How to test IDE/SATA converter is working properly?

CD, DVD and (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Writers
#1

Aloha all!

After some hardware trouble I’ve just built my new Skylake system. My motherboard doesn’t have any IDE connectors - but I’d still like to use my trusty old Plextor Premium.
So, I’ve spied a couple of possible solutions:

[ul]
[li] an Abit Serillel 2 IDE to SATA adapter which I bought several years ago
[/li][li] another adapter available through Monoprice here (looks nice and compact, and even has a header for the HDD activity light)
[/li][li] or, a PCIe IDE controller such as the StarTech PEX2IDE (which sells for less than $20 at Amazon and according to this post, works nicely with DVD writers)
[/li][/ul]

I want to try out all of these, but my question is - what is the best way to test the adapters thoroughly? Should I try ripping audio? Burning and then attempting to check the quality in something like Kprobe? I’d appreciate any good ideas. I currently have an LG GGW-H20L, an LG WH14NS40, and an old Lite-On iHBS212 that I could use for testing.

Thanks in advance!

#2

See if it reads, see if it writes. Whatever software you think you’ll be using with the Premium, run it through all its paces. If you’ll be using it to burn audio CDs, go through your normal workflow & see if the CDs work on other devices. If you’ll be using it for ripping, again, run it through the normal workflow & see if it completes without error. That’s the best test.

Might also help to see if software like PlexTools works, if you intend to use it.

#3

To me, the devices that connect to the back of the drive sound interesting, but I’d prefer the StarTech PEX2IDE as it has the ability to add a second drive to it, and it doesn’t require a Silicon Image controller on the mb like the SERILLEL2 does.

I forgot to add that the StarTech device doesn’t use up one of the SATA ports.

I currently use a old usb2.0 5.25 inch external drive bay for my Benq 1655 drive with no problem.

#4

Cantab, if you have the room in your case, you can try a https://www.startech.com/HDD/Adapters/Bi-Directional-SATA-IDE-Adapter-Converter~PATA2SATA3 . It connects to the back of the drive also.

Startech seems to be a good way to go seeing as they have tech support.

#5

I’d get an inline converter so that you may connect the drive straight to your motherboard’s native chipset. The less components along the IO path the better.

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