HDD config for P4C800-E

[anon]

I'll be assembling my new system this weekend.

I have 4 hard drives, 2 new and 2 from another system to
install. I'm not sure which HDD to use on which controller
for the fastest operation. The hard drives are:

74GB WD Raptor WD740GD SATA (new) for OS and apps
250GB Hitachi SATA (new) for data storage
160GB Maxtor UltraDMA 133 (old) contains data
IBM 80GB UltraDMA 100 (old) contains data

Al

 

[FairMan]

Since 74GB WD Raptor WD740GD SATA (new) for OS and apps are the fastest
disk, you should connect it to SataRaid1, 250GB Hitachi SATA (new) for data
storage to SataRaid2, 160GB Maxtor UltraDMA 133 (old) contains data to IDE
Raid and IBM 80GB UltraDMA 100 (old) contains data to Primary IDE
connector.Now you have place for three extra HDD:s or DVD/CD-rom/CD-burners.
For this configuration you must enable Promise controller (Default) an
chooce IDE (not raid) Set the boot disk to Raptor. Your 160GB Maxtor
UltraDMA 133 (old) contains data will now run at UltraDMA 133. If you
connect it to Primary IDE or Secondary IDE you will only get UDMA 100.
This is the fastest and most expandible way I can think of for this HDD:s
since you don't have two identical disks. For two identical disks you could
make a raid0 and increase the speed but that's not bad because raid0 are not
secure at all. Your disks will make a nice Team. And for the future you can
place two more Sata:s on your Sata connectors. They are not used in this
configuration.

Hope You'll be saticfired.

FairMan

 

[Philip Callan]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

FairMan wrote:

|> Since 74GB WD Raptor WD740GD SATA (new) for OS and apps are the fastest
|> disk, you should connect it to SataRaid1, 250GB Hitachi SATA (new)
for data
|> storage to SataRaid2, 160GB Maxtor UltraDMA 133 (old) contains data
to IDE
|> Raid and IBM 80GB UltraDMA 100 (old) contains data to Primary IDE
|> connector.Now you have place for three extra HDD:s or
DVD/CD-rom/CD-burners.
|> For this configuration you must enable Promise controller (Default) an
|> chooce IDE (not raid) Set the boot disk to Raptor. Your 160GB Maxtor
|> UltraDMA 133 (old) contains data will now run at UltraDMA 133. If you
|> connect it to Primary IDE or Secondary IDE you will only get UDMA 100.
|> This is the fastest and most expandible way I can think of for this HDD:s
|> since you don't have two identical disks. For two identical disks you
could
|> make a raid0 and increase the speed but that's not bad because raid0
are not
|> secure at all. Your disks will make a nice Team. And for the future
you can
|> place two more Sata:s on your Sata connectors. They are not used in this
|> configuration.


Dammit man, please tell me you just messed up here, and you werent serious.

He *cannot* attach the two SATA drives to the SataRaid1 and 2 headers,
unlike on the IDE, the SATA headers *DO NOT SUPPORT JBOD mode*

He would *require* two identical drives in order to RAID on the SATA.

The Promise controller *does* support JBOD, but given that a single
drive never approaches the transfer maximum for ATA100, let alone
ATA133, utilizing the promise controller is not always best.

For the OP, if you want a answer from someone who owns this board, heres
what will probably give you the best configuration:

74GB Raptor: SATA1
250GB Hitachi: SATA2
160GB Maxtor: Primary IDE, Master
80GB IBM: Secondary IDE, Master

Migrate your data from the 160/80 to the SATA 250G, and put your
OS/applications on the 74GB, boot from it.

This way you leave the Promise controller open for buying a set of
matched drives later and running a RAID, two slave channels for Optical
drives (if you have a optical WRITER however, I would bump the 80GB IBM
to the slave channel on primary ide, and master the writer on secondary)

This *also* leaves the SATA_RAID headers open, and if you get a second
SATA of either size (74GB Raptor or 250G Hitachi) you can build an array
later if RAID is in your future.

hth
Philip
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFAPkdG5sKixANmEMgRAtMXAJ0Th6a0cADzuBJXCBY/Hjuahks8UQCdGZTo
FfPHjOFIL7PkaeUQ52jYymw=
=KDqq
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

 

[anon]

74GB Raptor: SATA1
250GB Hitachi: SATA2
160GB Maxtor: Primary IDE, Master
80GB IBM: Secondary IDE, Master

Migrate your data from the 160/80 to the SATA 250G, and put your
OS/applications on the 74GB, boot from it.

This way you leave the Promise controller open for buying a set of
matched drives later and running a RAID, two slave channels for Optical
drives (if you have a optical WRITER however, I would bump the 80GB IBM
to the slave channel on primary ide, and master the writer on secondary)

This *also* leaves the SATA_RAID headers open, and if you get a second
SATA of either size (74GB Raptor or 250G Hitachi) you can build an array
later if RAID is in your future.

hth
Philip

I forgot to add I have a DVD and DVDRW. How would this
change the configuration?

Would this be a good config?

South Bridge controller:
74GB Raptor: SATA1
250GB Hitachi: SATA2
160GB Maxtor: Primary IDE, Master
80GB IBM: Primary IDE, Slave
DVDRW: Secondary IDE, Master
DVD: Secondary IDE, Slave

Promise controller:
open for future expansion

These are the other components I will be installing:
CASE AMS|0W WNDW CF-1006SP SILVER
POWER SUPPLY 470W(P4)ENERMAX EG475P-VE-SFMA RT
MB ASUS P4C800-E DELUXE CANTERWOOD
CPU P4C/3.2GHz 800M 512K HT RT
FD 1.44MB SONY MPF920
DDRAM 1GB (512 X 2) PC3500 991091 MUSHKIN RT
VGA ATI A-I-W RADEON 9800PRO 128M 8X

Is there anything I should be aware of with these
components? I plan on using the P4C800-E onboard sound. How
good is it with 2.1 speakers (2 channel plus subwoofer)?

Thanks everyone for your advice. I haven't build a system in
2 years and things change.

Al

 

[Philip Callan]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

anon wrote:

| I forgot to add I have a DVD and DVDRW. How would this
| change the configuration?
|
| Would this be a good config?
|
| South Bridge controller:
| 74GB Raptor: SATA1
| 250GB Hitachi: SATA2
| 160GB Maxtor: Primary IDE, Master
| 80GB IBM: Primary IDE, Slave
| DVDRW: Secondary IDE, Master
| DVD: Secondary IDE, Slave

That will work fine.

| These are the other components I will be installing:
| CASE AMS|0W WNDW CF-1006SP SILVER
| POWER SUPPLY 470W(P4)ENERMAX EG475P-VE-SFMA RT

Good choice in PSU, and you've given yourself room for expansion if you
need to power more hard drives or a better graphics card later on.

| I plan on using the P4C800-E onboard sound. How
| good is it with 2.1 speakers (2 channel plus subwoofer)?

the ad1985 chip is pretty good, comparable in quality to older SB live
5.1 products, and does quite well with multiple speaker setups. If you
were last using a non-5.1 soundcard, you'll be pleasantly suprised.
| Thanks everyone for your advice. I haven't build a system in
| 2 years and things change.

Wait 2 more and you'll have to forget all this again

Philip
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFAPmBR5sKixANmEMgRAjD5AJ9EG2dxQZQZFQ4OChlZdlxp5lQsOACffN/3
VnJl2RNchP473HISPDKjwaI=
=Lmik
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

 

[DaveW]

You didn't say which motherboard you're installing them in. It matters.

 

[DaveW]

I stand corrected. You did say in the Subject Line.