Drive burns at 8x and slower, but not faster

Svenson 2005-01-14 17:45:44 UTC #1

Hi Guys,

I've had my drive for about a week now and I've been enjoying it a lot.

Unfortunately I was short on both discs and time so tonight is the first time I've really gotten some quality burning time and I've ran into a problem . . .

The Problem:

I can burn at 8x and slower and the burning times seem on target - I just burnt a full disc at 8x and it took 9 min and 40 seconds. However if I try to burn at "max" or choose 16 or 12 it actually slows the burn down! I just tried to burn a TYG02 -R at 12x and it took a tad over 16 minutes!

Relevant Info:

*) The Media is TY -R and +R. Scans are looking very good.

*) The burning software has been Nero 6.0.0.23 and CloneDVD2 V2.6.1.3.

*) The computer is dated - its an Emachines 667ix thats had the memory upgraded to 256, the processor upgraded to 1.1Ghz, and the hard drive upgraded to a Western Digital 40gb with 8mb buffer.

*) The Operating system is Windows 98 Second Edition that's current on all updates.

*) The hard drive is the master and only drive on the primary ide controller.

*) The BenQ is the master and only drive on the secondary ide controller.

*) The hard drive is using the stock 40 conductor flat ide cable, the BenQ is using a round 80 conductor ide cable (I know, it's not optimal and I have another one on order).

*) The DMA is turned on for both the hard drive and the BenQ.

*) The BenQ was a NU drive from New Egg and was upgraded to B7T9 firmware.

Any ideas why it wont break the 8x barrier?

Thanks!

-Bob-

Bob 2005-01-14 17:51:30 UTC #2

What's the burst rate using Nero Speed?

pinto2 2005-01-14 17:52:18 UTC #3

Out of the blue, try to change IDE-cables to start with. BenQ only requires a 40 conductor cable.

Post you a tranfer test link soon. Edit. Follow this link and execute test as shown in picture 1+2. Start at "Here we go"...

Yeah, and Nero is tad old...

Svenson 2005-01-14 18:02:04 UTC #4

This the test you need to see?

pinto2 2005-01-14 18:03:18 UTC #5

And now test your HDD burst speed, following the link in post above.

Bob 2005-01-14 18:09:11 UTC #6

nice link you provided pinto2

Svenson 2005-01-14 18:13:06 UTC #7

I didn't upgrade my Nero, but with my version it's 25,722

THANKS!

-Bob-

pinto2 2005-01-14 18:19:57 UTC #8

Yeah, you have a Cognac mobo (fancy name...) based on Intel 810i chipset. Like this.
IDE cables changed position?

Are chipset drivers installed? With Win98 and this chipset it's req.

@rolling56, done in a hurry, I know.

Svenson 2005-01-14 18:32:08 UTC #9

> Yeah, you have a Cognac mobo (fancy name...) based on Intel 810i
> chipset. Like this.

Yes, it's a Cognac.

> IDE cables changed position?

I don't follow - I never unhooked the hard drive cable, just the secondary so I could install the new 80 conductor.

> Are chipset drivers installed? With Win98 and this chipset it's req.

I believe so . . . the Start, Settings, System, Device Manager, Hard Disc Controller shows a Intel 82801AA Busmaster IDE Controller and it shows a Microsoft driver installed and functioning properly for it.

It's interesting that it will burn at 8x if set at 8x, but slows down to more like 4x when set higher or to "max" on the burning programs.

Svenson 2005-01-14 18:53:21 UTC #10

> IDE cables changed position?

OK, checked the motherboard, yes, the BenQ is plugged into the secondary connector.

I switched to the original 40 conductor flat cable, burst rate fell from 23 to 22 mb/s.

pinto2 2005-01-14 18:54:27 UTC #11

Is UDMA enabled in device manager?...This mobo supports up to UDMA-4, so 80 conductor cable is requred for your new HDD.

Also check in bios. I think you can enter bios by F1 or F2 at boot up. Check in section; Advanced--> IDE configuration.
HDD (IDE-pri) must be set to UDMA-4 (because you have a new HDD) and DVDRW to at least UDMA-2 (IDE-sec.)
There are also other options like "ATAPI devices", aso. Check this as a guide (p.77 ff)

Try it out.

Edit. That "DVDRW burst" is not your primary problem, me thinks. The problem is more likely in IDE bus and subsystem.

Bedtime here now, sorry.

Svenson 2005-01-14 20:10:02 UTC #12

Hi Pinto,

Thanks for all the tips!

