Master/Slave HDD config

[athlon64X2]

All,

I have a dual core (Athlon 64 X2) 2 processor system for which I recently bought a new hard drive (a second HD).

I connected the original HD as the master (black conn) and the new one as a slave HD (gray conn) and configured it as an additional storage device.

What I realize that any data transfer from the boot drive to this additional drive is very slow. I run computationally intensive programs which read/write from the HD extensively, and this has slowed sown too.

Any tips on how to fix this?

Thanks,
Mahesh

 

[brxndxn]

Did you also change the jumpers on the hard drives? One should be set as master, one as slave.. The cable connections aren't the only things that dictate master/slave settings.

Also, if they're both on CS (cable select), that can be your problem. I've not had good luck with CS and I've built and fixed hundreds of computers. It's easier usually, with fewer problems, to set one hard drive on master and the other on slave.

If it's still slow, then put the hard drives on different cables.

 

[athlon64X2]

I have the new hard drive on cable select mode.

I will try and change the jumper setting on the new drive to slave.

In the manual it said use cable select config for ease. I thought that would be optimal also, since they ask to this by default.

thanks
Mahesh

 

[athlon64X2]

Ok!
I removed the jumper from the new drive to config it as a slave drive.
Transferred a 499 MB folder from Master drive to this new Slave drive. It took 4 mins and 13 seconds for the transfer.

Does this represent a good transfer rate?

Thanks,
Mahesh

 

[athlon64X2]

Data transfer still slow. The computation time for one of my simulations (which includes read/write to HD time) has increased by a factor of 2.2

What can I do to improve the HD performance?

Thanks
M

 

[athlon64X2]

So some website asked me to upgrade the ATAPI/IDE controller drivers. I did that and the I moved the same 499MB folder across again.

To move the folder from New HD to the Boot/System HD took 186 seconds.
To move the folder from Boot/System HD to the New HD took 35 seconds. This is an improvement from 262 secs earlier (phenomenal).

Now I want to know why the performance difference?

Thanks,
Mahesh

 

[Accord99]

Sounds like your old drivers weren't setting the HDs to DMA mode, instead they were in PIO mode which massively restricts their performance and increases CPU utilization.

 

[piasabird]

Well the cables can make a difference. Bad cables or cables too long may cause problems. EIDE Cables are not suppose to be over 18 inches. Sometimes you also need special Ultra Ata drivers depending on the motherboard and the operating system. DMA 5 should be set in the BIOS. Mixing SATA and and PATA Hard Drives can cause problems on some motherboards. Sometimes the Motherboard reverts to the EIDE Drive as the Master and slows down any data transfers.

 

[CrispyFried]

Put them on separate channels, when as master/slave on one channel only one can use the cable at a time. on separate channels one can read while the other writes.

also check dma modes