I'm shopping online for a new hard drive and I see different types like Serial ATA150 and IDE Ultra ATA100. Can anyone tell what the difference is and how do I know what kind I need? Sorry for the noob question but it's my first time replacing a HD.
ide is standard on most motherboards & uses a 40pin connector cable. sata(serial ata) is on the newer boards & uses a different connector a 7pin according to my motherboard manual. you'll most likely have the 40pin ide connectors on your motherboard but check your motherboard manual or user guide.
i prefer maxtor but other people will say same about other brands. if no problem with current hd than go with same hd manufacturer
The one I replaced was a Western Digital that was only a year old. I hope the Maxtor works out better.