Scsi

[SuperOwl]

Hi folks,

Does anybody know if there would be any benefitof me installing the SCSI card on my computer? The only reason I ask is that I have a digital recording studio which does have a SCSI out socket on the back and if it is worthwhile I may try to connect it to my PC.

Although the ability to connect a music studio to my PC may persuade me to buy an SCSI card or whatever form it comes in, are the benefits that I've heard about true? Somebody at work who likes to play jokes on people says that a SCSI would actually improve the way my PC works as all the main components would be effectively connected to one hub.

I have to admit that I do not know whether or not what my colleague says is true but to my uneducated ear it sounds very plausible. Any honest advice will be appreciated because if SCSI is a good thing it will help my with my music studio. Not that I am about to form the next Led Zep though.

Many thanks,

SuperOwl.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

SuperOwl,

For Best Bang for the Buck, SATA is currently the way to go. It is close to SCSI Speeds, especially with the Western Digital 10,000rpm Raptor Drives.

Take Care,

Richard

[Saab Dastard]

SuperOwl,

Somebody at work who likes to play jokes on people says that a SCSI would actually improve the way my PC works as all the main components would be effectively connected to one hub.

He is joking in this case - it's complete horses**t!

Here's a definition of SCSI: Acronym for Small Computer Systems Interface. Pronounced "scuzzy."

"An intelligent interface device that expands a microprocessor (CPU) bus to facilitate connections to multiple internal and / or external peripherals (e.g. Tape drives, CD-ROM drives, hard drives, scanners) and exchange data with those peripherals via a separate communications bus.

The original SCSI was capable of supporting up to 7 devices at a data rate of 5 Mb/s over an 8-bit parallel bus. Subsequent SCSI versions feature parallel communications buses having greater width and speed.

Since SCSI exchanges data with the peripherals over a separate communications bus rather than the processor bus, the CPU can devote the saved processing time to other tasks."

It is an alternative data communications bus to IDE that was vastly superior in size of devices and speed compared with the original IDE spec. As Richard says, for PCs (rather than big servers or large storage arrays) SATA is the way to go now.

Until USB, most scanners only had SCSI interfaces.

If you need a SCSI card to talk to your digital recording studio, fine.

But unless you also plan to replace your IDE hard disks, CD / DVD etc., with SCSI equivalents, it will have no impact on your system performance whatsoever (other than allowing you to communicate with your recording studio.

SD

[Keef]

SCSI is becoming obsolete now. I've got a very old cheapo SCSI card that came with my scanner many years ago - ISA connection (that old) - free to you if you want it. That was replaced by a "bootable" SCSI card that handles the CD writer, the DVD drive, and the scanner - and very good it is, too.

But most of the external stuff that was SCSI when I built this machine is now USB or Firewire. So if you need to connect the sound device and have an ISA slot, try my old one, else look for a PCI SCSI card on Ebay. Otherwise, don't bother.

[SuperOwl]

Hi Keef, Saab Dastard and Naples Air Center, Inc.

Many thanks for your replies.

I have decided against going down the SCSI route for now based on various things that I have heard elsewhere and read on here.

Saab Dastard, as you said, the guy was talking horse**** but then again he doesn't talk anything else. However, I don't think he was joking, just talking ****e as per usual. For example, he claims to have a first in Physics and to also be a member of Mensa yet once when I asked him where I could buy a bubble for a spirit level, he actually looked on the internet for me! I usually take what he says with a pinch of salt but I have to admit he got me with the SCSI stuff he said. I'll have to ask him where I can buy Tartan paint from and see what he comes up with.

Keef, many thanks for your generous offer but it would appear that your SCSI card would not work in my computer but again, many thanks for the offer.

Naples, I'll look into the SATA stuff to see what it has to offer.

Cheers guys and/ or girls

SuperOwl