NLE System Drives Configuration: How?

[Dennis Liu]

Hi,

I am in the process of building a NLE system, and these are the drives I have:

1 x 80 GB Seagate IDE
1 x 200 GB Seagate IDE
1 x Pioneer DVR-108 DVD-Writer
1 x 160 GB Western Digital External Firewire Drive

The basic concept I have is using the 80 GB for my OS and all my other files and music, usiing the 200 GB for all my video files, and the 160 GB external drive as my back-up drive AND video drive (e.g. so I can carry the drive to a friend's house to edit or something).

I am NOT going to be using RAID, and I am wondering about how I should partition and hook these drives up. There are only 2 IDE channels? Should I shell out the extra money for a PCI card (so I have one device on each channel?). If I do do that, should I put:

80 GB on Primary Channel
200 GB on Secondary Channel
DVD Writer on the Third Channel (with PCI card)

?

OR Should I put the 200 GB on the Primary Channel?

Another question, how should I partition it? How much space is enough for OS? Should I have one partition for OS, one for Programs, then one for Video Programs, then one for files, OR should I just have one for OS, and one for files OR should I have one for OS, one for programs, one for files?

Also, is it a good idea to split up my video drive into partitions? E.g. 20 GB partitions for each project? (I am going to be primarily making short videos/music videos)

Just for information, I am using Vegas+DVD.

Thanks for your time and advice,
Dennis

[Lars Siden]

Hi Dennis,

1 x 80 GB Seagate IDE
1 x 200 GB Seagate IDE
1 x Pioneer DVR-108 DVD-Writer
1 x 160 GB Western Digital External Firewire Drive

I see no problems at all. The Firewire drive won't occupy any IDE channel. Hook up the Systemdrive + DVD Writer on primary channel, 200gb video HDD on secondary.

In modern computers using modern devices you're free to mix them after your own liking - a "slow" device WILL NOT affect the speed on other devices as it was earlier (before year 2000)

As usual - make sure ALL devices are running in Ultra DMA mode, PIO mode is forbidden :-)

// Lazze \\

[Dennis Liu]

Hi Lars,

Thanks for the prompt response. Looks like I won't be getting an extra PCI-card for the drive then. One thing - I've searched the boards on partitioning, it seems there are mixed opinions - should I partition for organisation or just keep things in one big partition? I know I'm going to definitely separate the OS drive with the files, but should I create a separate partition for programs, AND an addition partition just for installing Vegas on? Or would that just be pointless?

There are two other things I'm confused about. One is virtual memory (swap space) - how big is the optimum size? Should I make a separate partition for this?

The second thing is regarding having the DVD writer and a hard drive on the same channel - say I'm burning something from that hard drive onto the dvd-writer - would that be slower or not?

Thanks for the advice,
Dennis

[John Hartney]

For internal ata drives, on an 80 gig drive, I keep a 20 gig partition for system files, then 20 for program files, then the balance for data files... I only back up the data partition.

Then, another 80 gig hitachi is for export to and misc. audio files. The 200 gig is for capture/editing. I have several external drives for storage/project backup.

This works for me...

Although I've been thinking of a sata raid with 2-200gig seagates... for editing. I'm only working in DV25 on this machine.

[George Ellis]

I would do it as you have listed it.

80 C:
200 D: (extended, does not need to be a primary)
DVD
Firewire

Install without the Firewire attached so the CD becomes E:

Apps, OS, and pagefile (swapfile, virtual memory) on C:

Some configurations may benefit from a 3rd internal HD to be used as a scratch or render drive. But, do not create a partition on the other drives for it. If you add this third drive, create an additional swapfile here. Leaving a portion of the swapfile on C: means the OS can send memory dumps if you are having system crashes so that Online Crash Analysis can analyze the dump for a possible resolution.

[Dennis Liu]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. So basically I put the 80GB and the DVD WRiter on Channel 1, and the 200 GB as single device on Channel 2?

Dennis

[George Ellis]

That would work. In days of yore, I would do both HDs on the same channel, but new mobos do not drop the speed like the used to to the slower device.

[Dennis Liu]

Ok, that's probably what I'll do then. I'll connect the Firewire drive after I install everything else.

Dennis

[Bogdan Vaglarov]

Now after some experience my opinion is that defenitely you better make some partitions to help you organise and to shorten defragmentation time.

