Master / Slave issues

[pookey]

I'm installing 4 drives on my new rig

1) WD Raptor

2) WD 2000JB (200GB IDE Ultra ATA 100 drive)

3) DVD Burner

4) DVD Rom drive

Just to save myself some headache, what are the master/slave options. I know I don't have to worry about the Raptor being a SATA drive. But for 2000JB and the DVD drives, what do you guys recommend?

[Panama Red]

If you're using 80 wire IDE cables, just use Cable Select (CS). If you're using a 40 wire for the opticals, use Master/Slave. I usually make the rom drive the Master and the burner the Slave.

[Dark Nova]

primary Master: WD 200GB (re-edited: youll have to use CB, but make the bigger HD your master)
primary slave: WD raptor (re-edited: no jumpers)
secondary master: DVD Burner (ur choosing)
secondary slave: DVD Rom (ur choosing)

i meant make the 200GB the Master and not setting the jumpers too

[Panama Red]

Uh, DN, the Raptor is a SATA. No Master/Slave jumpering on SATA.

[pookey]

dont' mean to sound retarded but, how do I know if I have 80 or 40 wire cables?

[Dark Nova]

80 wires: the wires are smaller smaller and you have 80
40wires: the wires are bigger and you have 40

for ex: http://geekspeak.org/articles/12/40wire_vs_80wire_320x261.jpg

here that ones closer : http://www.just2good.co.uk/images/jpg/ide4080.jpg

[Panama Red]

The 80 wire ide cables are nearly smooth because the wires are so small. The 40 wire cables have very pronounced ridges in them. Also, 80 wire cables have a blue connector on one end that goes to the mobo and a grey connector in the middle with a black connector on the other end. 40 wire connectors are usually all black.

[pookey]

omg, I actually just counted the wires, ok I have 80 wire. So it doesn't matter which I make the master or slave on the cable? Is it better to have the optical drives on separate cables? Or on a single?

[Panama Red]

Your motherboard probably has 2 ide channels. Each can handle a max of 2 drives; either opticals or hard drives, separately or in combinations. It's easier to physically connect two opticals on one cable (the secondary ide usually) and the hard drive(s) on the primary ide. Just be sure to set the bios boot priority correctly so your Raptor is the first boot device.

[pookey]

I guess I posed the question wrong. I meant to ask is there any advantage of having them on different or same ide channels

[Cricket]

I guess I posed the question wrong. I meant to ask is there any advantage of having them on different or same ide channelsIf you do a lot of optical to optical burning (on-the-fly burns) it's best to keep the opticals on different IDE channels.

If you rip from an optical to the hard drive and then burn from hard drive to optical, then it's best to keep the opticals on one channel and the hard drive on the other.

:) Cricket