 |
|
|---|
|
Introduction For quite some time now, AOpen has been a premier manufacturer of motherboards and various computer accessories. In fact, a glance at their Products page shows enough variety to build an entire system! In this review, we'll focus on one of their latest burners, the CRW1232A. Based on Ricoh's 7125A, this drive features 12X writes, 10X rewrites and 32X reads, along with JustLink buffer underrun prevention technology. JustLink is Ricoh's answer to Sanyo's BURN-Proof invention. While not as popular as BURN-Proof, JustLink sports a better spec; namely, a 2-micrometer gap versus the 40-micrometer gap created by the original BURN-Proof. The latest version of BURN-Proof purports to lower this gap size to 2-5 micrometers. Regardless, reports indicate that any gap size less than 100 micrometers has no effect on the quality of burned data. The key, however, is software support. If your CD burning software does not support these technologies, you may still have issues with buffer underruns should the drive's cache run dry. This is likely why AOpen bundles Ahead Software's Nero 5.0 with their drive - it features strong JustLink support. Let's take a moment to examine the specifications.
Specifications Specifications according to AOpen:
The retail box contents:
Another similarity between this drive and some previous Ricoh burners is the flap over the drive tray. Whereas most optical drives have an integrated tray and cover, the AOpen's tray cover flaps down when the tray ejects. Prominently printed on the left side of the tray face is "JustLink"; on the right, the drive's read and write speeds are printed. A single amber LED lights when the drive is reading or writing. The back of the unit houses a digital audio output in addition to an analog out and other standard optical drive connectors. The drive arrived with firmware revision 1.01. There are no other revisions available from AOpen's site. Like the Ricoh MP9120A reviewed in November of 2000, the CRW1232A is unusually noisy for a 32X reader. In transfer rate tests, the hum is a bit louder than most 32X drives, though still quiet compared to most of today's faster-rated drives. Seeks, on the other hand, are among the noisiest we've heard, reminiscent of chalk on blackboard (normal chalk-on-blackboard sounds, not the high-pitched screeching). AOpen's CRW1232A retail box runs about $115 online. In comparison, Plextor's 12/10/32A goes for about $155 while Teac's CD-W512E sells for about $130.
For an overview on methodology, click here. CD-ROM Performance ResultsCD Read Tests
Low-Level Measurements
Ziff-Davis' venerable CD Winbench 99 measures sustained transfer rates and random access times. When it comes to transfer rates, the AOpen narrowly edges out Plextor's 12/10/32A as the fastest 32X reader with a top speed of 4960 KB/sec (33X). 40X readers from Plextor and Yamaha, however, still outpace the 32X AOpen. The AOpen also does well in access time tests with a 104 ms average. This slides by Sony's drive, leaving it behind only Teac's screamer.
CD-ROM Winmark 99
CD Winbench 99's CD-ROM Winmark test runs through a timed script of routines from a variety of popular software programs. The presented score averages results through four different test discs obtained from Ziff-Davis. This tests each drive's ability to read from a range of discs pressed with identical data. The CRW1232A averages only 1055 KB/sec in the Winmark test, despite some of the quickest measured access times for a burner. This leaves it battling the Sony for last place in our comparison. In this test, Teac's CD-W512E remains the quickest CD reader among all burners we've tested. A closer look at the AOpen's individual scores shows a 13% deviation among the four test discs, with a high score of 1260 and a low of 969. Scores remain consistent through multiple runs, suggesting the AOpen can be finicky when reading from a variety of pressed discs.
File and Disc Copy
The file copy test emphasizes sequential transfer rates by copying a single 634 MB file. While the CRW1232A slightly trails the other 32X readers in this test, its copy time of 3:23 is not significantly slower. The disc copy test introduces random accesses through the multiple files and folders on the test CD. Here, the AOpen's copy time of 3:48 bests even the Teac! Only Plextor's PX-1610TA (a 40X reader) is quicker in this test.
