Multiple DVD Burner Performance Problem

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kriskirk

Could someone help me diagnose the following problem.

I have 2 DVD burners, one is connected to the built-in IDE port on the
motherboard, the other is connected to a separate IDE card.

On my previous computer, I had the same setup as this and I could burn
multiple DVDs at once with no problems (this is using Nero with the DVD
files on my hard drive). However, on my current computer (P4 3.2ghz,
1gb RAM, ASUS P5GD1-VM, 200gb SATA, XP SP2), sometimes when I burn 2
DVD's at once it takes about 3 or 4 times longer than it should, plus
any access to the hard drive during this time is extremely slow.

There's obviously a bottleneck somewhere but I'm not sure how to go
about finding it. Someone suggested the IDE bus might be flooded, but
how can I determine this? Can anyone suggest a diagnostic tool that
might help me pinpoint the problem?
 
Could someone help me diagnose the following problem.

I have 2 DVD burners, one is connected to the built-in IDE port on the
motherboard, the other is connected to a separate IDE card.

On my previous computer, I had the same setup as this and I could burn
multiple DVDs at once with no problems (this is using Nero with the DVD
files on my hard drive). However, on my current computer (P4 3.2ghz,
1gb RAM, ASUS P5GD1-VM, 200gb SATA, XP SP2), sometimes when I burn 2
DVD's at once it takes about 3 or 4 times longer than it should, plus
any access to the hard drive during this time is extremely slow.

There's obviously a bottleneck somewhere but I'm not sure how to go
about finding it. Someone suggested the IDE bus might be flooded, but
how can I determine this? Can anyone suggest a diagnostic tool that
might help me pinpoint the problem?
Click to expand...

My experience with a CD or DVD burner on a IDE card (Promise Ultra100
TX2) was that it did not work well. DVD burners definitely prefer to
be on the built-in IDE port. Possibly your new mobo is a lot faster
than your old one and now there is a datarate discrepancy going on,
with the card being still the same speed and this is causing some kind
of logjam.

Are the burners both the same? If not, are they connected the same as
before?
 
Could someone help me diagnose the following problem.

I have 2 DVD burners, one is connected to the built-in IDE port on the
motherboard, the other is connected to a separate IDE card.

On my previous computer, I had the same setup as this and I could burn
multiple DVDs at once with no problems (this is using Nero with the DVD
files on my hard drive). However, on my current computer (P4 3.2ghz,
1gb RAM, ASUS P5GD1-VM, 200gb SATA, XP SP2), sometimes when I burn 2
DVD's at once it takes about 3 or 4 times longer than it should, plus
any access to the hard drive during this time is extremely slow.

There's obviously a bottleneck somewhere but I'm not sure how to go
about finding it. Someone suggested the IDE bus might be flooded, but
how can I determine this? Can anyone suggest a diagnostic tool that
might help me pinpoint the problem?
Click to expand...



Why don't you have both DVD drives on the IDE ports, but no the same ones..?
 
Are the burners both the same? If not, are they connected the same as
before?
Click to expand...

They're both Pioneers, a 107 and 108. They're the same ones I had in my
old computer, and yes they are connected the same. I tried connecting
them both to the IDE ports on the motherboard (I normally have a 2nd
hard drive connected to one) but that didn't seem to make a difference.


I've also tried burning from my second (IDE) HD instead of the SATA
one, and also using both drives at the same time, but I've had the
problem in all cases.
 
They're both Pioneers, a 107 and 108. They're the same ones I had in my
old computer, and yes they are connected the same. I tried connecting
them both to the IDE ports on the motherboard (I normally have a 2nd
hard drive connected to one) but that didn't seem to make a difference.


I've also tried burning from my second (IDE) HD instead of the SATA
one, and also using both drives at the same time, but I've had the
problem in all cases.
Click to expand...

Have a look for updated IDE drivers, and check that you've got DMA
enabled on the IDE channels.
 
Why don't you have both DVD drives on the IDE ports, but no the same ones..?

I did do try that, with my 2nd HD on the external IDE card, but the
problem still happened.

I guess I could try taking the IDE card out and leaving my 2nd HD
unplugged to see if they're somehow adding to the problem...
 
I did do try that, with my 2nd HD on the external IDE card, but the
problem still happened.

I guess I could try taking the IDE card out and leaving my 2nd HD
unplugged to see if they're somehow adding to the problem...
Click to expand...



Use a Promise controller for the extra Hard Drives, that it what I have done
for years, current MoBo has a similar one built in.
 
Keep in mind that:

If you have your source hard drive and your DVDR on the same IDE cable, they
have to time-share the bus. While reading from a HDD might take 10 ms (one
revolution), writing the same buffer to DVDR will take much longer. Since
the driver is likely to send one HDD transaction per one DVDR transaction
(round-robin allotment), your HDD speed will fall to about the same as your
DVDR (say, 10 MB/s).
 
I did do try that, with my 2nd HD on the external
IDE card, but the problem still happened.
Click to expand...

