Need to add a 3rd ROM drive - Do I need a PCI card?

[waylman]

I already have a CDRW and DVD +/- RW and need to add a DVD ROM. I also already have 2 HD's. Do I need a PCI Card to add the DVD ROM? If so, can someone point me in the right direction on NewEgg because I'm not finding what I think I need there. Thanks alot.

solution found:

Everyone, I came up with the perfect solution! I don't need a 3rd optical drive, Im just going to get a CDRW/DVD ROM combo drive.
Why did no one think of this?!?!

DVD ROM/CDRW will be used for burning CD's/CDROM/ripping DVD's
DVDRW will burn DVD's

anyone have a good recommendation for combo drive?

 

[Flyermax2k3]

If you have no more IDE ports on your motherboard, you'll need to get an IDE/ATA PCI controller card. Then add storage/optical devices 'till your heart's content!

 

[waylman]

cool, thanks. Also, is it faster if the device goes through IDE or the PCI card?

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: waylman
cool, thanks. Also, is it faster if the device goes through IDE or the PCI card?

That depends upon the quality of the IDE controller on your mobo, only testing will give you the answer to your question. On one of my older machines I use the PCI card for all the HDs because after testing with HD Tach it was shown to be much faster than the built in controller but every case will be different so test it and see for yourself.

 

[jfall]

Why not use a USB 2 or firewire device

 

[waylman]

any links on newegg? Im only finding USB/Firewire PCI cards.

 

[ViRGE]

Go to the CD/DVD section(it's divided up between burners and not burners, so pick accordingly), and then use the left-hand panel to do an advanced search, selecting "external" as the interface, and leaving everything else alone.

 

[Chrishuff1]

Wont your dvd +/-rw work?

 

[josphII]

why do you have a dvdrw and a cdrw? most dvdrw drives also have cdrw capability, yours doesnt?

 

[FoBoT]

if you need 3+ optical drives, go SCSI or get a second pc

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: josphII
why do you have a dvdrw and a cdrw? most dvdrw drives also have cdrw capability, yours doesnt?

I have both in my computer too because I use my cdrw as my cd rom drive too. The only thing I use my dvd-rom for is strictly burning dvds.

 

[Thraxen]

have both in my computer too because I I use my cdrw as my cd rom drive too. The only thing I use my dvd-rom for is strictly burning dvds.

Same here. I replaced my DVD-ROM with a DVD+/-RW and already had a CD-RW. I saw no need to get rid of a perfectly good CD-RW. So my CD-RW handles all CD reading and writing duties while my DVD burner is just used to burn and read DVDs.

 

[waylman]

Originally posted by: josphII
why do you have a dvdrw and a cdrw? most dvdrw drives also have cdrw capability, yours doesnt?

yeah, my dvd burner does cd burning also, but only at 16X. I want a DVD ROM for ripping DVDs to my HD at a high speed. Thus, the need for 3 optical drives.

 

[waylman]

Is this what I need?

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: waylman
Is this what I need?

Yes...unless you need ATA133 support, but the perfomance jump is arguable.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Haha. Don't want to wear out your DVD burner? Then use the DVD drive for CDs when you get it and get rid of that CDRW.

 

[Farbio]

what if you have raid ide slots on your mb? can you use those as well?

i'm curious myself as well....i'm out of normal ide slots as well

and for the curious, i have a dvdrom, a 52x cdrw, and a 16x cdrw. i hate using the 16x cdrw, but its a plex, and the only type that will burn cd+g format, which i need for business. i refuse to have burning at only 16x forever though, and since i have a 52x liteon, seems kinda dumb to buy a 52x plex

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Farbio
what if you have raid ide slots on your mb? can you use those as well?

i'm curious myself as well....i'm out of normal ide slots as well

and for the curious, i have a dvdrom, a 52x cdrw, and a 16x cdrw. i hate using the 16x cdrw, but its a plex, and the only type that will burn cd+g format, which i need for business. i refuse to have burning at only 16x forever though, and since i have a 52x liteon, seems kinda dumb to buy a 52x plex

Yes, you can use your RAID IDE connections Farbio. That's what I do

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Farbio
what if you have raid ide slots on your mb? can you use those as well?

i'm curious myself as well....i'm out of normal ide slots as well

and for the curious, i have a dvdrom, a 52x cdrw, and a 16x cdrw. i hate using the 16x cdrw, but its a plex, and the only type that will burn cd+g format, which i need for business. i refuse to have burning at only 16x forever though, and since i have a 52x liteon, seems kinda dumb to buy a 52x plex

Yes, you can use your RAID IDE connections Farbio. That's what I do

same here. that was the main reason I got raid. freed up a PCI slot.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Haha. Don't want to wear out your DVD burner? Then use the DVD drive for CDs when you get it and get rid of that CDRW.

lol, my DVD player refuses to read normal cds half the time. and when it does work it's so slow. it reads at around 6x according to SiSoft sandra.

 

[Farbio]

woohoo, thanks zim and iloveme2!
<-----gets to save a few dollars

 

[waylman]

Everyone, I came up with the perfect solution! I don't need a 3rd optical drive, Im just going to get a CDRW/DVD ROM combo drive.
Why did no one think of this?!?!

DVD ROM/CDRW will be used for burning CD's/CDROM/ripping DVD's
DVDRW will burn DVD's

anyone have a good recommendation for combo drive?