Digital Audio Extraction
In CDSpeed99, the AOpen delivers on its promise of 32X max extraction rates. AOpen's drive exhibits a DAE potential of 15X-32X, with an overall average of 24X. Extraction quality rates a perfect 10 and accurate streaming is detected. Only 40X-rated audio extractors from Plextor and Yamaha do better. CDDAE99 exhibits similar DAE performance. It takes about 2:50 to fully extract the test CD -- an average speed of 23X. Again, there are no extraction errors.
CD-R Media Compatibility and Performance
Duplicates of our pressed test CD assess a drive's ability to read from a variety of CD-R and -RW media.
CD-RW Media Compatibility and Performance
Write/ReWrite Tests
CD-R Based Duplication
Adaptec's CD Copier utility measures how long each drive takes to duplicate our audio and data test discs when burning at maximum speeds. All drives run as the "source" and "destination," creating results for "imaging" as well as "writing." The presented score is a sum of the operations. Individual "image" and "write" results may be viewed in our database. With the audio CD, the AOpen is the quickest 12X writer of the bunch, duplicating the CD-DA in 12:38. Its burn time of 6:28 betters the next 12X drive by 10 seconds. The data disc returns similar results. The CRW1232A's 9:43 duplication time bests other 12X writers by at least 3% and its burn time of 6:36 pulls ahead of the Teac again. The AOpen is the fastest 12X writer we've tested.
CD-RW Based Duplication
Copying the pressed data disc to a CD-RW blank assesses the drive's RW performance. Since all current burners rewrite at 10X or less, the AOpen competes on a level playing field with all drives in our comparison. Therefore, it's no surprise that the CRW1232A continues its speedy performance, completing the burn portion of our test in 7:52. This makes it the swiftest rewriter yet tested. However, due to its 40X read speeds, the Plextor images the test disc more quickly, surpassing the AOpen in total duplication time by 4%.
CD-R Based Stress Tests Issues arise with East CD Creator 4.03b when testing JustLink, the AOpen's buffer underrun prevention technology. When set to 4X or slower, CD Creator burns complete without issue, regardless of system load. However, during stress tests, 8X or higher speeds cause Easy CD to lock up mid-burn (this is different from a buffer underrun). Word has it that support for JustLink is not as widespread as support for BURN-Proof, so we tried the same tests with two other burning software packages. The drive's JustLink tech works as expected when burning with Nero Burning ROM 5.x (which comes with the AOpen) and NTI CD-Maker 2000. Burns complete successfully even when system loads fully deplete the drive's buffer.
DirectCD Formatting Formats are timed through Adaptec's DirectCD program. Once again, the AOpen performs admirably, completing a full format in 12:32. Quick formats finish in less than 22 seconds.
DirectCD Packet-Writing Performance Copying a 195 MB folder from the hard drive to a freshly formatted CD-RW disc via Windows Explorer tests each drive's packet-writing abilities. The CRW1232A completes the copy in 2:46, moving past the Teac by 6%. Those doing a lot of packet-writing should seriously consider the AOpen.
DirectCD CD-RW Erasing In DirectCD, AOpen's drive clears a CD-RW disc in 32 seconds, edging out competition from Yamaha, Plextor and Sony.
Conclusion The AOpen CRW1232A, while a bit long in the tooth compared to 16X and faster burners now hitting store shelves, offers an alluring alternative for those on a tighter budget. Its strengths include:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall, we are quite impressed with AOpen's submission. It won't wrest the Leaderboard title from Plextor's 16/10/40A, but its bang-for-the-buck performance makes it a solid runner-up and earns it a StorageReview.com "Safe Buy".
HOME | ARTICLES | LEADERBOARD | PERFORMANCE DATABASE | REFERENCE GUIDE
COMMUNITY | RELIABILITY SURVEY | SUPPORT SR! | ABOUT SR |
Copyright © 1998-2005 StorageReview.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Write: Webmaster