight ones. You can
see examples on this site. This particular cable has a right angle
on one end, and a straight one on the other end.

http://www.satacables.com/assets/ima...w-latching.jpg

Paul