SATA power question

[xplosivex]

I just got a 74GB WD Raptor HD and I'm wondering if I should use the legacy power connector or the one that came with the motherboard specifically for SATA drives. I know it says on the drive to use either one and just not both but are there any advantages to using one over the other?

Thanks in advance.

[doormat]

nope, no big difference.

[Dark Ember]

If you can use the SATA power connector, I'd use that. Its designed a little better... ensures that the drive is grounded before any of the power is applied to the drive. And easier to plug in, unplug, etc. Other than that, there isn't really a difference though.

[Awol]

I greatly prefer the "legacy" Molex power connector on drives that offer both options. In my experience, the SATA power connectors are more fragile, and more likely to come loose during shipping.

On all low-end servers we build, we use legacy power on WD drives, and put a bead of hot glue on the SATA power on non-WD dirves.

Awol

[DougLite]

No functional difference on the desktop, at present.

SATA ready PSUs have SATA power connectors with a +3.3V lead, and the SATA power connector supports hot plugging drives. Neither of these advantages should be of concern to you.