So what is the DMA status with both burners on
two separate internal IDE cables ? Bet its off.

XP can turn the DMA off if it decides that its
getting errors basically for safety of the data.
I guess I could try taking the IDE card out and leaving my 2nd HD
unplugged to see if they're somehow adding to the problem...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd simplify the hardware at least as a test to get a handle
on what is going on. Then once you get it going at the decent
speed again, you may well be able to add the 2nd HD back later.
 
Why not both on secondary IDE? Two 8X is only 2X 11MB/s. I have copied in this config.

I would fire up task manager and look at kernel CPU while burning on each drive.
 
Alexander said:
Keep in mind that:

If you have your source hard drive and your DVDR on the same IDE cable, they
have to time-share the bus. While reading from a HDD might take 10 ms (one
revolution), writing the same buffer to DVDR will take much longer. Since
the driver is likely to send one HDD transaction per one DVDR transaction
(round-robin allotment), your HDD speed will fall to about the same as your
DVDR (say, 10 MB/s).
Click to expand...

Yeah I realise that. I currently have 3 IDE devices on my computer, all
on separate cables. The 2 DVD drives are plugged into the 2 IDE ports
on the mobo, and my 2nd HD is plugged into the separate IDE card.

It's the same configuration I had on my previous computer, which was a
slightly lower spec than my current one, and I had no problems on that.
The only real difference in hardware is the motherboard. Both are ASUS,
the current one is a P5GD1-VM but I can't remember the other one. I
*think* it was P4P800. And my old PC didn't have a SATA drive.
 
Eric said:
Why not both on secondary IDE? Two 8X is only 2X 11MB/s. I have copied in this config.
Click to expand...

I found that when I had both DVD drives on one IDE cable, performance
was really bad when I was trying to rip 2 DVD's at once.
 
It doesn't have to, you clueless ****. The drives have 2MB+ buffers.

Try a real OS if you can't get it work under commie Linux.
 
Fraid so, works fine.
Click to expand...




NO IT DOES NOT, READ SOME MANUALS..

That is if you can read..

Neither does anything else, and it isnt needed anyways.
Click to expand...


YES IT IS, GO READ ABOUT IDE..

BEEN THEIR DONE ALL THIS MANY TIMES, GO READ SOME OF THE FACKS OUT THERE,
ADAPTEC USED TO HAVE LOTS ON INFO ABOUT THIS.
 
NO IT DOES NOT,
Click to expand...

FRAID SO, WORKS FINE.
READ SOME MANUALS..
Click to expand...

DONT NEED TO, I GOT REAL RADICAL AND TRIED IT.
That is if you can read..
Click to expand...

Its obvious you have have wanked yourself completely blind.
YES IT IS,
Click to expand...

NO IT ISNT.
GO READ ABOUT IDE..
Click to expand...

DONT NEED TO, I GOT REAL RADICAL AND TRIED IT.
BEEN THEIR DONE ALL THIS MANY TIMES,
Click to expand...

EASY TO CLAIM, YOU SILLY LITTLE PIG IGNORANT WANKER.
GO READ SOME OF THE FACKS OUT THERE,
Click to expand...

I DONT BOTHER WITH FACKS MYSELF...
ADAPTEC USED TO HAVE LOTS ON INFO ABOUT THIS.
Click to expand...

PITY YOU'RE SO STUPID YOU COULDNT MANAGE
TO READ AND COMPREHEND WHAT IT SAID.
 
XP said:
NO IT DOES NOT, READ SOME MANUALS..

That is if you can read..
Click to expand...

Well, now we see the difference between you and Rod. Your knowledge comes
out of a book, Rod's comes from experience.
YES IT IS, GO READ ABOUT IDE..

BEEN THEIR DONE ALL THIS MANY TIMES, GO READ SOME OF THE FACKS OUT THERE,
ADAPTEC USED TO HAVE LOTS ON INFO ABOUT THIS.
Click to expand...

Uh, Adaptec's major product line is SCSI, so it would seem wise to take
anything that they say about the relative merits of IDE and SCSI with a
very large dose of salt.

What is a "FACK", anyway? I know what a "FAQ" is, and a "FAKK", and a
"****", and a "FRACK", but not a "FACK".
 
Well, now we see the difference between you and Rod. Your knowledge comes
out of a book, Rod's comes from experience.
Click to expand...



NO IT DOES NO, BEEN THERE TRIED IT, AND IF YOU DO SOME SEARCHES, ITS A WELL
KNOW FACT..

Adaptec also sold its CD burning software, that has nothing at all to do with
SCSI, its now marked by Roxio.

Do some reading on IDE then apologize to me..
 
I agree: a bad cable can do that.

Rod Speed said:
So what is the DMA status with both burners on
two separate internal IDE cables ? Bet its off.

XP can turn the DMA off if it decides that its
getting errors basically for safety of the data.


Yeah, I'd simplify the hardware at least as a test to get a handle
on what is going on. Then once you get it going at the decent
speed again, you may well be able to add the 2nd HD back later.
Click to expand...
 
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