TDK VeloCD 24x10x40x CD-RW Review

Admin - 2007-02-07 19:51:40 in Optical Drives
Category: Optical Drives
Reviewed by: Admin   
Reviewed on: September 22, 2001
: TDK
: TDK
Price: $140

Introduction

It seems the speed of CD burners are getting faster and faster by the day. I remember I had a 8x4x10 back at the first of this year. Just when I thought it was fast, they came out with something better and faster. Now they have drives reaching 24x write 10x rewrite and 40x read. They also have a new technology out that is called "Burn-Proof", and this technology is packed in this TDK VeloCD burner. With all the bells and whistles packed in this burner, at a price of $138 you couldn't ask for more!



What good is a CDRW drive without CDR's and CDRW's ? Well, I went over at pricewatch to see what the going price was on 24x CDR's and CDRW's. I was very suprised actually. I thought they would be alot more expensive than they were. The 24x certified 50 pack; 730MB audio (700MB data); Unbranded white top surface (inkjet printable), are going for about $28 bucks. As for the CDRW's you can get 50pack 10x 74min / 650MB CD-RW Rewritable Blank Discs Media for a hefty price of $50 dollars. I don't think anyone would really need 50 CDRW's, unless you backup alot of data every week or something. Actually, I think all I'm going to ever need, is the one CDRW that came boxed in this CDRW drive that I'm reviewing :)

What you get
  • TDK VeloCD 24x10x40 CDRW
  • (2) 80min 24x CDR's
  • (1) 74min 10x CDRW
  • TDK Permanent CD marker
  • Screws (So you can mount your burner)
  • IDE cable
  • Lots of instructions
  • Installation VHS video On CD-
  • TDK Digital MixMaster
  • Ahead Nero 5.5
  • InCD Packet Writing
  • MusicMatch Jukebox
  • Adobe ActiveShare
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Bonus MP3 Tracks ( They aren't any good :) )





    Features

    I think I'll start off with one of the best features of the TDK VeloCD ReWriter, the new "burn-proof technology". The new burn-proof technology allows you to burn a CD while running multiple applications. With BURN-Proof write assurance technology, buffer underrun errors are eliminated. You're free to burn CDs while you surf the Web, download music or print a document. So, no more failed sessions or no more CD coasters added to your current collection :) Another great feature, besides the blazzing write speed, is the 40x digital audio extracting speed. TDK says, with the 40x digital audio extracting you can rip a 3-minute audio track in 5 seconds! We will test that theory out later on in the review :)

    Requirements
    Minimum System Requirements:
    · 233 MHz Intel Pentium processor or equivalent
    · 64MB RAM
    · 160 MB available hard disk space for software installation
    · 700 MB available hard disk space for temporary CD-image files (optional)
    · Available standard half-height drive bay
    · Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/NT 4.0

    Specifications

    Here are the specs taking directly from TDK's website:

    Performance Specifications:
    · Read/Write

    40X read*
    24X write*
    10X rewrite**
    40X audio rip*
    · Burst Read

    16.6 MB/sec

    · Data Buffer 2 MB with BURN-Proof ™
    · Spindle Motor Brushless
    · Error Rate

    Mode 1: 1 Block/1012 Bits
    Mode 2: 1 Block/109 Bits
    Disc Specifications:
    · Useable Formats: Read CD-DA, CD-ROM (Mode 1), CD-ROM XA (Mode 2: form 1 or form 2), CD-ROM (Mixed Mode), Photo CD, VideoCD, CD-I (MPEG movies), CD-Extra, CD Text
    · Useable Formats: Write

    ISO 9660-HFS, Rockridge, Photo CD, VideoCD, CD-I, CD-Extra (CD-Plus), Enhanced CD, CD-Text, CD-Midi
    · Disc Diameter

    12 cm diameter read/write (Recording time 74 and 80 min.); 8 cm diameter read

    · Writing Modes Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once, Multisession, Fixed and Variable Packet Writing
    Front Panel:
    · Eject Eject Button, Manual Emergency Eject, Software Eject
    · Lights

    Busy/Write

    · Disc Loading

    Auto
    · Headphone Jack Stereo mini-jack, 0.9V
    · Volume Control Thumbwheel
    · CD Audio Controls Eject
    Rear Panel :
    · Power Supply

    DC +5V at average 2.0 Amps
    DC +12V at average 2.0 Amps
    · Interface Connector

    IDE bus, 40-pin flat ribbon type. Interface complies with ANSI X3T13/1153D (ATA/ATAPI-4). Supports 59 commands, including special comands for CD-R.
    · Audio Output

