IDE Configuration

[sammy5gs]

Hey Guys...

Dumb question here. I have the following devices that I will be hooking up via IDE cables/channels on my mobo:

120GB HDD - Primary Master
20GB HDD
CDRW

Now, I believe I have read somewhere that based on how I configure the second HDD and CDRW, it could effect my system performance. Therefore, how should the 20GB HDD and the CDRW be setup as? Primary Slave, Secondary Master, Secondary Slave?

 

[NetRyder]

Set the two hard drives on the primary channel - 120 and 20 as master and slave respectively. Hopefully the 20GB drive is recent enough to support UltraATA/100 at least.
Then set the CDRW as secondary master. CDRW drives usually use a slower DMA speed, and if you use it on the same channel as a faster hard drive, the DMA channel downgrades to the mode of the slowest drive.

 

[sammy5gs]

Originally posted by NetRyder
Set the two hard drives on the primary channel - 120 and 20 as master and slave respectively. Hopefully the 20GB drive is recent enough to support UltraATA/100 at least.
Then set the CDRW as secondary master. CDRW drives usually use a slower DMA speed, and if you use it on the same channel as a faster hard drive, the DMA channel downgrades to the mode of the slowest drive.

What if I were to tell you that the 120 HDD is ATA100, while the 20gb HDD is ATA66. Based on your explanation of the CDRW, then if I hook up the 120 as Primary master, and 20 as Primary Slave, then both would transfer at UATA66, correct? If so, I would not want to do that, would I?

 

[Taurus]

Originally posted by NetRyder
CDRW drives usually use a slower DMA speed, and if you use it on the same channel as a faster hard drive, the DMA channel downgrades to the mode of the slowest drive.

i have yet to see proof of this. everyone claims it, but i've never seen it...

mine have always had their own modes. this is even on my old kt133 board.

 

[LrdKaos]

This may help clear some things up.

1.) No matter what the ata 66, 100, 133, ect. you will never get that amount of tranfer for a consistent tranfer, you may be able to reach a burts of 75 sometimes but even that is rare.

2.) You can notice a diffrence if preformance if you have the 120 set to your primary and your 20 gig set to your secondary IF you have your swap set up on the 20gig, this this frees up access times when playing games, or other HD intensive programs that will be doing alot of memory access and relie on the swap file. ( less reading and writting to the primary because the swap is not there, also chews up less bandwith on that channel)

3.) I have noticed system preformance increases in the past when I have done this. It may be marginal but can give you that 1-2+ seconds faster load time while doing things.

 

[RogerPhillis]

CDRWs are generally ATA33, so it would only seem to make sen
se if the two hard drives were Masters on IDE1 and 2 and the CDRW was slave IDE 2.
You dont really want any drive on IDE 1 slave to interfer with your main disc drive performance.

For the best you can could add an ata 133 ide controller card for further master options or upgrade your mobo to one with 4 IDE drives.