Devices properly connected to Motherboard?

[Elizabeth]

I am building my computer and got different opinions about how to connect my HArd Drive and optical devices to the IDE connections on the motherboard. Can you guys please clarify this issue?

I have an ASUS K8N motherboard, one Hard Drive, one DVD/player and one DVD/RW. I am using round cables (not the ones the motherboard came with)and I will like to know if I am doing it righ. You can see the cables I am using by clicking in the link below.

I am connecting the Hard Drive to the Primary IDE channel using the blue connector. At the opposite end with the black connector pluged to the HArd Drive and the jumper set to CABLE SELECT (CS).
The DVD/player is connected also to the primary IDE channel
using the middle connector and JUMPER is set as MASTER.

The DVD/RW is connected to the Secondary IDE channel with the opposite end of the round cable (black connector) pluged to the optical device which is set as SLAVE.

IS that the correct way of doing it?

Anyreply will be appreciated.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=12-104-628&depa=0

 

[pat]

the blue connector goes in the motherboard. You should have your HDD jumpered as master and the DVD player as slave on the primary channel. it doenst really matter which connector left you are using, as this is the jumpers that control the order of the device.

The dvd writer should be jumpered as master on secondary ide channel. It will run too if it is set as slave too, so it doesnt matter really.

Having one device set to CS and the other set as master or slave can give you trouble as it is the connection that define the priority, so dont do it. Let say the master device is set to CS but plugged to the slave connector and the slave jumpered device connected to the master end... so you'll end up with 2 device fighting for being the slave...you'd better stick to master/slave config.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[Elizabeth]

PAT...a question....

Is it correct to say that another way to configure the master/slave relationship is to set all three devices(HD-DVD/player-DVD/RW)with the jumpers set on CS and let the CPU and motherboard configure the proper selection as who will be the master and who the slave?...

I may be wrong on this...what do you think?

 

[pat]

Yes, I guess that it can be done that way, but I rather decide myself howw my device will be detected. sometime, you cannot put the wire like you want because of either lenght or space constraint, to have the device to show up like you want them. By setting them yourself, then you have control over your setup. Why let stupid hardware to decide for you??

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[Elizabeth]

Yes Pat...I can see your point....very valid...

I think that when I mention to set up all jumpers on Cable Select I mean this: (I may be wrong)...

With Cable Select if I am writting something on the DVD/RW using the DVD/player as the source... the processor then will give priority to that job and maximize the speed.

And also if I writte something on the DVD/RW using the Hard Drive as the source...then the processor will give priority to that job optimizing the speed.

Please correct me if I am wrong...and how will it work under similar circunstances if I set the jumpers the way you mentioned? (by the way I like your idea also).

 

[pat]

Hummm, I dont think that CS define piority. It just define the place on the controller. The prioroty is not set for device, but for task, by the OS. The DVD writer will still be a dvd writer, no matter where it is on the connector. As the HDD will be. So if the OS gives low priority to a task, then all that depend on will suffer. But if it gives high priority to one task, ten it will be improved, while the other task will suffer.I may be wrong thou.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!