    Stereo analog output, Molex connector (L*G*G*R), MPC3 standard
    · Jumper Switches Master, slave, cable select
    Dimensions and Weight:
    · Dimensions (W/H/D) 148mm x 42.3mm x 194.2mm, excluding front panel
    · Weight

    950g
    Reliability:
    · MTBF 30,000 POH (20% duty cycle)
    · Tray Loading

    20,000 Load Cycles
    Note:
    * Maximum Speed
    **4X-10X rewriting requires media with the High Speed Logo
    1X-4X rewrite requires standard RW media

    Installation

    Hardware installation went smoothly, thanks to a ton of helpful materials that TDK included in the box. In addition to an IDE cable and more than enough mounting screws, there was a clear and well-illustrated foldout guide, as well as a VHS tape with detailed instructions. The box didn't include paper guides for the software though; they were all on CD.

    Here is a "breakdown" on the installation steps:

    1) Turn off your computer and unplug everything in the back.
    2) Open your case and take out your old CD/CDRW drive if you have one already installed.
    3) Slide your new TDK 24x10x40 in an emtpy drive bay and fasten it in, with the provided screws.
    4) Plug in power with an available molex connector and connect your IDE cable to the drive.
    5) Put your case back on, and plug everything up in the back.


    This is the TDK Digital Mix. It allows you to rip music CD's, burn music to CD, and it also play's mp3s and CD's.


    MusicMatch 6 is a Jukebox where you can store playlists, play many types of media like: mp3, wav, cd, ect..

    Testing

    -Test rig
  • Abit KT7A-RAID
  • 768MB PC-133
  • Voodoo5 5500
  • SB Live! Value
  • TDK 24x10x40 :)

    ReWrite Testing- Nero 5.5 CD Burning
    I used Nero 5.5 to burn a 738MB ISO to a CD at the maximum speed, 10x. The times are from when I pressed the burn button, until the CD was ejected from the burner. The actual burning time would be about 20-30secs less than the times you see.

    10x ReWrite Time Taken – 6 minutes 35 seconds

    Write Testing- Nero 5.5 CD Burning
    In this test I burnt 784 files, which was 751Megs (71:57:47) in size and I burnt at 24x speed. Keep in mind the times are from when I pressed the burn button until the cd ejected from the burner. The actual burning time would be about 20-30secs less than the times you see.


    24x Write Time Taken – 5 minutes 13 seconds

    In this test I burnt a ISO, Mandrake 8.0 Ext iso to be exact. The ISO was 648MB and I burnt it at 24x speed on a 700mb 80min 24x CDR. Keep in mind the times are from when I pressed the burn button until the cd ejected from the burner. The actual burning time would be about 20-30secs less than the times you see.

    24x Write Time Taken – 4 minutes 12 seconds


    10x ReWritable Quick Format/Erase Time Taken - 0 minute 48 seconds


    In this test I extracted 15 songs off of a CD, and I was supprised how fast it went! It was about 4.6secs on average per song!

    40x Audio Extraction Time Taken - 1 minute 09 seconds



    Nero CD Speed is a very useful benchmarking tool. Results do however depend on the size of the disc. Starting speed was also good at 17X. The ending speed would have been alot higher, prob over 40x but I did not have a 800mb cD to test with. The bigger the size of the CD the longer it takes to complete the benchmark, therefore giving it more time to reach the 40x mark.

    The random seek time of 127ms is a very good score. The 1/3 seek time of 139ms is also very good. The only problem we might point out here is the full seek at 257ms. Seek time numbers are also affected by the size of the disc.

    CPU usage wise the TDK won’t demand a whole lot of attention from your CPU. At 8x the CPU usage was only 10%. Disc Recognition time on the TDK came in at almost 0.87 seconds! The eject time was acceptable at 3.30 and the disc load time of 10.68 isn't the best in the world.

    Conclusion

    One of the best, if not the best 24x10x40 CDRW that you can buy on the market today. There is alot of power packed into the TDK VeloCD 24x10x40 burner, but it isn't perfect. The full seek time isn't so great at 257ms, and the cd load time is on the slow side also. The software bundle was very good, but I wish they would have included Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum. The Burn-Proof technology is awesome! I was able to play winamp, talk on icq, and surf the web while burning Mp3s. I bet I could have even played Counter Strike and still have a perfect burn :) Although I'm sure the FPS in the game would be really low. All in all I think this is the very best CDRW you can buy, and especially for the money!

    *This product will be featured in our upcoming project, "The Ultimate Gamers Machine".


    Pros:

    Cons: