New build going slow

chabsey

I just assembled my new core2duo machine and it's running a little slower than I expected, there's something wrong somewhere but I'm not sure where.

Running Windows XP SP2, nothing else unusual.

I bought this upgrade kit:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=313034

And used most of the parts of my old PC to finish the build. Now it's running slowly and I think it may be one or all of the following:

1) I only have one IDE port on this new board and my HDD and DVD are both on it. Might this be causing a slow down?

2) I incorrectly partitioned the drive when setting it up and gave Windows a 20 gig partition and partitioned nothing else. So a 250 gig drive thinks it's only 20 gig. Not sure if this might slow it up.

3) I am using the grey IDE cable from my old PC and not the yellow cable that came with my new board. Might this impact speed?


In the light of all the above, and assuming it's a IDE issue, I really would prefer not to have to buy a SATA drive as the 250 gig IDE is brand new. Is there any way of getting my machine running quicker without having to buy new gear?

Thanks!

Cuddlesworth

You have just found out something that pc builders have been dealing with for years. The limiting factor in highspec machines now is the hard-drive.

lynchie

If you think your drive is running slow, plug in your hdd on its own. Then check the bios to ensure that the ide channel is configured for auto or DMA modes. Check what mode the bios is reporting on startup. Also, in windows, if you go into device manager and goto the properties of teh hdd / ide channel u can see the dma mode there. You may also need to change it there if its not in DMA mode. Also, depending on the chipset, you may need to install the vendors drivers for IDE etc.. (I know VIA chipsets usually need drivers installed)

chabsey

Thanks for the replies guys, I should clarify that when I say slow I mean it’s sluggish enough for me to feel it’s going slower than my old Athlon 2200+ so I know something is wrong. I don’t think it’s a case of the HDD limiting the build in the sense that everything else is running 100% perfectly and so it must be the 7200 IDE HDD is somehow slowing things down. More likely it’s some cable or setting that I’ve set wrongly.

I’ll try the BIOS/DMA fixes and change the IDE cables and also try the HDD on it’s own this evening. I’m hoping it’s one of those. Any other ideas/suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

BlackWizard

Your new CPU runs at the same Ghz as your old CPU but of course your new one
has two cores. Could that be it?

kmb

Your problem is simply that the hard drive can only go the same speed as your dvd.You have to put them on seperate ides.The dvd is the limiting factor!!

That is a definate!!
If the old ide cable is blue and black connectors its suitable for 133 ide speed for hdd.though your dvd may be running at 33!!
Regards

Kieran

8T8

kmb wrote:

Your problem is simply that the hard drive can only go the same speed as your dvd.You have to put them on seperate ides.The dvd is the limiting factor!!

That is a definate!!
If the old ide cable is blue and black connectors its suitable for 133 ide speed for hdd.though your dvd may be running at 33!!
Regards

Kieran

That particular issue no longer applies with modern motherboards an ATA33 device can co-exist with an ATA100 device without causing it to drop to the ATA33 mode (assuming he is using an 80-pin IDE cable).


chabsey I would be very surprised if it did turn out to be the issue above, it sounds more like what krazy_8s was saying if the drive is working correctly in UDMA mode and a cable change does nothing (doesn't hurt to check) get yourself a WD SE16 SATA HD, good value and performance.

Cuddlesworth

I would have said one of these would have been better, seems they are quite fast and very quite.

I said that the hard-drive is the limiting factor, because in my job I get to work with some very high spec and very low spec parts. A their is a huge difference between a fast machine with a old Ide drive, and a fast machine with a good pci-x raid card and 2 15k scuzzy drives in raid 0. Not that it is practical for a home pc, but its a great display of what is holding the pc back from true speed and performance.

chabsey

I took the DVD drive off the IDE cable, switched to one of those yellow IDE cables for the HDD and the machine is now flying. Thanks for all tips etc.