ok I'm really dumb about this stuff


I recently bought an internal DVD burner and a new hard drive for my computer and I went to install the DVD burner and there was no empty places to plug the IDE cable in. Is there some sort of adapter that I can get so I'd be able to plug more in?

11/22/2005 9:07:20 PM

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=IDE+PCI+cards&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=N&tab=ff&oi=froogler

Sure there is. Pick up one of the cards pictured in the link and it will give you more IDE ports so you can install your DVD burner.

11/22/2005 10:53:53 PM

sweet, thanks for the info

11/22/2005 11:51:00 PM

Make sure you current IDE cables have two plugs on them ... should be able to get a total of 4 devices on your system before you need an expansion card.

11/23/2005 6:22:26 AM

I don't think they do. I can only fit 2 devices on there.

11/23/2005 10:52:46 AM

If you bought a dvd burner, I would ditch whatever cd drive you have now before you buy an expansion card.

11/23/2005 10:57:40 AM

that still doesn't solve my problem of the new hard drive. I need somewhere to plug that in, too.

11/23/2005 11:01:49 AM

Find the number of ide connectors on your motherboard.

Multiply that number by 2.

That is the number of IDE devices your computer will currently support.

If you need more you will have to buy a pci card.

11/23/2005 11:13:10 AM

ok I see two connectors but I didn't see any way to connect any more to the ones that were already plugged in.

11/23/2005 11:17:22 AM

my guess is the IDE cables you currently have are the ones that came with the computer. Whoever made it was a cheap bastard and used single drive cables.

All you need, are 2x 2drive cables. i.e. cables that let you hookup two drives per cable

Most of the time these will actually come with any extra drive you purchase.

They look like this:



Blue end goes into the motherboard, the other two go to two drives.

Someone on here is bound to have some lying around if you need some. Otherwise you can buy them online or locally depending on what stores are nearby you.

11/23/2005 11:29:23 AM

ahh, yeah that helps a lot, the ones that came in my computer seem to be the cheap ones

thanks

11/23/2005 11:50:16 AM

Unless you to go a PC shop, they'll charge an arm and a leg for those at Best Buy/CompUSA. Somebody on TWW could probably sell 2 of them to you for $5 or less.

11/23/2005 1:23:22 PM

Just post something in classifieds and offer like $5/food/alcohol/bwn.

11/23/2005 1:37:49 PM

I don't live in Raleigh so I'd have to get them from somewhere other than tdub.

11/23/2005 1:41:45 PM

n/m..saw u werent in raleigh

[Edited on November 23, 2005 at 2:11 PM. Reason : doh!]

11/23/2005 2:11:20 PM