I gather from reading around here, trying to learn the what and how, that many tools are limited by the hardware they support. I thought I'd take the time to post something I noticed, in case it might help someone.

In setting about building a new PC for my own use, I purchased a motherboard with the AMD (ATi) RS690 (690G) chipset (Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H), because I wanted something small and simple. I got what happens too often these days; a defective board (video) right from the factory. What can one expect for $80? The case fans cost me almost as much.

When considering an RMA I noticed there was a new chipset with better video and more modern peripheral support, so I bought a Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H instead, for $100. Guess what? BIOS update succeeded, but somehow failed anyway (the board is unresponsive), so now I'm waiting for a replacement by RMA. BTW a new WD5000AAJS also was DOA.

Aside from the obvious point about value, I learned that there are some built-in SATA/PATA compatibility options. The 690 motherboard offers four modes for the SATA devices, apparently built into the southbridge:
1. Native IDE
2. SATA RAID
3. Legacy IDE
4. SATA->AHCI
All four SATA ports configured together with one setting. The point is you can use SATA drives as if they were PATA without an adapter. It seems like a good chipset for Data Recovery, especially while software lags hardware development.

I'm not sure about the MA780GM, but I think it dropped the "legacy IDE" mode. Just the same, there are compatibility options built-in. There are also 6 SATA ports, one of them external, two of them separately configurable to some degree. I will know more when I get my board back.