Hi guys,

Thanks to OfficeMax putting PC100 memory on sale last week, I am back in the saddle on my latest computer building project. I want to install both a CD-RW drive and a DVD-ROM drive, but am puzzled as to how to handle the CD-Audio cable that goes from the drive to the motherboard. I've tried googling and have come across one post that talked about getting a "Y"/splitter cable to connect both drives to the motherboard, as well as one post that said the cable wasn't necessary if the motherboard can read the audio information digitally/directly from the disk. I haven't tested the drives yet (working on Windows Update), but I thought I would post and throw this question out there. TIA.

Ignore it and don't connect it. XP uses digital audio through the IDE cable - the audio cable is not needed.

If you have an audio card usually you connect them to that. Sometimes they only give you one connection though, in which case you just choose whichever one you will need sound from the most.

But what NARC said is correct, you don't need them. I just figured you might still want an explanation.

? Every sound card I have seen works through the IDE connection...

The only exception to that are the ones that allow you to direct-play the CD player without turning the whole computer on; but there's not many of those around.

I may be wording it wrong, but what I was trying to say was:

What NARC said was correct, you don't need to plug them in.

BUT if you want to know where they plug in, usually sound cards have plugs on them that you plug them into. Unless you have onboard Audio, in which case the plug will be on the motherboard like you thought. But you may only get one plug, in which case you would have to choose which one you most often use for audio purposes (usually a DVD drive).

Thanks, guys. Actually, this motherboard does appear to have the direct-play feature (It's an Aopen MX4LS). Perhaps that's why the motherboard had a connection for the audio cable.

I tell ya, it's amazing how fast a computer can be before the firewall and anti-virus software gets loaded onto it.

Ahh, that makes sense.

What A/V are you using Goose? Best thing I did was remove my Norton A/V and put on Grisoft's AVG.

And I let my router do all my Firewall duties and have the software one turned off. Never ever had a problem with a setup like that.

I have Norton on my work computer. Just got CA Security Suite for free from roadrunner for my home computer. I should do speed tests on both, they are right next to each other

I've never heard good things about CA's consumer product line. I've heard about the firewall causing quite a number of problems as well. Although this is all from word of mouth, I don't have any articles to back it up. Just something to be aware of.