[m00cka]

Hi, I'm thinking of buying the following motherboard:GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard.

Under the specifications, it says that the board have:

PATA 1 x ATA100 2 Dev. Max

What does this mean? If it does mean that the MOBO have one PATA port but can connect two devices, how does this work?

[BG-0]

Use a "dual-link" (Master/Slave) IDE cable: http://lh6.ggpht.com/_LuWNwQ8bVQ8/Sb...umb%5B7%5D.jpg
You connect the other end to the motherboard, then a drive to both the other end and the connector in the "middle".

[m00cka]

Thank you for your fast reply.

[Frank4d]

You can connect two devices such as two hard drives, or a hard drive and CD/DVD drive, or two CD/DVD drives. There are two methods that can be used:

Cable Select - Jumpers on both devices are set to cable select. The device at the end of the cable is master and the one in the middle is slave. Cable select only works with an 80 wire cable (not the old 40 wire cable).

Master/Slave - One device is jumpered as master, and the other is jumpered as slave. In this configuration master and slave are determined by jumpers, not by position along the cable.

[m00cka]

I see, I think I will use the jumper method. Anyhow, how do I know if it is an 80 wire cable or 40 wire cable?

[Frank4d]

If it was made in the last ten years, it is an 80 wire cable. The connectors are usually color coded blue, black and grey; and the blue one plugs into the motherboard.

[m00cka]

Alright, then I will go for the other method you mentioned as the drive is about five years of age. I assume the black connector is the master drive and the blue the slave?(!)

[Frank4d]

No, blue goes to the motherboard. The master drive is at the end of the cable, and slave is in the middle.

[Spandexer]

Blue - Motherboard
Gray - Slave Device
Black - Master Device