[Loanstar]

Hi all,

I wish I found this forum long ag. Looking through actually showed me how possible it is to improve my machine.

Question...

Based on my specs below, I am wondering how to get the most out of my hard-driver performace. The two Serial ATA drives are excellent but I would like to install a 160GB Maxtor that I am not using. My mobo only has one IDE socket so I have to add another or go Sata and lose a perfectly good 160GB.

Can anyone suggest what the best way to configure the drives are?

My specs are below.

System Type X86-based PC

Processor Intel® Core™2 CPU 6600 @ 2.40GHz, 2400 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG, 17/12/2006
SMBIOS Version 2.4

Total Physical Memory 2,045.88 MB

Total Virtual Memory 4.21 GB (Low, but problem was active before VM dropped)

Available Virtual Memory 2.90 GB

Page File Space 2.29 GB

Mainboard: MSI P965Neo (basic model)

Audio: Integrated Realtek High Definition Audio (disabled on one profile as it conflicts with the TC Audio interface)

Audio 2: TC Electronics Konnekt 8

Video: Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS (512Vram)

Network: Realtek RTL8169/8110 Family PCI Gigabit Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.0)

IDE Support: JMB36X Standard Dual Channel PCIE IDE Controller

Serial ATA Controller: Intel® ICH8 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller - 2820

Sata Drives: 2 x Sata HD and 1 LG DVD (sata as well.)

Ide Drives: 1 x Ide HD at 7200RPM 160GB.

PSU 550 Watts

Thanks in advance tothose who might have some advice.

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Welcome to Geeks to Go.

I don't seen any other componants using the IDE slot....

Assuming that you can't for one reason or another use IDE:

You can get an adapter that converts an IDE drive to SATA but keep in mind that it will only run at PATA speeds: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822998001.

Edited by Titan8990, 19 November 2007 - 01:32 PM.

[Titan8990]

Welcome to Geeks to Go.

I don't seen any other componants using the IDE slot....

Assuming that you can't for one reason or another use IDE:

You can get an adapter that converts an IDE drive to SATA but keep in mind that it will only run at PATA speeds: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822998001.

Edited by Titan8990, 19 November 2007 - 01:32 PM.

[Loanstar]

Hi Titan8990.

Thanks for the superfast response!

Actually, I`m not sure if I worded my message properly. What I`m curious about is if there are any special considations I should make. For example, in my Bios, I see different modes for the IDE controller. UDMA, Block Mode, PIO and the choices for that... etc.

I also came across a reference to Busmater, (whatever that is) and what is even more confusing is that the documentation makes a reference to enabling a Secondary "PCI-IDE" feature but my mother voard only has one IDE plug.

What I would like to do is move my burner to the one of my Sata ports and then the HD installed on the IDE socket. I have heard that this might make the drive really slow and when I trid this, it sure was slow. I've only had it for 2 years and it was quite fast in my old machine.

Perhaps I am missing a setting in Vista.

Anyhow, thanks again!

[Titan8990]

Make sure that it is set in UDMA mode. Typically it is set to this by defualt.