Connect The CD-ROM Step 18

Assuming your CD-ROM is already installed in the case, you can now connect it to the motherboard and power supply.

1.) Attach the power supply to the drive. Just like a hard drive, just find a free 4- wire power plug and plug it into the power connector on the CD-ROM.

2.) Attach the ribbon cable. Connect one end to the CD-ROM, paying attention to Pin 1, and the other end to IDE controller #2, or secondary IDE, on the motherboard. It is best to have the CD-ROM on its own IDE channel from the hard drive instead of as a slave to the hard drive. CD drives on one channel and hard drives on the other.

3.) Attach the Audio Cable. This small 3-wire connector goes from a "Audio" plug on the back of the CD-ROM to a 3-pin plug on the sound card. If you happen to have on-board audio circuitry on your motherboard, you can connect the other end of the wire now. Otherwise, you can attach it after you install the sound card.

4.) Double-check your work.