I have read several posts here that say a SATA III drive (6 Gb/s) cannot be used with an older SATA I (1.5 Gb/s) controller. I have a 6G drive (WD Green 1 TB WD10EARX) that I am using with an older SATA I controller (Silicon Graphics 3512A SATARaid). I have some issues with the drive sometimes not being recognized on bootup, but it otherwise appears to be functioning properly (although the partitions are not aligned). Does anyone here have the definitiive word on drive/controller compatibility, and whether these drives can be forced into 1.5 Gb/s mode? Mine is obviously capable of negotiating a 1.5 Gb/s rate, but I suspect the instances when it isn’t recognized on boot are ones in which it timed out before doing so. Forcing it into 1.5 Gb/s mode would presumably take care of that problem. The only documentation I have seen for a 6G drive says a jumper across 5-6 forces it into 3 Gb/s mode. Will WDspeed do the trick?
This isn’t the first time I’ve asked this question in this forum, but I have yet to receive a response.
