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    Anyone using an eSATA card with their T400?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by vilmosz, Sep 28, 2010.

  1. vilmosz

    vilmosz Notebook Consultant

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    I'm curious to know opinions on adding eSATA to a T400. Let me know if you're using eSATA with your T400 or other older model Thinkpad, which brand you're using, and whether it's a worthwhile investment for the purposes of backup storage. Thanks!
    :D
     
    vilmosz, Sep 28, 2010
    #1
  2. jessea510

    jessea510 Notebook Consultant

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    I have the Rosewill RC 605 2 prt eSATA II Express Card
    I bought over a year ago. I forgot the price but it is definitely worth the it. I have an external drive in a NexStar 3 enclosure that has eSATA and usb. I have movies, programs and other files and the difference between eSATA and usb is night and day. The the hdd runs at just 5400 rpm so I think the max read/write for the hdd is like 55MBs. so if you have a newer hdd like the WD 500gb 7200rpm or equivalent it is close to 100MBs which is a lot faster than the usb limit of 40MBs.
    The only downside is that it sticks out of the expresscard and that you still need a usb to power the external hd. You can get an expresscard that has eSATA over usb which runs the eSATA and power in one cable so you don't need another usb to drive it but then you need a special enclosure that also has the eSATA ove usb port. But it still sticks out.
    Another option I have seen is an eSATA pcmia card that is flush and does not stick out. This is only if you have to keep the card in at all times.
     
    jessea510, Sep 28, 2010
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  3. oct

    oct Notebook Evangelist

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    Can a simple HDD get to 100MB/sec? I have doubts, but again, I haven't watched hw news lately...
     
    oct, Sep 28, 2010
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  4. User Retired 2

    User Retired 2 Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    There's flush-type expresscard e-sata cards on ebay for US$8-delivered. See example here. Not sure how well they perform though.
     
    User Retired 2, Sep 28, 2010
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  5. jaakobi

    jaakobi Notebook Evangelist

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    I have one for my T61p. The speeds are okay, probably about double what USB2.0 can do on average, but the disadvantage is that you need a desktop hard drive and not a self powered one.
     
    jaakobi, Sep 29, 2010
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  6. rob_fed

    rob_fed Newbie

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    Hi, Not trying to hijack this post, but was the eSATA card basically plug/play? And the external HD, did you just plug in via an eSATA cable and then reboot to see the external drive? Sorry for the questions, but I can't seem the get my HD recognized with my eSATA card.
     
    rob_fed, Jun 23, 2011
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  7. TheGreat

    TheGreat Notebook Consultant

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    Most eSATA cards (via expresscard slot) requires a driver. Without the correct driver would be impossible to detect your HDD.

    you can check this via device manager ot Thinkvantage toolbox diagnostics.
     
    TheGreat, Jun 25, 2011
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