Second HD drive slowing me down?

[mh2360]

I have a Maxtor 2GB (PIO4 according to boot screen), slaved to a Fujitsu ATA100 20GB HDD. I have read articles about the slave device slowing the performance of the master, is the Maxtor affecting my Fujitsu in any way?

 

[cdogg]

Absolutely right. Because the Maxtor is using PIO4 and is on the same IDE channel as the Fujitsu, it's causing the faster hard drive to also use PIO4. PIO-mode is pre-ATA technology. Whenever a device uses PIO, it must go through the processor to get to the system RAM. This can eat resources and increase CPU usage to 100% causing the entire system to slow down.

In order for your Fujitsu drive to operate at ATA/100, the motherboard must support it and must be using DMA (Direct Memory Access).

You'll want to either ditch the old Maxtor drive or place it on a different IDE channel. Just know that any device on the same channel is at risk!

~cdogg

 

[mh2360]

Ok.. so whatever im running, the Maxtor is always going to slow me down? (i only use it to store MP3s anyway... CDR will do if need be )

 

[cdogg]

That's correct. When you boot up your pc, the BIOS initializes the devices on each IDE channel. The highest standard recognized among the devices is set. In your case, that highest standard is PIO4 on the primary IDE channel. It doesn't matter which device is currently in use. Both can only use PIO4 at any given time, which is what you want to avoid...

Is this a new pc with an old hard drive or vice-versa?

 

[mh2360]

The Motherboard is a new VIA K7VZA, the Maxtor is there because I was given it (2GB might come in handy)... If it causing that much of a problem i could trash it no prob...

 

[cdogg]

Yeah, ditch it...kewl [flush]

 

[paparazi]

I take it from your willingness to scrap the Maxtor, slaving it to a rom device on another channel is out of the question?
I pressume all other connections are taken?
Martin Just trying to help, sometimes falling short, I am only human after all.

 

[mh2360]

Yes, with a CD writer and DVDROM

 

[pirate252]

or if you dont want to trash it you could always buy another controler card and hook the 2 gig up to it's own cable.

Matt

 

[IMRevbudgreen]

With the low cost of drives today, either give it to a friend in trade for something cool, auction it off on e-bay for a buck, or put it in an old pre ATA system.
PEACE Not All Who Wander Are Lost