Basic Question: Getting from 2 HD capacity to 3 HDs

[neomits]

Currently I have 2 Hard Drives. A 30 GB and a 60GB. Tomorrow I'm planning on purchasing a good deal on a 80 GB HD. Now as far as my computer is now all the IDE slots seem full. the cable that connects my HD's already has a master and slave because I'm using 2. How would I go about connecting the third one. What would I need to buy to connect all three. Also I don't see a place where I could mount it so is there some mounting kit I'd have to buy as well?

 

[Scootin159]

#1) Place to mount it: there are kits that will allow you to mount it in an open cd-rom bay if you have one
#2) cable: you can make it run on IDE 1 with your CD-ROM as slave

IDE 0: 30GB (master), 60GB (slave)
IDE 1: 80GB (master), CD-ROM (slave)

I'm assuming your 30GB is your boot drive, if it isn't, then I would change it to have your boot drive be in the IDE 0, master slot.

Also put whatever drive you plan on using 2nd most in IDE 1 Master.

 

[neomits]

Thats a negative
IDE 0) master - 30 GB slave - 60 GB
IDE 1)master - DVD drive slave - CDRW

Anyother ideas?

 

[Scootin159]

get a PCI IDE controller

then do:

IDE 0: 30GB (master), DVD-ROM (slave)
IDE 1: CD-RW (master)
IDE 2: 60GB (master)
IDE 3: 80GB (master)

DO NOT put your DVD-ROM & CD-RW on the same cable, as this will prevent CD-to-CD copies.

 

[LintMan]

Edit: Doh a bunch of other replies slipped in, obsoleting mine as I typed it...

Go with the PCI IDE controller suggestion. I think you can get basic one for maybe $23 at newegg

 

[Scootin159]

A promise ultra100 = ~$50 if I remember right, that will give you 2 more IDE channels.

 

[neomits]

Thanks for the replies.... and for the tip on not having the DVD and CDRW on the same cable. Great help.