Drive Performance / OS Installation Qs

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I am about to build an AMD64 PC with an ABIT AV8 (has integrated SATA)
and I have some questions about drive performance and installing XP Home:

WHICH DRIVE FOR OSs?
I want to reinstall XP Home/Linux on my 40 GB IDE ATA100 drive (<2 mths
old) and use a new 160 GB SATA150 drive for personal files.
-Would I sacrifice much performance by doing so?
-Will I need to use an SATA driver disk during XP install (no RAID)?

WHICH SHOULD BE MASTER: 16x D-L RECORDER OR 16x DVD-ROM/CDRW?
-I will most frequently use the DVD/CDRW drive, but I'm curious: would
it make a difference which is "master"?

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Jonathan Appleseed" <apple@mud.net> wrote in message
news:EQeie.115$eR.100@fe05.lga...
> I am about to build an AMD64 PC with an ABIT AV8 (has integrated SATA)
> and I have some questions about drive performance and installing XP Home:
>
> WHICH DRIVE FOR OSs?
> I want to reinstall XP Home/Linux on my 40 GB IDE ATA100 drive (<2 mths
> old) and use a new 160 GB SATA150 drive for personal files.
> -Would I sacrifice much performance by doing so?
> -Will I need to use an SATA driver disk during XP install (no RAID)?

If your 40gb is only 5400rpm (as opposed to 'newer' 7200rpm), then yes you
would notice speed difference I would guess. In my recent experience SATA is
more trouble than it's worth - had bad boot sectore and no working floppy
drive DOH so could not repair or reload XP. I for one am sticking with IDE
until newer technology - my 160Gb SATA is no faster than my 80Gb IDE Seagate
in real terms.

>
> WHICH SHOULD BE MASTER: 16x D-L RECORDER OR 16x DVD-ROM/CDRW?
> -I will most frequently use the DVD/CDRW drive, but I'm curious: would
> it make a difference which is "master"?

Does'nt seem to make any difference which optical is master in my
experience.

HTH JonMaC

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Tue, 17 May 2005 00:57:56 -0500, Jonathan Appleseed
<apple@mud.net> wrote:

>I am about to build an AMD64 PC with an ABIT AV8 (has integrated SATA)
>and I have some questions about drive performance and installing XP Home:
>
>WHICH DRIVE FOR OSs?
>I want to reinstall XP Home/Linux on my 40 GB IDE ATA100 drive (<2 mths
>old) and use a new 160 GB SATA150 drive for personal files.
>-Would I sacrifice much performance by doing so?

Yes
Even if the 40GB drive is "new" as-in, unused, it's still
older tech and going to be slower. This is also compounded
by the fact that you will be keeping all the OS files on the
outer portion of the disk (presumably, if/when partitioning
that off) which reduces latency and has higher linear
transfer rate from the higher capacity drive.

SATA vs PATA, depends more on the implementation, it doesn't
matter nearly as much as the aforementioed issue.


>-Will I need to use an SATA driver disk during XP install (no RAID)?

Depends on the board and I don't recall on that one. Having
a driver floppy ready is a whole lot better than not (and
needing it). Who knows, you may want a RAID someday and may
as well add the driver right up front.


>
>WHICH SHOULD BE MASTER: 16x D-L RECORDER OR 16x DVD-ROM/CDRW?

yes, one of those, it wouldn't matter which unless the
driver or board bios is buggy, in which case it's a matter
of trial and error. Master and slave are only logical
designations like "Drive # 54" and "Drive # 46", there is no
real need to have either in either position except with
defective gear (that works otherwise and you kept it only
because this is such a minor issue).


>-I will most frequently use the DVD/CDRW drive, but I'm curious: would
>it make a difference which is "master"?

Nope, but if you will be doing most of your drive-drive
copying from one of those to the other, don't put them on
the same cable at all, put each on opposing cables
regardless of master/slave designation per cable.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Jonathan Appleseed" <apple@mud.net> wrote in message
news:EQeie.115$eR.100@fe05.lga...

> -Would I sacrifice much performance by doing so?

Johns recommened to me, *NOT* mixing SATA and PATA.
Maybe he will chime in and expand.

> -Will I need to use an SATA driver disk during XP install (no RAID)?

I too have an AV8, and YES, you will. (it's that black 3.5" diskette)

At post screen (red and green "Abit Engineered") press *delete*

When BIOS options open, use down arrow key to "advanced BIOS features".
Hit ENTER
Use down arrow key to "first boot device"
Hit ENTER
Use arrow key to set dot in the CD ROM area.
Hit ENTER
Use arrow key to move to "Save and Exit"
Hit ENTER
When asked *yes?*
Insert your Windows disk into drive, and ...
Hit ENTER again.

The post will then continue. You will be asked, "Boot from CD?"
Don't worry about it, it will boot from CD automatically if you
are slow to input *Y* and hit ENTER

Baby blue screen comes up from Windows.
In the area where the task bar would be, Windows will ask momentaryly
"If you need to install other drivers, etc etc ___" , press F6.

Press F6 then.

Windows will load drivers, and do this and that, THEN you will be
prompted to insert your disk into drive:A.

Do so and hit ENTER to continue.

**IMPORTANT PART*

Once drive: A opens ... use arrow button to scroll
ALL THE WAY DOWN, to select your option.

hit ENETR, have a smoke, have a beer, and wait ....
you'll soon be there.