Hard drive IDE config??

[RickH]

What is the best way to setup 2 ATA 100 hard drives and 1 DVD drive? I would put each drive on it's own controler but I read somewhere that the drive with the DVD will not run at ATA 100, only at the DVD rate. I also read that the DVD will Not make the hard drive slow. Who is correct?? So-- 2 drives on 1 controler and the DVD alone or boot drive alone on the primary IDE and the second drive and the DVD on the secondary controler?? Thanks. R.

 

[KerryMunro]

The DVD is most likely ATA33. Are you going to hook up a CD-Rom as well? If not do the following...
If you install a lot of games put the DVD and the HD you install them to on different channels.(controllers) The HD will run at ATA100 just fine with an ATA33 drive on the same channel. Your choice.

 

[microAmp]

I concur what KerryMunro said about the HDD and DVD on different controllers.

I would have HDD 1 on Primary channel of IDE 1 and HDD 2 on secondary IDE 1 while the DVD is on Primary IDE 2.

If any of that makes sense.......

 

[Mavrick007]

<< What is the best way to setup 2 ATA 100 hard drives and 1 DVD drive? I would put each drive on it's own controler but I read somewhere that the drive with the DVD will not run at ATA 100, only at the DVD rate. I also read that the DVD will Not make the hard drive slow. Who is correct?? So-- 2 drives on 1 controler and the DVD alone or boot drive alone on the primary IDE and the second drive and the DVD on the secondary controler?? Thanks. R. >>



Both are correct actually. The DVD drive will not run ata100, but it won't hinder any of your hard drives from running ata100 either. Hard drives would hinder performance of other hard drives. Ie. ata33 and an ata100 on the same controller would give you ata33 for both of them.

I would suggest primary master 1 hard drive,
secondary master second hard drive,
secondary slave DVD drive.

Also set your DVD drive to DMA enabled in your device manager too if possible as well as both of your hard drives.

 

[RickH]

Thanks for the info!

 

[sblake]

If you put 1st hard drive on primary master and 2nd hard drive on secondary master, do you set both drives as master or drive 1 master and drive 2 as slave?

 

[RickH]

The 1st drive is master on the primary IDE and the 2nd drive is master on the secondary IDE. The DVD/CD is slave on the secondary IDE controler with the 2nd non boot drive. R