Two CDRs or a CDR and an extra HD

[dalfollo]

On my system I have the following SATA/PATA available:

2 SATA: One SATA HD and space for a future ~300 SATA HD
4 PATA: two HDs; one DVD-RW and one DVD/CDR (stock)

I recently picked up a 300GB PATA drive and thought I would remove the stock DVD/CDR drive and replace it with the new 300GB HD; Leaving me with an NEC 3550 DVDR-RW and the 300GB HD on the same line...

do you suggest one or the other as Master??

I may set up the following:

IDE0a - CS/Programs
IDE0b - D: Data
IDE1a - E: DVDR
IDE1b - F: Data

SATAa - HD
SATAb - future HD

Any feedback appreciated...I have to do is find a spare IDE cable because the one currently being used by the dual CD/DV disks is not the faster type that has more wires...

side note...I just don't find myself burning from CD to another....so it is easy to lose one CD and gain the capasity of mre HD space...

 

[SynthDude2001]

I don't know that master/slave really matters that much, but I'd try to avoid putting two devices on the same IDE channel if you think you'll be using them at the same time often. In any case I would definitely go ahead and setup the new 300GB hard drive on the same channel as the burner (since it's really the only space you've got, once you take out the DVD-ROM)...if I had the choice between keeping both of my optical drives and replacing one with a hard drive (IDE for storage), I'd get the new hard drive without a second thought. I never do CD/DVD->CD/DVD copying either - but I did just buy a 250GB IDE hard drive within the last month or two, and it's already almost full with HDTV recordings and such...