question about computer

[radeon4me2]

Hi I am getting a new computer in a couple of days and I have some questions about my computer and how to network it with my brothers computer which has the Rogers internet installed.

This is the config of my new computer.

AMD XP 1900+ or 2000+ (Cant decide yet)
Gigabyte GA-7VRXP
Thermaltake Volcanoe 7+ HSF
512MB PC2700 KingMax Ram
Maxtor 40GB 7200RPM ATA 133 HDD
ATI RADEON 9700PRO
onboard sound (Yuck)
LG 16x DVD ROM
LG 32x rewriter
FDD
CASE

Well can anyone tell me what they think. Its okay on price for my range and I will be running XP Pro. What connections should I use on my devices, (Slave, master, etc) and I heard that there is a way in connecting the devices for it to use DMA SUPPORT. How would I do that.

Okay, my brother is running win 2000 and i will be using XP as stated. How will I hook/network the two computers for it to share the internet and possibly the printer.
Would I buy a router and hook a crossover cable into it and run it to my new computer. IM CLUE-LESS!

Please help me. Thank you everyone.2

 

[Legendary]

Radeon 9700? HOW?! Not released for 2 weeks I read.

What you should do...buy a router...two ethernet cables. Connect both comps to the router...your Rogers to the router and voila.

Master 1: HD
Slave 1: DVD
Master 2: CDRW
Slave 2: Blank

is my recommendation for master/slave. If you install a larger application - install it from your CDRW so it copies faster.

Edit: Just read your mobo has onboard LAN. Only need a router then.

 

[radeon4me2]

Thank you for your help. Any more that I need to know.

And for the Radeon 9700. Im getting it early, of course soon, very soon.

and the motherboard already has a LAN port so do I just plug it into the Lan port, right?

"If you install a larger application - install it from your CDRW so it copies faster" - I dont understand sorry can you elaborate a little more for me? Thanks

Do u know about the DMA thing? Will this setup be fast, and support DMA? Im kinda clueless...

 

[CrazySaint]

I think he means to install from the CD-RW instead of the DVD player.

 

[Legendary]

Anything that's on the same IDE cable will copy slower (because instead of reading and writing at the same time it reads THEN writes because the cable cannot do both at once) So the CDRW, which is on a different cable, will install/copy faster to the HD than would the DVD player, which is on the same HD. This is why it's not wise to have your CD burner on the same cable as your HD or your CD-ROM drive.

Edit: As for DMA - when you install windows, go to system properties (in control panel) - then hardware - then device manager - then IDE controllers - right click primary IDE controller and go to settings and set both to "DMA if possible" if they're not set to that already. do the same for secondary IDE controller. you should have to reboot if you change anything.