Computer Guide Center - How do I find out if computer hardware is compatible with my computer?

How do I find out if computer hardware is compatible with my computer?

I'm looking to buy a new hard drive, and I found one at a good price and with double the capacity I have now. My question is, I am not sure if its interface (SATA 3.0Gb/s) is compatible with my computer. How do I find that out. Do I actually have to open up my computer? Or is there some sort of utility I can download that can analyze my computer?

Public Comments

check your computer Manuel or call a computer associate
No utilities as far as I know. You need not open up your case either. All you need to do is try reading the manual you received with your mother board. Or you could as your vendor or whoever assembled your computer.
crucial.com they have a scan my pc that tells you all specs and what will work. i use the free scan often but buy cheaper at newegg.com
when ur computer starts, their is option that say bios or something similar to that, usually u have to press f10 or f12, when u egt into system bios look up the hard drive.
SATA is still not near as prevalent an interface as ATA. I would bet that your computer does not have it. What you can do is look in your device manager. START > Settings > control panel > system >hardware > device manager Look for SATA controllers. You probably will only see IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. So if that's the case, try to find a hard drive that's ATA instead. Also you can look inside your computer and see if you have SATA interfaces or IDE/ATA. To see the interfaces check... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SATA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Drive_Electronics
if it only double the it will fit if you have to ask this type of question leave it to someone who knows I wouyuld be very surprised if you can still buy a 3Gb drive they are so tiny by now standards
It depends on the interface cable system your motherboard supports. If you know what your motherboard is, it is fairly easy to determine from there. If you don't know the model of your motherboard, try one of the below links, they are programs that will give you the low-down on your hardware: Aida32: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html SIW: http://www.snapfiles.com/opinions/SIW/SIW.html once you know your mobo model, google it to find its specifications, or repost here with the details as a new question =)
read the box the hardware came in!