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Author Topic: AOpen CRW5224 Review Query  (Read 6108 times)

Offline bbwoolfy

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AOpen CRW5224 Review Query
« on: July 29, 2003, 10:22:38 AM »
I just bought the AOpen CRW5224 on the strength of the review (http://www.benscustomcases.com/reviews/Aopen5224/) - which incidently is very good.

I've been putting the drive through it's paces - basically repeating all the tests in the review - and I gotta say I'm impressed.

In the read tests, I got better results than the review drive -

31.43x Average, 18.53x Start & 41.47x End @ 40x (Speed Boost Off)

and

39.87x Average, 23.45x Start & 52.68x End @ 52x (Speed Boost On)

- very impressive!  ;D

Although the access times were 'slightly' slower.

However, when I ran the write test, everything went fine (reaching about 52.5x) up until the last 5-10secs, when the speed suddenly took a nosedive!!! Giving me a final time of 2m 36s - as opposed to the 2m 25s in the review!  :o

Does anyone have any clues as to why this is happening ???

I'm sure if the speed didn't drop off at the end I would get burning times of 2m 25s or less.
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Offline Zeus

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Re:AOpen CRW5224 Review Query
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2003, 07:28:36 PM »
Hey there, welcome to the Forum!

Yes, the AOpen 5224 is quite a good drive.  The difference in the tests (yours v.s. mine) is likely the result of using different media and/or having a different firmware revision.

Due to these variables, it is quite likely that every review done of the same model of drive will have different results.  I try to eliminate as many variables as possible, by using the latest firmware available, and using a designated stack of "review cd's."

As far as the nosedive is the write tests:  Have you tried using different media, or firmware?  Also make sure you have DMA enabled (yes it matters even for a simulation.)

I hope this helps.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!
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Offline bbwoolfy

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Re:AOpen CRW5224 Review Query
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2003, 02:22:25 PM »
Hey Zeus, Thx 4 ur reply,

I had considered whether it was the media - the discs I'm using are Infiniti Compax 80min/730mb (although Nero's Disc Info ID's them as Ritek 97m15s17f CD-R, Dye Type 7: Short Strategy (Phthalocyanine) - whatever all that means. ???

They're marked as 32x but the manufacturer's website says they will handle up to 48x (www.medeainternational.com).

I haven't managed to find any the 48x media which you used - as the choice is pretty poor locally - so I haven't done the test with other media (I burned the AOpen 52x b4 I thought of testing it - doh!).

The CD Speed write test is really weird tho, as (like I said) it nosedives, at about 10 seconds remaining, from about 52.32x down to around 16x - the rpm drops from 11,000 to 3,500 also. But then the speed picks up again to around 33x - and the rpm to 7,000 ???

The final results are - 39.41x Avg, 23.41x Start & 33.26x End - in a time of 2m35s.

Also, I do have DMA enabled and the firmware is v1.06. I also disabled any AV, Firewall, utility SW while testing, and don't have any other optical drives in my rig - just one HDD on IDE 0, 0 - and the CRW5224 on IDE 1, 0.

Something else that's puzzling me is the drive's 'JustSpeed' feature. It's supposed to automatically find the optimum speed for burning to a disc, yeah? - but when I burned on one of the aforementioned discs, it let me write @ 52x - but yet the disc was read as a 'blank' disc afterwards, even though it was clearly visible it had been burned.

So something aint right - coz if the discs a duffer surely it hasn't burned at the optimum speed?

Incidently I can burn @ 40x no problem with these discs.

Phew - that was a loooong post! - hope it wasn't too boring  :)

Anyway, any advice u or n e one can offer would be appreciated.
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Offline Zeus

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Re:AOpen CRW5224 Review Query
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2003, 10:46:19 PM »
Hmm.  I see the firmware you're using is dated February 28, 2003.  I was browsing their FTP and I noticed a later one, dated April 20.  It's 1.07, and you can download it directly by clicking here.

Let me know if this helps resolve your issues.
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Offline bbwoolfy

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Re:AOpen CRW5224 Review Query
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2003, 06:33:52 AM »
Thnx Zeus,

I'll give the firmware update a try.

Btw - when burning with Nero do u know if Justspeed should diplay a message during the burn process - u know, like Nero displays the message 'Justlink Activated' when justlink is on?

If anyone else has had problems similar to mine with the CRW5224 or any other drive - your advice/comments would be appreciated.
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