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.
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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.
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