Hard Drive, Burner, CD-RW Configuration - Any Suggestions??

[phil.a1]

Hi all,

I've had big problems with my current DVD burner & DVD-ROM drive and have posted some topics in the forum. I've received many suggestions to resolve it but nothing seems to work. I suspect they're faulty drives now and, even though there's still the chance it may be something else (software, system setup, PSU etc.), I've decided to get a new burner which should arrive tomorrow (Pioneer 107), together with another hard drive. If it doesn't work then I give up - I think I'll ditch the computer, take up needlework & help out around the house/spend more time with the wife!

So I wondered if anybody had any suggestions as to the best setup configuration?

I am running the following currently: -

Athlon XP 2000
512MB RAM
Windows XP Pro (SP1 installed)
Hard Disk 120Gb (C: Drive - OS installed) Free Space 93Gb
Hard Disk 80Gb (G: Drive - storage use) Free Space 10Gb
CD-RW Drive
DVD-ROM Drive (apparently dead/dying)
DVD -/+ R/RW Drive (apparently dead/dying)
Maxtor Ultra ATA133 (PCI) Controller Card (4 connections)

I am probably going to ditch the 2 current DVD drives and add the Pioneer 107 & new 120 Gb hard drive.

So I'll have 3 hard drives, a CD-RW drive & the Pioneer 107 DVD Burner. Any suggestions/tips for installing them i.e., which controller for which (which one on primary main board, secondary mainboard & the RAID controller)? I will be using the new hard drive purely for DVD/video work.

What about if I want to add another drive - a replacement DVD-ROM drive for reading?

Thanks

Phil.

[chas0039]

I have had good luck with the HD on the primary IDE controller and DVD drives on the other. I have an older Promise controller and most of the time it works OK with any of the optical drives I have tried. I have had good luck with the CD RW or with the DVD-ROM.

I would also use the faster of the two current drives for the OS and the new drive for storage. I have done a lot of testing with different combinations and there is a significant decrease in time for both the ripping process and the burning process when the DVD, the storage drive, and the OS/software drive are on different channels. This is generally what the experts at Maximum PC have found as well.

Also, do not listen to the old story about the slowest drive on the controller slowing down the faster drive. This was true many years ago but no longer.

If I had your system I would try the new drive and the old OS drive on different IDE controllers as master. I would put the new Pioneer on the OS cable as slave. I would put anything else I wanted to use on the promise controller. Be aware that I have found that the Promise controlers don't seem to listen to Windows setup info such as what to do when you insert a new disc. Annoying but not critical. I also have seen a problem where windows freezes when you switch discs and then go to the explorer to look at files. And I would make sure I had tons of cooling fans and a good 450 watt power supply.

Good luck

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I have a MSI 8X DVD +-RW and a Lite on DVD Rom for reading purposes... why do you have so many drives?

I would start by getting rid of that many drives and staying only with the DVD-R & another DVD-Rom (only if you have reading problems due to slow speed, Lite on is the fastest Reader).

The Hard Disk must be set as Primary Master and the DVD-R as Secondary Master. If you have another HD, as Primary Slave and the second DVD-Rom as secondary Slave.

That works for me!, hope it will do the same for you.

Best Luck!