Slow hard-drive issues... need some input

Hi, I am currently experiencing problems with my new hard drive that i just bought.
It is a WD 200GB 7200RPM Caviar EIDE Ultra ATA/100 Hard-drive. I mainly use it as back up drive.

Since i installed it, the file transfers to it from other hard-drives have been very slow and whenever i try to run a any kind of media fiel from (depending on the size of it) i notice that it takes longer to load and properly play it. Some files that are 1.7GBs don't even play properly... they keep on stalling.

• What are my options here?
• Is this a WinXP issue?
• Is this a hardware issue?
• Do i need a hard-drive controller?
• Anything i'm missing here?

I use this PC for video editing and graphic design. So i have it configured optimally for my needs. Here is my setup:

• Pentium 4 - 2.53Ghz
• 1024MB RAM
• WinXP Pro w/SP1
• Canopus DVStorm2 w/MPEG encoder HaRDWARE
• Matrox Millenium G550 Video Card
• SB Live for Audio
• 6-pin Firewire Card
• WD 80GB system HDD Master
• WD 200GB Backup HDD Slave
• Video RAID Drive 80GB x 2
• RAID Controller Card

Also, i should mention that my main 80GB hardrive is connected on the same IDE cable as the new 200GB drive. And the main drive is on the end of the cable (furthest from motherboard).
I only experience slow PC performance when i run things off the new drive.

 

hmm make sure that your're running the hard drives off a 80 connector cable, and not a 40 connector cable (80 connector very close wires, 40 is less close wires)

 

how do i know which is which?

 

I definetely got the thing running off a 80 connector cable

I should mention that the drive is not partioned and was formatted when installed.

 

Well, what i mean slow... is takes unusually long to transfer files from hard-drive to hard drive. About 3 times longer.

I do DVD production on that PC, so i transfered some footage to it to back it up in mpg format its about 1.7GB... when i play it it slows down the PC, the mouse jumps, the video and sound is choopy, thus slowing down everything.... however, when i play same files on the master drive it play fine, and i don't experince any slow downs.

 

Make sure that DMA and not PIO mode is enabled for all your drives in both the Bios and Device Manager.

 

yup, thats done.

 

I just checked how my drives are connected.

on IDE1 i have both my main drive (80GB) and backup drive (200GB) setup
while on IDE2 i only have my Pioneer DVD-RW.

Should i have my main drive and the DVD-rw on the same IDE and dedicate IDE2 to back up drive?

 

No, the current setup should be fine, but you could try it if all else fails. It really depends on your motherboard.

Generally, both hard drives should be on the primary controller and the faster one set as the master and the other as slave.

Leave the optical drives on their own controller.

Does Device Manager state no errors and enough resources for the drive?

Try on the manufacturers site for any utilities and perhaps some hard drive diagnostic programs?

 

Am I correct in understanding that your 200gb is the slave and that is what is slow?

Slave drives are always considerably slower than the Master.

If you have it defragged, and have everything enabled, there is probably not much you can do.

This happens to me, too, on my slave.

Have you considered purchasing a PCI IDE controller?

 

I have done diagnostic tests and checked out Device manager.. all tests have passed and i get no errors.

I have considered getting another controller card for this drive. I don't mind spending $50 or so....
what is the diff btw PCI IDE controller and SATA HDD with a PCI SATA Controller?

Also, if i partitioned the drive into 2 or 3 partitions, would that speed things up?

 

Partitioning won't speed things up, no.

PCI IDE--an IDE bus controller that hooks into your PC slot. No real disadvantage, as IDE runs on the PCI bus anyway.

SATA--Serial ATA. Runs on a different bus for increased performance. Performance isn't majorly better yet, but every little bit counts and the price difference is negligable most of the time. Requires a SATA controller on the motherboard or via PCI and a SATA hard drive.

 

I got ASUS P4B533 ... I don't think theres a SATA controller built into it.

 

I don't think so either, but admittedly, I haven't looked it up.

No worries really. I think a PCI IDE controller is your quick and easy answer.

 

On some PC Hardware sites. i see that they sell IDE to SATA converts things. Whats that all about?
Check this out: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-999-111&depa=0

 

It's so you can connect a standard IDE hard drive to a serial controller for those who want to convert their interface.

Have you tried using just the 200GB drive on it's own?

 

Nuh, haven't tried that.

I keep reading about how SATA drives na controllers speed everything up, is it worth getting this converter and a SATA controller card?

 

It's possible it may speed things up, but not because it's faster, but because you are using a different controller.

In other words, it may be that your controller cannot handle two devices.

Try just the 200 GB on it's own and that will give you an idea.

Currently, serial devices are no faster than IDE, and that is even moreso when it comes to add in cards and convertors.

 

Hmm... thanks for all your input.
I really want to avoid trying the 200GB drive on its own, simply cause of the time constraints. I'd have to do a lot to try to reproduce this sluggish performance.

what i am gonna do is get an IDE controller for $50 or so... and see if that does anything.

 

Well I solved my issues by adding a ATA/133 Controller.
I get blazing hard-drive speeds now.

I have all my jumper setting on the drives set to "cable select"
Is it better to have them on this settting or should i specify what is what ie, master. slave?
or it doesn't make a diif?

 

Glad to hear you sorted it out.

It looks like your motherboard controller couldn't handle both devices.

Cable Select normally requires a different cable, which you can usually tell by a small rectangular notch that has been punched out.

Cable Select is not very widely used and it really depends if you have the correct hardware, but personally I and most people use Master/Slave heirachy.

You can read up on it HERE.

 

hmm... thanks for that link.
I'm gonna set the 80Gb and 200 GB to single on jumer settings, since they have their own dedicated IDE channel.