Adding a CDRW to a full system

[mcveigh]

Like Half of the other readers I jumped on the Compusa -Iomega deal. I have a question about the best place to install it in my system. I think this will comeup a lot in the next few weeks.
I currently have (1) 13 GB HD, (1) 4 GB HD, (1) zip drive, (1) asus 50x CDrom. Those 4 devices use up my ide channels. I assume I have to get an IDE expansion card. should I go for a ide 100? I heard that cdburners don't always work on ide 66/100, is this true?
also I've heard that you should have the burner on a separate channel from your hard drive because ide can only access one device at a time. If I am coping a cd should I also have the burner on a separate channel from the master cdrom?
I'd like to hear from you cd burning guru's out there!

thank you all,
Seth

 

[XMan]

Hmm.

Well, the best way to go about would probably be to get an IDE controller card and run both of your hard drives off of it. Change your BIOS order so that it will boot from SCSI, plug in the CD-RW to the now-empty motherboard port, and you should be good to go.

 

[madthumbs]

I have a Promise Ultra ATA66 controller card for my CDrom and CDRW. All my drives have their own channels, and it is sweet. The only drawback is the longer boot time that it takes to detect the controller card.

 

[oldfart]

Pop over to Onvia and get the Promise Ultra66 for $20. U100 I think is $30 or so. U66 is way faster than anything out there will run anyway. Other idea: Do you still need the Zip now that you have the CDR?

 

[Ryan]

I had the same problem. I have to sacrafice my Zipdrive for the Iomega cdrw 12x10x32x that I bought today. I never use my zip drive, so I could spare it.