What is the best way to configure two hard disks? [ls120] [zip drive]
Q: I have a 20 GB hard drive that my OS install and all my programs. I also have a 60 GB hard disk that I want to use for storage. Both drives are 7200RPM ATA/100 drives. I have a mobo with built-in IDE RAID, but Im not running a real RAID setup – I just wanted the extra IDE channels, we still have a DVD-ROM, CD-RW, an LS120 and an ZIP drive. Thats 6 IDE devices.
The machine Im putting together is meant to be primarily used as an audio recording device. This means that the 60 GB drive storage needs to get a good connection, since the audio will be recorded in real time at that station. Also keep in mind that the program is used to record audio is on the 20 GB drive.
So my question is this . knowing the devices that I have and what my wishes are, what drives you on what would IDE channels? Ive thought of putting both drives on the first IDE channel, but I have heard not so fast as having them on separate channels. Is that correct? What happens if I drive and MS-120 on the first IDE channel, and the second disk and ZIP on the second channel, then let the CD-RW and DVD drive on the third or fourth IDE port (which added to the RAID chip)? I figure since the ZIP and LS-120 can not be used during recording, they will not hinder or slow data transfer. Good idea? Bad idea?
I really want to know whether certain configurations of the drive are going to delay me, and how I can prevent. Help me, AnandTech Forum Posters. Youre my only hope. 
Re:No, you're right it will only slow things down while they are in use. and then only when you are going between the two devices on the same channel. If you are actually going to be burning directly from the removeable storage to the CD-RW, then it would be a good idea to move them off of that channel anyway. Putting the LS-120 on the primary IDE is a good idea if you want to use it to boot.
Re:Well, I do need some bootable devices as well… would it slow things down at all if I jacked both the first HD (master) and the LS-120 (slave) into the first IDE port? The LS-120 almost never gets used – am I right in thinking that it would only slow things down when it's in use, or would it slow things down all the time?
Re:I like the way guy has got it set up. That would probably be my first choice too. It keeps the peripherals all on separate channels from the hard drives to maximize transfer to/from these devices and keeps the hard drives separate from one another and keeps the burner separate from the CD-ROM.
Re:That's what I was thinking of doing, guy. Thanks for the advice. I still would like a second opinion from any other forumites out there…
I should have mentioned before that I'm noticing that if I put my LS-120, Zip drive, and CD drives on the 3rd and 4th IDE channels, I can't boot from those devices. Apparently I can only boot from the first two IDE channels.
So my first question is, is it possible to boot from the third and fourth channels, the ones controlled by the RAID chip?
If not, would the following setup be a bad idea?
IDE1:
20 GB HD
LS-120
IDE2:
60GB HD
DVD-ROM
IDE3:
CD-RW
ZIP250
Re:You should put what you use more on separated channels. Do you have four ide channels ? So you may use up to 8 ide devices
Since you can access multiples channels simultaneously, with no loss of performance (sharing the same IDE channel), I think this would be a good config:
IDE1 HD 60Mb
IDE2 HD 20MB
IDE3 CDRW
ZIP DRIVE
IDE4 DVDROM
LS120
As you can see (if I'm not wrong) you may copy from HD1 to HD2 with no channel bandwidth sharing. You could also burn anything from both HD and from the DVDROM without sharing too. ZipDrives and LS-120 drivers are slow as hell, you'll probably won't need to burn anything from them directly to CD.
Hope it's right, and hope it helps you.
Related posts
Tags: ls120, zip drive