39 and 40 pin IDE cables......?

[CityRoamer]

I am just finishing the connections on my new Abit Kg7 board as I build my new computer. I get to the IDE cables and see that the cable needed for this mobo are 39 pin IDE Cables (with the blue color connector). That is ok, but the 40 pin cable that came with my CD-RW (TDK 24x10x40) came with a 40 pin cable and it doesn't fit into the Abit blue IDE port. What are the difference b/t the 39 and 40 IDE cables?

 

[sohcrates]

I think you're thinking of 80 pin versus 40 pin cables

there aren't any 39 pin cables

The difference is that if you want to run an ata 66/100 hard drive, you need an 80 pin cable

if you don't have one, then you're gonna have to pick on up (the 80 pins often have a pin "missing" so it appears that there are only 39 pins)

 

[bacillus]

if I understand you correctly, you can't insert a connector with 39 pins incorrectly!

 

[veryape]

Either way you should still be able to use a forty pin. You are just not doing it right. Sorry if I come off too blunt but that is the problem.

 

[helloedchen]

well...there are some ide connectors with 40 pins, but the one in the middle is blocked off...which would mean its 39 pins

 

[Jiggz]

you don't have one, then you're gonna have to pick on up (the 80 pins often have a pin "missing" so it appears that there are only 39 pins

Actually he meant 80 wires. Since either the 40 wire or 80 wire both have 40 pins. Some connectors have one pin blocked off for orientation purposes. If this seems to be a problem you can always get a safety pin and poke a hole through it.

 

[veryape]

If you have at least an ata66 drive you really should be using 80 wire ata66 connectors otherwise you will only run at ata33.
[edit] Forgot we are talking cdrom drive and not a hard drive, either way it will still run slower than it's supposed to.