The IDE disk interface has been enhanced, and the new standard, called EIDE, offers quicker data transmission speeds. EIDE can transmit data at speeds of up to 16.6 Mbps, which is twice as quick as the 8.3 Mbps that the first generation of IDE disk drivers could handle.

Since the word EIDE formally applies to the ATA-2 or Rapid ATA standard, it can be a little confusing. As a result, the words EIDE, ATA-2, and Rapid ATA are interchangeable. EIDE may also apply to the ATA-3 standard, which is identical to ATA-2 but has extra characteristics, which furthers the misunderstanding. The highest data transmission rate for ATA-3 is the same as for ATA-2, but it enables SMART and has a 44-pin connection.

For a long time, EIDE was the most widely used disk driver, but modern ATA standards that enable Ultra DMA have since supplanted EIDE. The ATA-4 through ATA-7 protocols, which offer data transmission speeds of 33 to 133 Gbps, are among them. The majority of contemporary computers use "Serial ATA," or SATA, a brand-new specification that allows even quicker transmission rates.