The most common hard drive interface has gone through a variety of
*compatible* improvements over the years.  Steps along the way have been
known as IDE, EIDE, ATAPI, Ultra/UDMA, and, now that a new interface (SATA
or "Serial ATA") is appearing, some manufacturers are calling it "Parallel
ATA".
  Best possible results will be obtained if the motherboard/controller and
drives use the same revision of the interface (and, in the case of
Ultra/UDMA, the new cable), but as far as I know a drive built to any of
these interface specs will work with a controller built to any of them.

  If your purchased drive is actually SATA and not just ATA, you can
purchase a SATA controller card that will go in a PCI slot.  But if the
drive has a 40-pin connector, you should be able to use it just fine.

David Gillett


On 25 Aug 2005 at 22:00, CANDACE BACA wrote:

> I'm putting together my second PC, so needless to say, I have a lot to
> learn.  But, my problem was I ordered a Western Digital Hard Drive ATA, and
> I need a WDHard Drive IDE.  Newegg.com only has IDE Ultras.  Are they the
> same thing?  Please help.

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