These are the IDE connectors on the motherboard. Markings on the board identifiy the connectors as SEC IDE (top in this graphic) and PRI IDE (bottom in this graphic). On the graphic or below, click the hyperlinks for pinout information. Primary IDE connector pinouts Secondary IDE connector pinouts

The motherboard provides two independent bus-mastering PCI IDE interfaces that support programmed I/O (PIO) Mode 3, Mode 4 and Ultra ATA, synchronous direct memory access (DMA) mode transfer, devices. The computer basic input/output system (BIOS) supports Logical Block Addressing (LBA) and Extended Cylinder Head Sector (ECHS) translation modes as well as ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) devices on both IDE interfaces. The computer BIOS automatically detects IDE device transfer rate and translation mode.

Normally, programmed I/O operations require a substantial amount of CPU bandwidth. In true multi-tasking operating systems, the CPU bandwidth freed up by using bus mastering IDE can be used to complete other tasks while disk transfers are occurring. When used in conjunction with the appropriate driver, the IDE interface can operate as a PCI master capable of supporting Ultra ATA devices with transfer rates of up to 33 MBps.

When connecting cables to the IDE connectors, be sure to maintain pin 1 orientation. The red speckled edge on both of the ribbon cables faces the bottom of the case when the motherboard is configured into the ATX tower case. In the graphic above, orient the red speckled edge on the left side of each connector. The connectors are also keyed, although some cables may not be.