IDE drives - cross-brand compatibility?

EbizGuy

Objective 4.3

"For ATA/IDE drives confirm...potential cross-brand compatibility"


When would one drive brand not be compatible with another?

How would I know?

Plantwiz

You could run into performance problems in RAID.

The RAID should run to the slowest and smallest drive. While it is best to match drives in a RAID, there are times when that may not be an option (say when a drive fails, and the exact model cannot be located timely, so the next best drive is used).

Personally, I've never run into a situation where the RAID failed with mixed drives (mixed drives = size/speed/brand differ). I've read of such events, but who knows, it may have been the configuration, the controller card, drivers, the tech, etc...

There are others here who may have experienced this first-hand and shed some light. I've can only go by what I've experienced and what I've heard/read.