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CD/DVD Write Tests |
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So...just how fast can this thing go? |
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Nero CD-R
Write Analysis:
Since CD-Rs are
still widely available and cheap, we started our burning
tests there using Nero Burning ROM 6. In this test, we
recorded 702MBs of MP3 music files from the hard drive to
Memorex CD-Rs rated for 48X. The CD was finalized as a
non-multisession disc. We wrote down the times shown
at the end of the burning process for both drives and
compared the two:
As we have
mentioned in the past, one of the major detractions of the
Teac DV-W50D drive was its slow CD writing speed. 16X
really doesn't cut it anymore, although 5 minutes probably
isn't too long of a wait. The Plextor PX-708A
sacrifices nothing, and we were able to completely load up
our CD in just over 3 minutes.
Nero DVD+R Write Analysis:
Next, we set out
to backup all of the files from our a volume on our testing
drive. The assorted large and small files on this
drive totaled 4.43GBs, just enough to mostly fill up our TDK
DVD+R discs rated for 4X burning. Again, we timed
burning the same set of files on both drives.
You'll notice
that we said we used 4X TDK DVD+Rs for burning, but yet
we've come out with the Plextor drive well ahead of the
Teac. How can the Plextor be that far ahead, when it
should be limited to the media? It's done by Plextor's
PoweREC technology, which doesn't simply identify the kind
of media, but rather monitors the media and the laser during
the burn. Therefore, the 4X media is burned as if it
were 8X, but should it start producing errors, the drive
speed and laser strength decrease. This is particularly
handy since we haven't seen any 8X media available yet,
which would make the PX-708A too far ahead of its time.
It seems that
Plextor has done it yet again, coming up with the best of
both worlds. On one hand, we have a drive that's right
at home with both DVD+R and DVD-R formats, and supports just
about all formats in between. It is also one of the
fastest DVD burners we've seen, with fast enough CD burning
on the side to satisfy your CDR needs as well. In
order to keep up with everything a user can throw at it,
Plextor has given the drive a 2MB buffer for underrun
protection, although an 8MB buffer would have been better,
especially during long DVD sessions. Plextor's PoweREC
technology is definitely a solid solution however, allowing
us to produce steady burns, even at higher speeds than the
media is rated at. By getting an 8X drive out there so
sooner, Plextor will really grab market share, especially as
its price has dropped down as low as $220 in most U.S.
markets at the time of this article. The PX-708A is a
job well done by Plextor, and a well-deserved Editor's
Choice Award.
We give the
Plextor PX-708A 8X DVD+R/RW CD-R/RW drive
an 9.5 on the
HotHardware Heat Meter.
Have a "burning" question to ask?
Join us in the PC Hardware Forum!
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