Hack 62 Get the Fastest IDE Driver for Intel Chipsets

The proper driver for your Intel is the key to top drive performance for free.

The Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface ports that your hard drive and CD-ROM drive are connected to are basically standard across every PC system; they have to be for any operating system to recognize the ports and drives at startup. Once the operating system loads up, the IDE port can either languish in a low-performance state or be revved up to maximum potential with the right driver software.

If your system board uses an Intel chipset, there's a good chance that the bundled IDE driver is not the latest and greatest, so go to Intel's web site (http://downloadfinder.intel.com) and locate and download the IDE Bus Master driver that matches your chipset; in most cases one driver covers your system. If your system does not use an Intel chipset [Hack #63], the driver will not install, so you're safe from corrupting the system.

To identify if you have an Intel chipset and which one, go to http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/cs-009245.htm for tips on how to identify your chipset or get the Intel chipset identifier utility from http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter.asp?ProductID=861. You can also determine if your operating system includes or needs Intel software by the charts at http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/inf/sb/CS-009270.htm. The System Devices section in Windows Device Manager may also list Intel devices to help you narrow down what type of chipset you have.

A system information utility such as SiSoft's Sandra, available at http://www.sisoftware.net, can provide a wealth of information about chipsets, system settings, and IDE drive modes.