To test the CD read performance we are using CD WinBench 99 and CD Speed. Nero Burning Rom is used to write 700MB to our optical media.
CD Reading:
CD Winbench is a great ‘real world' test, as it uses eight different applications which are activated by scripting.
The Plextor drive started reading the media at around 14x and then hit a maximum speed of 38x on the outside of the optical media.
Next, we used a CD containing one Mode 1 data track. The disc is around 74 minutes in length and has a mixture of data and folders, in keeping with a data structure many of us would have on a hard drive.
Random access times | access time (lower is better) |
Plextor PX-B940SA | 142ms |
Pioneer BDR-2203 | 114ms |
Sony BWU-300S | 140ms |
CPU demand (8x) | percentage (lower is better) |
Plextor PX-B940SA | 12% |
Pioneer BDR-2203 | 7% |
Sony BWU-300S | 5% |
When writing CD's the Plextor PX-B940SA has the worst access time and demands the highest amount of processor time. Its nothing critical, but worth noting.
CD Writing:
It took the Plextor drive 3 minutes and 12 seconds to write 80 minutes of data which is a very good result. The Sony BWU is the class leader however with CD media and it took only 2 minutes and 51 seconds. The Pioneer drive took last place with 3 minutes and 54 seconds for complete mastering.