Does anyone know if these cables support the older udma33 hds? I was gonna get some for my old comp that is a bit cluttered.

All ATA/66/100 cables (including the rounded ones) are backwards-compatible with older ATA/33 drives (and the even older PIO drives)

Beware, rounded cables don't save as much space as you might think. The good points though are that they improve visibility inside your case and make for better airflow.

Actually, I found rounded cables to save a considerable amount of space in my full tower. Not to mention being easier to work with and easier on the eyes as well.

Mine will be here soon.

KidA, it all depends.

I have, for example, 4 devices each the master on it's own IDE channel. Each one currently has a 2 device IDE cable running to it. Soon each one will have a single device rounded going to it.

WARNING!!!

Read this before you buy those rounded cables! I personally bought 45cm (18in) rounded cables after reading that article, and replaced the 60cm ones I had installed.

Why? because with the 60cm cables I had a RAID 0 crash...Was the cable at fault? I shall never know. but I am taking no further chances!

quote:Originally posted by Wurm:
[b]WARNING!!!

Read this before you buy those rounded cables! I personally bought 45cm (18in) rounded cables after reading that article, and replaced the 60cm ones I had installed.

Why? because with the 60cm cables I had a RAID 0 crash...Was the cable at fault? I shall never know. but I am taking no further chances!

[/B]

Well, this is turning into quite a witch hunt for rounded cables.

Fact: Both rounded and regular ribbon cables can be purchased in either 18 or 24 inch lengths.

I've seen no data to indicate that rounded 24 inch cables have a higher failure rate than regular 24 inch ribbon cables.

So:

IF YOU ARE WORRIED, DON'T BUY ANY 24 INCH LONG IDE CABLES.

It's wrong to single out rounded cables in this way.

With 5 IDE devices, I might get rounded cables someday (it's pretty cluttered in there now)..but it would set be back a lot of $$..lol

Hey Mutch! What witch hunt ?? I LIKE AND USE ROUNDED CABLES!! Did you even read the article? I just wanted to give you all a heads up to a possible problem when someone uses the 60cm rounded cables!

quote:Originally posted by Wurm:
Hey Mutch! What witch hunt ?? I LIKE AND USE ROUNDED CABLES!! Did you even read the article? I just wanted to give you all a heads up to a possible problem when someone uses the 60cm rounded cables!

Why don't you mention standard ribbon cables as being just as likely to fail as rounded cables at 60cm? The article you linked to points to the length of the cable as the culprit, not whether it's rounded. Anybody reading your posts or that article will come away thinking that the rounded cables are worse than the ribbon cables. It's error by ommission.

My big problem with that article is it's title. If they had said "Overlength Cables-The Terrible Truth" I'd be fine. But they jumped all over the rounded cables. Then they went on to say that it's because they are overlength that's the problem, not that they are rounded. It's poor "60 Minutes" style journalism.

Got my 24 inch ones on the way today why don't you hold off will get them tues or wed. And will post back if I have any install errors will put them in after work. Won't take one guys answer anyway on what he thinks is right hell next guy will say 18 inch cables suck. But I allways have heard that 18 inches was for something besides women. Hell if they slow me down a little I don't care but as data getting destroyed because the cable is 6 inches longer. Maybe slow down if you go electric standards I would think less kinks would make a better flow. But hell ain't no rocket scientist.

edit (good link Wurm.) I am on my way to check it out.

Well it sounds as if, from reading the article, that rounded cables may be slightly more susceptible to the condition described than ribbon ones because the wires are so closely bunched together. But yes it does sound like it's primarily a length problem and I'm glad I read that article - I'll keep that in mind the next time I go shopping for cables.

If anyone else is on the lookout for single device ATA100 rounded cables, this is one of the only places I have found that carries them:

Sorry....

quote:Originally posted by Snare:
Well it sounds as if, from reading the article, that rounded cables may be slightly more susceptible to the condition described than ribbon ones because the wires are so closely bunched together. But yes it does sound like it's primarily a length problem and I'm glad I read that article - I'll keep that in mind the next time I go shopping for cables.

are you happy with that TFT you have? I want one I like samsung make good stuff nobody really pays them any mind.

ummm, i had a Western DIgital 40 gig ATA 100, 7200 rpm drive die on me like 2 weeks ago. And, i am using 24 inch rounded cable. Hmmm, the drive worked for almost a year on normal IDE ribbion, i switched to rounded about a month or 2 ago. Hmmmm, coincident? I am going to tstart running raid 0, so i think i'm goin pick up an 18 incher

quote:Originally posted by krazie662:
ummm, i had a Western DIgital 40 gig ATA 100, 7200 rpm drive die on me like 2 weeks ago. And, i am using 24 inch rounded cable. Hmmm, the drive worked for almost a year on normal IDE ribbion, i switched to rounded about a month or 2 ago. Hmmmm, coincident? I am going to tstart running raid 0, so i think i'm goin pick up an 18 incher

So do you think that having 6 inches more of cable caused your drive to die. By how starving it of data. Or corrupting the platters by magnetic field of some kind. Bringing down the heads.I will check into this theory.