I think I'm hosed though, there's no ATAPI device configuration anywhere I can find and when I check the bios setup I can't change anything. the only option I can change is 32 bit i/o (enabled or disabled). The transfer mode is listed as fast pio4 and the ultra dma mode is set to mode 2 and I can't change them - I can't even highlight them, I can just SEE them and that's it!

I'll scope the net a bit tomorrow (my bed time too!) and see if there's a fix, but I was looking for a reason to upgrade the 'puter anyway . . .

THANKS again!

-Bob-

Svenson 2005-02-01 12:12:54 UTC #13

Hi Pinto & all,

OK, I had today off so I thought I'd give this an honest try while no one was home and it was nice and quiet (for me as well as the rest of the family!).

*) I'm embarassed by this one - the dmos hd info was set to "auto" and when it's in auto I can't change much, but if I switched it to "user" I was able to switch things - including the udma!

*) Prior to changing anything it took 19:34 to burn a full disc when set at 16x and 9:02 when set at 8x.

*) Setting the hd to udma 4 moved the 16x burning time down to 14:49.

*) Setting the hd and the burner to udma 4 moved the burning time down to 9:29 for 16x and 8:41 for 8x.

*) I left the cmos alone at this point and upgraded to the Intel Application Accelerator 810 controller driver, the burn time then increased to 15:18 (Grrr!).

*) I have read where the IAA driver caused some people grief, and it didn't help anything at all, so I uninstalled it and reloaded the original driver.

Soooo, that's where I'm at. I dunno what all the bios settings do though, here are some blurry pics of my bios setup screens - can anyone spot anything I need to change?

Ooops! I gotta compress my files down! Back in a minute with some pics!

Thanks!

-Bob-

Svenson 2005-02-01 12:32:33 UTC #14

OK, I'll try the pics again . . .

Well I can't get the file size down below 97 K (mine is 107 K :a )

Oh well, guess I'll use a thousand words rather than a pic!

-Bob-

Svenson 2005-02-01 13:00:25 UTC #15

I have an open PIC slot . . . maybe I could avoid all this hassle by just installing a PCI / ATA controller like this one from newegg?

PROMISE PCI to IDE Controller Card, Model "ULTRA100 TX2" -OEM

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=16-102-002&depa=1

pinto2 2005-02-01 18:43:02 UTC #16

What do you have in mind... put your DVDRW on a PCI add-in card?
Not that good idea in my opinion. Read this and also more in this thread.
I'll ask once more, are $ntel chipset drivers installed? Yes I know you have M$ drivers showing up, but you are on Win98 and 810-series was released after Win98...

I didn't upgrade my Nero, but with my version it's 25,722
Divide this with 2 and you will get the approx. transfer rate HDD <--> DVDRW. Just enough for 8x burning.

Svenson 2005-02-01 20:51:34 UTC #17

> What do you have in mind... put your DVDRW on a PCI add-in card?

I was considering it, if it were easy and painless but it appears it's not!

>I'll ask once more, are $ntel chipset drivers installed? Yes
> I know you have M$ drivers showing up, but you are on
> Win98 and 810-series was released after Win98...

Yes, the Intel drivers are installed. They no longer support the drivers I have, they have been superceded by the Intel Application Accelerator which I tried and it didn't help, so I went back to the older drivers.

> Divide this with 2 and you will get the approx. transfer
> rate HDD <--> DVDRW. Just enough for 8x burning.

Now that I have the UDMA 4 enabled the burst rate is up to 34mb (35,322kb/sec).

Oh yeah, I sprung for the fancy Gladiator 80 conductor cable too.

I should just give up - the difference between 8x and 16x just isn't worth all the hassle in time and media, but I'm a bull headed type . . .

-Bob-

Svenson 2005-02-01 21:29:32 UTC #18

Hi Pinto,

I dug up my system CD to verify the Intel chipset driver was installed.

I decided to just run the install program again and it pulled up:

Intel INFInst.exe
V2.60.001

The current operating system supports the Intel chipset devices on your system. No INF update is needed.

I click on OK and it exits the program . . .

eleewhm 2005-02-01 23:30:03 UTC #19

Svenson....i can tell you chuck that rounded cable away....use a flat 80 cable .....similar case here in singapore....

Svenson 2005-02-02 15:14:40 UTC #20

Just tried an 80 conductor flat - same results. :a

Just downloaded the most recent 810 chipset software from Intel, 6.3.0.1007, and it gives me the same message as my original software - it's already got the correct inf and no upgrade is needed, then it exits out. :a

Oh well, 8x or just slightly better is fine - I'm just getting tired of chasing those couple minute savings! :sad:

-Bob-