UDMA Question

[ellen]

I own a Dell Dimension 8250, purchased in 4/03. It's my understanding that
the
Intel chipset (850E) supports UDMA 4 on the secondary IDE channel. However,
my new Plextor 16x DVD burner shows up in Device Manager as UDMA 2, with no
option for UDMA 4. (My hard drive on the primary channel is UDMA 5.) I
called Dell and was told that there was a difference between the two
channels on my system, as the primary channel is assumed to be for the hard
drive, but looking at the Intel specs suggsets otherwise. I was wondering if
someone might shed some light on this. Swapping drives on the secondary
channel (right now the Plextor is master and my DVD drive is slave using
cable select), changing cables, uninstalling/reinstalling the IDE channels
does not make a difference, and I've checked the drive itself and it is
capable of UDMA 4. My OS is XP Pro, SP2. Thanks.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

UDMA Mode 2 is most you can get with any CD or DVD Burner.
UDMA Mode 4 or 5 is for hard drives only and would not really
benefit a DVD drive since it can only read or write at its designed
maximum speed.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I own a Dell Dimension 8250, purchased in 4/03. It's my understanding that
| the
| Intel chipset (850E) supports UDMA 4 on the secondary IDE channel. However,
| my new Plextor 16x DVD burner shows up in Device Manager as UDMA 2, with no
| option for UDMA 4. (My hard drive on the primary channel is UDMA 5.) I
| called Dell and was told that there was a difference between the two
| channels on my system, as the primary channel is assumed to be for the hard
| drive, but looking at the Intel specs suggsets otherwise. I was wondering if
| someone might shed some light on this. Swapping drives on the secondary
| channel (right now the Plextor is master and my DVD drive is slave using
| cable select), changing cables, uninstalling/reinstalling the IDE channels
| does not make a difference, and I've checked the drive itself and it is
| capable of UDMA 4. My OS is XP Pro, SP2. Thanks.

 

[David Hollway [MVP]]

...and to add to Carey's answer, the response you received from Dell would
seem to be incorrect. The Intel 850E chipset - specifically, the ICH2 ATA
controller chip - supports two ATA channels with identical capabilities. If
you were to put the HDD on the second channel, you'd still get UDMA5
(ATA/100) mode. There is NO capability difference between the two channels.

Hope this helps.

 

[ellen]

Thanks - just curious though - the manual for the new Plextor 716A says it's
capable of UDMA 4. Assuming there's no problem with cable or drive (I have
checked both), is there a Windows-related reason why I couldn't achieve it?

 

[Frank]

Ellen FWIW:
My Lite-on DVDROM shows up as a UDMA 4 and my CDRW
shows up as UDMA 2, both in the BIOS and Device Manager
and as advertised.

| Thanks - just curious though - the manual for the new Plextor 716A says
it's
| capable of UDMA 4. Assuming there's no problem with cable or drive (I
have
| checked both), is there a Windows-related reason why I couldn't achieve
it?
|
| message | > ..and to add to Carey's answer, the response you received from Dell
would
| > seem to be incorrect. The Intel 850E chipset - specifically, the ICH2
ATA
| > controller chip - supports two ATA channels with identical capabilities.
| > If you were to put the HDD on the second channel, you'd still get UDMA5
| > (ATA/100) mode. There is NO capability difference between the two
| > channels.
| >
| > Hope this helps.
| >
| > | >> UDMA Mode 2 is most you can get with any CD or DVD Burner.
| >> UDMA Mode 4 or 5 is for hard drives only and would not really
| >> benefit a DVD drive since it can only read or write at its designed
| >> maximum speed.

| >>
| >> "ellen" wrote:
| >>
| >> | I own a Dell Dimension 8250, purchased in 4/03. It's my
understanding
| >> that
| >> | the
| >> | Intel chipset (850E) supports UDMA 4 on the secondary IDE channel.
| >> However,
| >> | my new Plextor 16x DVD burner shows up in Device Manager as UDMA 2,
| >> with no
| >> | option for UDMA 4. (My hard drive on the primary channel is UDMA 5.)
| >> I
| >> | called Dell and was told that there was a difference between the two
| >> | channels on my system, as the primary channel is assumed to be for
the
| >> hard

 

[Jetro]

Do not use Cable select.

 

[ellen]

Thanks, coudl you tell me which is master and which is slave? Right now I
have the DVD writer as master and the DVD drive as slave (not using Cable
Select)> I was thinking I might switch the configuration.

 

[Frank]

I use a fasttrak RAID so my DVD is on IDE channel 1 master
and my CDRW is on IDE channel 2 master. I also use
the 80 wire data cables.

| Thanks, coudl you tell me which is master and which is slave? Right
now I
| have the DVD writer as master and the DVD drive as slave (not using
Cable
| Select)> I was thinking I might switch the configuration.
|
| | > Ellen FWIW:
| > My Lite-on DVDROM shows up as a UDMA 4 and my CDRW
| > shows up as UDMA 2, both in the BIOS and Device Manager
| > and as advertised.
| >
| > | > | Thanks - just curious though - the manual for the new Plextor 716A
says
| > it's
| > | capable of UDMA 4. Assuming there's no problem with cable or
drive (I
| > have
| > | checked both), is there a Windows-related reason why I couldn't
achieve
| > it?
| > |
| > | "David Hollway [MVP]" <[email protected]>
wrote in
| > | message | > | > ..and to add to Carey's answer, the response you received from
Dell
| > would
| > | > seem to be incorrect. The Intel 850E chipset - specifically, the
ICH2
| > ATA
| > | > controller chip - supports two ATA channels with identical
| > capabilities.
| > | > If you were to put the HDD on the second channel, you'd still
get
| > UDMA5
| > | > (ATA/100) mode. There is NO capability difference between the
two
| > | > channels.
| > | >
| > | > Hope this helps.
| > | >
| > | > | > | >> UDMA Mode 2 is most you can get with any CD or DVD Burner.
| > | >> UDMA Mode 4 or 5 is for hard drives only and would not really
| > | >> benefit a DVD drive since it can only read or write at its
designed
| > | >> maximum speed.
| >
| > | >>
| > | >> "ellen" wrote:
| > | >>
| > | >> | I own a Dell Dimension 8250, purchased in 4/03. It's my
| > understanding
| > | >> that
| > | >> | the
| > | >> | Intel chipset (850E) supports UDMA 4 on the secondary IDE
channel.
| > | >> However,
| > | >> | my new Plextor 16x DVD burner shows up in Device Manager as
UDMA 2,
| > | >> with no
| > | >> | option for UDMA 4. (My hard drive on the primary channel is
UDMA
| > 5.)
| > | >> I
| > | >> | called Dell and was told that there was a difference between
the
| > two
| > | >> | channels on my system, as the primary channel is assumed to
be for
| > the
| > | >> hard
| >
| >
|
|

 

[ellen]

Thanks, I have both on the same channel (since I don't want to buy an add on
card) though I don't believe that should make a difference - while the DVD
is UDMA 2, I wouldn't think that should limit the DVD writer.