Difference between SCSI and IDE Hard Drives

[ITlover]

What is the difference between SCSI(Small Computer Systems Interface) and IDE(Integrated Drive Electronic)?

Is SCSI for Server Computers ?

Are Drives differently connected to these interfaces?

[blue60007]

Yes and yes.

SCSI drives are expensive and mostly used in servers (not all servers necessarily have SCSI drives though). Pretty well all of your desktop motherboards don't have onboard SCSI controllers, so they require an additional PCI controller (goes in a PCI slot).

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by ITlover What is the difference between SCSI(Small Computer Systems Interface) and IDE(Integrated Drive Electronic)?

One of the biggest differences is with SCSI you can have data flowing in both directions at the same time. With IDE data can only flow in one direction at a time.

Originally Posted by ITlover Is SCSI for Server Computers ?

Basically...yes. But you can run SCSI in a home computer if you wanted to, but the cost makes it prohibitively expensive to use SCSI in a home computer.

Originally Posted by ITlover Are Drives differently connected to these interfaces?

Well...yes and no. Yes, they both use data cables and power cables. No, the data cables are very different and connect to different controllers.

SCSI Info Central

Cricket

[edfair]

Most computers and motherboards currently have IDE built in. SCSI, by requiring a different controller, automatically costs more. The drives, if purchased new, are more expensive. There are no $69 after rebate 200gb SCSI drives where you can take advantage of the battle between manufacturers.
At one point SCSI had a speed advantage but the latest SATA has minimized that.
SCSI drives have been a more reliable piece of hardware over the years.
I use them regularly. Mostly purchased used off ebay, along with the controllers.