New box here

[Alejandra]

Yeap, a 875P MoBo, 512MB dual channel DDR400, P4 3GHz.

I'm using two Maxtor 7,200 RPM HDs with PATA to SATA converters in RAID 0 config with the ICH5R.

In the first and second IDE are my optical drives CDRW and DVD, should I install the Intel Ultra ATA driver? Is there any gain if I only have opticals connected there? Or the drive has probs with CDR software?

Thanks.

[dodecahedron]

congrats on your new box! enjoy!

[BurninMan921]

If you have only have two optical drives, and your HDD's are on the SerialATA channels, then I'd put each CD/DVD drive on it's own channel. That'll maximize the performace between the two (for disc-to-disc copies, for example).

As to the Intel drives, since the 865/875 don't use the IAA, then yeah, I'd install 'em.

Do you have two 512MG sticks or did you mean you have 512MG total? I have a P4C running w/512MG total, and it just drags it's heals in Windows XP. 1GB would help it alot!

Oh, and don't forget to enable HyperThreading - it rocks! You can actually USE the PC when it's doing something like encoding a DVD->DivX, or compressing a DVD w/DVDShrink or Recode2...

[Alejandra]

Never mind, I just visited the MSI forums, IAA is only for ICH4 or older chipsets. But IAA for RAID is mandatory.

Yes, I have two 256 sticks, in a dual channel, HT is enabled. I'm using Win2K, I don't like XP very much right now.

I'm using Recode2 right now, and yes it is fast.

[BurninMan921]

I don't like XP very much right now.

Same here!! I hate XP...and 2K...and ME...and 98...and 95...and 3.1..and..

[dodecahedron]

Same here!! I hate XP...and 2K...and ME...and 98...and 95...and 3.1..and..

you missed 98SE

[aviationwiz]

You also missed all the NT's.