How to convert PATA to SATA?

Question

Level 1

91 points

How to convert PATA to SATA?

Hi everyone,

I've been "busting" my head trying to find an affordable internal Blu ray burner compatible with my MacPro 2006 (model 1.1) that still has PATA connectors for the optical drives.

I thought of maybe thinking "out of the box" a little. Is it possible to change the PATA cables inside the MacPro 2006 (model 1.1) to SATA cables?

I'm also thinking about being able to insert such an optical drive into an external enclosure kit if need be to be able to use it on another computer via Fire or eSATA. In other words, I'm thinking of maybe purchasing an iMac in the near future and I'm looking for a Blu ray burner that I would be able to transfert from one computer to another.

Rio

2x2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 8GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256 MB | WD 250GB, 500G, 1TB | XP SP2

Posted on Jan 12, 2011 12:23 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,023 points

Jan 12, 2011 1:27 PM in response to RioCreations

No, you cannot simply change cables. However, there are two additional SATA connectors in the computer on the motherboard that you can use assuming you aren't using them already.

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Answer 2

RioCreations Author

Level 1

91 points

Jan 12, 2011 1:52 PM in response to Kappy

Hy Kappy,

Thanks for "chiming" in. Which SATA connectors are you refering to? Is there a diagram I can see somewhere? Is there a way to install a Blu ray burner into the 2nd optical drive bay and connect it to one of your forementioned SATA connectors?

Rio

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,023 points

Jan 12, 2011 2:21 PM in response to RioCreations

Go to ifixit.com where, I believe, you can find a manual with that information. I've never looked for them on mine, but they are supposed to be there.

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Answer 4

mooblie

Level 4

1,954 points

Jan 12, 2011 2:42 PM in response to RioCreations

This guide shows how to install a SATA hard drive in that bay. Very similar to install a SATA optical drive there:

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/tips/MacProHD_in_optical_drive_bay/MacPro_HD_inOpticalBay.html

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Answer 5

Jan 12, 2011 2:47 PM in response to RioCreations

If you search for "Mac Pro SSD in optical bay", a number of "how to" articles come up. You will need about 18" long SATA data cable and Molex to SATA power splitter cable.

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Answer 6

RioCreations Author

Level 1

91 points

Jan 13, 2011 6:09 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for the info Kappy. i tried the ifixit.com Website but didn't find exactly what I was looking for. I also read on Wikipedia that an internal optical drive plugged via the extra ports on the motherboard would not be recognized in Bootcamp!

That's not very convenient! Now I'm wondering if this combination would work:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Addonics/ADSAIDE/
+
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/LG/WH10LS30KMP/

PS: I'm also trying to figure out what the difference is between and IDE to SATA adapter and an IDE to SATA converter ?!? Which one would I need?

Rio

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Answer 7

Jan 13, 2011 7:26 PM in response to RioCreations

Try contacting OWC:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Addonics/ADSAIDE/

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Answer 8

Kappy

Level 10

362,023 points

Jan 13, 2011 7:47 PM in response to RioCreations

PS: I'm also trying to figure out what the difference is between and IDE to SATA adapter and an IDE to SATA converter ?!? Which one would I need?

They are the same.

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Answer 9

Jan 14, 2011 8:25 AM in response to Kappy

They are functionally the same, just as Kappy says.

What may make a difference is the placement and choice of the connectors. Some are designed to use your existing IDE/ATA cable, and plug directly onto the drive and present an "IDE/ATA drive" connector \[pins]. These use your existing IDE/ATA cable.

Some are designed to plug directly onto the motherboard IDE/ATA connector (taking the place of the IDE/ATA cable \[presenting "holes"] and placement of the board may be more difficult. \[For example, these do not work in a G4 Tower, because the motherboard connector iis "lying down" and there is no room for the board.]

Off-brand ones can be had as cheap as US$5, so don't be in too much of a hurry to spend US$40 on one -- they are probably all using the same big Circuit chip.

Message was edited by: Grant Bennet-Alder

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Answer 10

RioCreations Author

Level 1

91 points

Jan 14, 2011 9:55 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for the useful info Grant.

I simply want to plug in an internal SATA based Blu ray burner into the 2nd slot of the optical drive bay of my MacPro 2006 via and adapter/converter.

Since I'm not very tech savvy, do you have a link you could suggest/provide as to which one to purchase? I live in the Province of Quebec in Canada, which means that wherever I purchase items from needs to ship to Canada.

Rio

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Answer 11

Jan 15, 2011 10:15 AM in response to RioCreations

If you want to use a SATA Optical drive inside a 2006 Mac Pro, a converter board is not the best solution.

In addition to the pATA cable for Optical Drives, there are two unused SATA ports inside a 2006 Mac Pro for just this purpose. They are not in an excellent location, there are no data cables, and the power cables may need to be adapted from four-pin Molex to 15-pin SATA-Power, depending on your drive.

Thats what many of the posts on this thread have been trying to say -- this is not much of a "hack" when the connectors are already there, and everything is set up for the transition to cheaper SATA Optical Drives, which just happened a little later than Apple expected.

If you want to use a SATA Optical drive as an External, OWC/MacSales sells a kit that connects to the "spare" SATA data connectors and is long enough to get out to an unused PCI slot plate:

OWC/Macsales: Newer Technology eSATA Extender Cable Adapter for Mac Pro -
Add 1 or 2 eSATA ports by using additional Mac Pro SATA Channels

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Answer 12

mooblie

Level 4

1,954 points

Jan 15, 2011 10:10 AM in response to RioCreations

I simply want to plug in an internal SATA based Blu ray burner into the 2nd slot of the optical drive bay of my MacPro 2006 via and adapter/converter.

Since I'm not very tech savvy, do you have a link you could suggest/provide as to which one to purchase? I live in the Province of Quebec in Canada, which means that wherever I purchase items from needs to ship to Canada.

Rio

Did you even read my post below? It answers this question EXACTLY, but clearly you ignored it.

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Answer 13

RioCreations Author

Level 1

91 points

Jan 15, 2011 10:13 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

As I mentioned previously Grant, according to the Wikipedia Website, internal optical drives plugged in via the extra ports on the motherboard would not be recognized in Bootcamp. That's why I am leaning towards to IDE to SATA converter/adapter solution. I am not sure how effetive it will be but I do want the optical drive to work in OS X and in WIndows.

I will most likely use the internal eSATA ports on the motherboard to plug an eSATA PCI-E card I am planning to purchase.

Rio

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Answer 14

Jan 15, 2011 11:03 AM in response to RioCreations

according to the Wikipedia Website, internal optical drives plugged in via the extra ports on the motherboard would not be recognized in Bootcamp.

That statement may have been true when the article was first written. But my 2009 Mac Pro uses ONLY SATA Optical Drives, and if they were no support for them in the CURRENT version of BootCamp, it would be impossible to install Windows on a 2009 or later Mac Pro.

I do not believe this could possibly be true for the current version of BootCamp.

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Answer 15

Jan 15, 2011 12:29 PM in response to mooblie

Try contacting OWC: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Addonics/ADSAIDE/.

I recently bought one from MCE thinking it would be strictly IDE but it just turned out to be SATA with an IDE adapter. Don't know what brand of adapter it is though.

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&ProductCode=BD10XMPINT&Category_Code=STORBD&ProductCount=4

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