The Test
Our benchmarks include a few tests to show the performance of each of our test drives. We first use Nero CD-DVD Speed to create a data disc, which tests the write capabilities/performance of the drive. We then run a transfer rate test to benchmark the read capabilities as well as verify the data on the disc.Finally, we use our Plextor PX-712A drive to read the media for PI/PO errors. According to the ECMA standard...
A row of an ECC Block that has at least 1 byte in error constitutes a PI error. In any 8 consecutive ECC Blocks, the total number of PI errors before correction shall not exceed 280.Now, some writers may create discs with more than 208 PI errors and they are not necessarily unreadable, but they are not the best quality discs around.
A row is 182 bytes long where the last 10 bytes contain PI (Parity Inner) information. An ECC block is 208 rows long where the last 16 rows contain the PO (Parity Outer) information. This gives us a maximum possible PI error amount of 208 errors per block and for 8 blocks after each other, this sum is of course 8 times higher giving a maximum possible amount of 1664 PI errors.
If a row of an ECC Block contains more than 5 erroneous bytes, the row is said to be “PI-uncorrectable” or PIF (Parity Inner Failures).
In any ECC Block, the number of PI-uncorrectable rows should not exceed 4.
Our test bed:
AMD Athlon64 3500+ (2.2Ghz)
Giga-byte GA-K8NXP-SLI
NVIDIA 6600GT SLI Edition (single 128MB card)
1GB (512MBx2) Corsair XMS4400
Plextor PX-712A, Firmware v1.07
Microsoft Windows XP SP2
Nero CD-DVD Speed 4.00
PlexTools Professional XL 3.03
The Competition
| Firmware | Access Time (CD/DVD) |
DVD +/-R Write | DVD +/-RW Write | DVD +/-R DL Write | CD-R/RW Write | CD/DVD Read | Buffer Size | |
| BenQ DW1640 | BSHB | 120ms/ 120ms |
16x/16x | 8x/6x | 8x/NA | 48x/32x | 48x/16x | 2MB |
| LG GSA-4163B | A104 | 125ms/ 145ms |
16x/16x | 8x/6x | 4x/NA | 40x/24x | 40x/16x | 2MB |
| NEC ND-3540A | 1.01 | 120ms/ 140ms |
16x/16x | 8x/6x | 8x/6x | 48x/32x | 40x/16x | 2MB |
| Pioneer DVR-109D | 1.55 | 120ms/ 130ms |
16x/16x | 4x/6x | 6x/NA | 40x/24x | 40x/16x | 2MB |
| Sony DRU-720A | JY03 | 140ms/ 135ms |
16x/16x | 8x/6x | 4x/NA | 48x/24x | 40x/16x | 2MB |
| Toshiba SD-R5372 | TU55 | 100ms/ 120ms (200ms DVD-RAM) |
16x/16x | 8x/6x | 5x/NA | 48x/24x | 48x/16x | 2MB |
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Quanticles - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
Sounds like things need to be standardized better if there are this many failures... any drive should work with any media as long as both the drive and the media are within spec.semo - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
i'm pretty certain that the benq dw1640 is better than the nec 3540a. maybe the 4550a will give the crown back to nec but the drive will cost a lot more since it will have lightscribe and the license for that must be expensive (there are no cheap lightscribe drives yet).the new plextor is a joke. the 740a is a exactly the same as the dw1640. even plextools do not work on the plextor 740a (even though it is a "plextor" drive and they are included in the retail package).
i'm not sure if they've fixed it now but plextools don't work with the plextor 740a because of the above reason.
nserra - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
#27 LoneWolf15If recorder record crap media and read crap media = good recorder
If recorder record crap media and don’t read crap media = bad recorder
If recorder don’t record crap media and don’t read crap media = bad recorder
50 DVD-R 8x Princo crap's same price of 25 DVD of other manufactures
My NEC drive has difficulties reading Princo media, LG not a problem. Writing OK on both writers.
Miggle - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
I have the toshiba SD-R5372V. Its cheap but not a great writer. Pretty slow. But you'll be fine if you use good discs. Just bought the LG yesterday, a bit faster than toshiba drive and lets me overspec writes.Calin - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
"What no PRINCO media, useless review!"Interesting, as I use almost only PRINCO media now (however, I have some small DVD-R made by Memorex and I can't wait to use them for something... too bad I don't know yet what to use them for
Calin - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
xsilver (or #16), my DVD writer (LG 4160, capable of DVDRAM, Dual Layer and so on) can write some media with no problems at 4x (the max rated speed) but gives consistent failures at 2.4x (which is any lower speed). I find out that using the same media but rated at 4x (well, it looks just the same but have certified speeds 1-8x) can burn at 4x and 8x with no problems (I haven't tested that media at 2.4x).Dennis Travis - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 - link
Can't you people read?Samus - Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - link
funny they have no plextor in their review.USAF1 - Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - link
You REALLY should have included a Plextor... ;)PuravSanghani - Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - link
AGAIN, for those of you wondering why we did not include the Plextor PX-716 drive, we simply could not get a unit in time. HOWEVER, we do hope to include a Plextor unit in the next roundup.Regards,
Purav