I would make:
80GB on Primary Master
C: 25GB - sys, programs, swap ;
D: the rest for My Docs (you can move the entire folder), you can use also here temp file for DVD/CD projects to be written on disk

200 GB - Secondary Slave
Unless you work on HUGE project you better make 2 partitions.
Often defragmentation will be not neccessary for one or the other partitions so you'll save time defraging only half of the disk.

DVD writer - Secondary Master
This is the most popular set up and often manifacturers make you set it up this way for firmware flashing (LG for example).

Just my 2c

[Dennis Liu]

Hi Bogdan,

Thanks for the info. I have some things I don't quite understand:

My 80 GB drive has only got a 2 MB cache, my 200 GB has a 8 MB cache.

You're saying for me to put my 80 GB drive as the single device on the Primary Master?

What is the difference between these setups:

(A)
Primary - 80 GB Master, 200 GB Slave
Secondary - DVD Writer

(B)
Primary - 80 GB Master, DVD Writer Slave
Secondary - 200 GB Master

(C)
Primary - 80 GB
Secondary - 200 GB Master, DVD Writer Slave

(D)
Primary - 80 GB
Secondary - DVD Writer Master, 200 GB Slave

Can someone rank 4 setups in order of best performance to worst, with an explanation?

Thank you,
Dennis

[Bogdan Vaglarov]

Dennis you have good point.
Just want to confirm the words of the others that nowdays the performance drop depending on the mix of drives on same cable is not significant (if at all).

Now one important detail is your 200GB disk is much faster than the 80GB (not only because of the larger cache).
Thus I would rearange my recomended set up.

Use the 200GB drive for system - 25-30GB parition is just enough for OS, programs, swap file and temp files (by default they are on the sys partition).

I have 200GB disk like this and use 2 more partitions on the same drive.
The 80GB drive you can leave without partitioning for video capture. The ready projects should go on a big partition on the 200GB disk (while editing the speed is up as the proces is not performed on the same drive). You can put in this set up also your external drive for saving the final projects and archiving.

About DVD drive again - it shouldn't be harm to set it up as slave to either of the IDE buses. Master on secondary though is the optimal (e.g. LG stresse that you have to run it in this mode to flash with new firmware - something important if you want to update the drive's recognition of new and faster media, compatibility, etc.) Check your drive manifacturer recomendation and arange it as you wish.

[Dennis Liu]

Hi Bogdan, that sounds like a good setup, thanks for the info.0

Dennis

[Dennis Liu]

HI, sorry, one more question:

So do I capture to the 80 GB drive - is this safe, as it only as a 2 MB cache?

Let me get this straight, so I capture to the 80 GB drive on the secondary channel, and when I want to burn a CD, do I burn from the 200 GB drive to the DVD-writer? (as they're on separate channels)

So basically, for all works in progress I use the 80 GB drive, then when they are completed, I store them on the 200 GB? Or do I capture raw footage to the 80 GB, then render to the 200 GB? Or do I capture to the 80 GB, then move the video over to the 200 GB while I'm editing, then render back to the 80 GB? There are so many ways to do this, I'm confused...

Dennis

[Bogdan Vaglarov]

Sorry for the delay - you might have found the answers already.

It's totally adequate to use the 80GB drive for miniDV capture. You can use even 5400rpm older external drive without any issue. You can use even laptop drive or exteranl drive connected to laptop, etc. etc.

Virtually it's the better case when burning from the 200GB (on Primary Master) to the DVD-RW (on the other IDE channel - Secondary Master). There will be no problem though to burn from the 80GB drive (that is on the same channel as the DVD drive) or even from the external FireWire drive.

Basically it's better to use 2 drives whn there are large transfers of data. For example rendering project which files are on drive D: is better to have the output to drive C: (different physical drive, not partition).

Hope that helps...

[Dennis Liu]

Hi Bogdan,

Yup, I set up the PC like you said, with the 200 GB Primary master, the DVD-Writer on Secondary Master and 80 GB on Secondary Slave. Just been using it for the last couple of days, it seems to be working very well. Thanks everyone for the info.

I've decided that I'm going to capture everything to the 80 GB, then burn CD's from the 200 GB.

Dennis