IDE channel questions

[Dr X]

I've just got another IDE hard drive, meaning now all of my IDE channels are full. This is a question both about my specific situation, but also the theory behind IDE and how things should be set up, ideally.

I have my main IDE hard drive (120gb, 8mb buffer), which is my system drive. My new drive (160gb, 2mb buffer) is for storage only. I also have a CD-RW/DVD drive, and a DVD writer.

I currently have it set up as such:
Primary master: 120gb (system)
Primary slave: 160gb (storage)
Secondary master: CD-RW/DVD
Secondary slave: DVD writer

How does it affect performance to have a slower device on the same cable as a quick device? For example, a hard drive as master, and an optical as a slave? How does it affect performance, if at all, to say accidentally have your opticals on the primary, and your hdd's on the secondary?

Thanks for the help.

 

[AristoV300]

Performance wise it would be better to put one HDD and one Optical per channel.

 

[Dr X]

Yes, obviously, but I dont have 4 IDE channels (K8N Neo Platinum MB), so that is of no help to me. In a system with only 2 IDE channels, what is the ideal solution?

 

[aka1nas]

you misunderstood him. He means to put an optical and hard drive together on each channel.

 

[Dr X]

Oh, I see. Thank you. What is the theory behind doing it that way?

 

[Alaska]

Efficiency. It is faster to transfer data between devices on different channels. Transfers between 2 devices on the same channel must share the total badwidth.