ATA-5 or ATA-6? - Tech Support Forums

Gabe1972 · September 4th, 2005, 08:47 PM

I have a laptop that the hard drive just died in and it is an ATA-5. Can I just replace it with an ATA-6 drive and it will just transfer data at the ATA-5 rate because of the hard drive controller? The reason I ask is because ATA-6 drives are like 60 or 70 bucks for a cheap one, whereas ATA-5 drives start at well over 100. Thanks

**Whir** · September 4th, 2005, 09:02 PM

I'm not sure about laptops, but in a desktop it wouldn't be a problem. I can't imagine why it would be a laptop.

sechs · September 5th, 2005, 04:23 PM

Yes. ATA-6 is backwards compatible.

Gabe1972 · September 5th, 2005, 08:50 PM

Thanks for the help. I was pretty sure it would work, but I just wanted to ask a few others before I bought the drive.

adrabek · August 6th, 2006, 12:37 PM

another question is the ata-5 compatible where a ata-6 was?

DanU · August 8th, 2006, 06:14 PM

Yes. Both hard drive and controller will auto-negotiate the fastest appropriate speed.