Last really good Optiarc and Pioneer DVD burners?
| Writer User Reviews and Comments Discuss, Last really good Optiarc and Pioneer DVD burners? at CD, DVD and Blu-ray Writers forum; It's probably time to think about replacing my two best DVD burners, an Optiarc AD-7200S and a Pioneer DVR-215D. My very best all-time drive was an NEC ND-3500A, but that's ancient history now as my new MOBO doesn't even have an IDE controller. I've recently bought an Optiarc AD-7260S and |
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Posted:
18-11-2011
- # 1
It's probably time to think about replacing my two best DVD burners, an Optiarc AD-7200S and a Pioneer DVR-215D. My very best all-time drive was an NEC ND-3500A, but that's ancient history now as my new MOBO doesn't even have an IDE controller.
I've recently bought an Optiarc AD-7260S and an ASUS DRW-24B1ST, but these drives seem to be mediocre burners at best and I had to send the first DRW-24B1ST back for replacement because it had the worst noise and vibration of any drive I've ever had. The DRW-24B1ST came with firmware 1.04, which I think indicates a chipset manufacturer change by ASUS from FW 1.03.
I can still get a new Optiarc AD-7240S and/or a Pioneer DVR-216D. I've read that these were still quality drives with good chipsets in them, but of course they come with a premium price - roughly twice that of the newer generation of DVD-RW drives from NewEgg or Amazon.
I'd like some opinions on what were the last really good SATA drives from Optiarc and Pioneer. What were the last Optiarc and Pioneer models that used an NEC chipset?
BTW, my media of choice is usually Verbatim MCC-004 or occasionally CMC Mag AM3.__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Today (MyCE Staff)
- Posts: 15,596
- Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 2
Watch ebay for a good price on another 7200. The 7240/41 drives I tried are not even close to being in the same league as the 7200. I was forced to retire them rather quickly. Far too inconsistent burn quality. If your goal is to get 7200/215 quality burns, you should be able to catch one for under $30.00. I have a few stashed, won' be without a 7200 any time soon 
. You may wish to try Lite-on firmware in that ASUS to coax a little more goodness out of it. Mine cross-flashed to iHAS324 BL1H manages to rise above mediocre most days. __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54)
+ Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that".
+ AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 
+ Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06) - Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 3
Yo-
I agree - my 7200 is superior by far and above any burner I have ever had (including my 3500) and I haven't found anything that my 215 won't read. I'm sticking with them and have several in reserve backup.__________________
Mike
(Y) <- - - (a tribute to *someone*)
Brayden & Lil Burnits Proud Cyber Grampie - 'CERCA, TROVA' - 'NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM' 
Work Computer = ZT Systems i7-2600 CPU w/16GB DDR3-1333 RAM/ Win7 Pro-sp1 /Intel 510 120GB SSD @ SATA3 /Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB HDD @ SATA3 /Corsair 650 watt PSU /Optiarc 7200S as burner /Pioneer 215D as Reader/Ripper /Dell U2412M 24" ips monitor /XFX Radeon HD6870 w/2GB GDDR5RAM /Ashampoo Burning Studio 2012 /DVDFab 8
Burning Computer = HP xw8400 workstation w/ Two Xeon 5160, dual core, 3.0 mhz CPU's w/ 16gb PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM /Win7 Pro-sp1 /Intel X25-M G2 160GB SSD /Western Digital Caviar Black 640gb w/64mb cache HDD /Corsair 850 watt psu /Optiarc 7200S w/v1.0B fw as Burner /Pioneer 215D as Reader/Ripper /Asus DRW-24B1ST w/1.03 fw as Disc Quality Tester / ATi Radeon HD 5770 w/1gb GDDR5 Ram Videocard /HP 24" LCD /Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 /DVDFab 8
On The Shelf: BenQ 1640 @EW168, Pioneer (2) 115D, (2) Optiarc 7200A, Optiarc 7260A, Asus DRW-24b1ST - Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 4
You guys have probably confirmed what I've been thinking. I had thought that the AD-7240S might be a good drive, but I'm starting to think that it was a transition model with some of the earlier 7240's being engineered and manufactured by Optiarc and later 7240's being made by Lite-On.
We might as well all buy Lite-On drives from now on. My Optiarc AD-7260 and the ASUS DRW-24B1ST are absolutely physically identical to current Lite-On drives. Ignore the logo on the bezel and the label on the bottom and you can't tell the difference! Why bother with other brands or cross-flashing? Just buy a Lite-On.
I personally believe the price point for optical drives has gotten way too low! I would rather pay $30-$40. for a drive with some real differences in engineering and firmware than to buy a brand that, in reality, is no different than most other drives on the market. Which brings to mind another question. If so many manufacturers are re-branding Lite-On's as their own, who is responsible for the firmware and subsequent revisions?
With a little effort, you can still find (supposedly) new AD-7200S and DVR-215D for sale, but they usually come with a premium price. I may just buy one of each though, before they disappear completely.__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 5
BTW, I might try crossflashing the DRW-24B1ST with Lite-On firmware, if I could find a .bin file for it. Everything I've found online in the way of Lite-On firmware is a windows flash .exe file, which won't work with the ASUS, because it doesn't see it as a Lite-On drive. I've tried to extract the flash .exe file, thinking there might be a firmware .bin file in there somewhere, but no luck. I have the Flash Utility 6.0.1 and EEPROM Utility 6.2.0 frome codeguys, but it seems to require a .bin file for flashing.
I've flashed many MOBO's, drives, controllers, etc., with DOS and Windows flashers using stock firmware, but this would be my first attempt at crossflashing a drive. Any advice?__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 6
Flash utility doesn't require a .bin. It does require an unscrambled firmware. Any of the iHAS324 A firmwares from CK's page will get you crossflashed. Or any of the modded firmwares . Follow the directions to convert drive with the eeprom utility after flashing. Back up your current firmware and eeprom first. You can then try any and all iHAS 324A firmwares simply by using the flasher exe. Currently some 7200s at 29.99/shipped and another at 9.99 4 day auction up on E-bay. You'll be able to snag one or two soon without breaking the bank . __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06)
Last edited by deanwitty; 21-11-2011 at 17:45. - Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 7
One more thing. Take advantage of one of CK's FR(fast-read) firmwares. iHAS324 at DL16 read makes for a prodigious ripper. And my 7240/41's were NEC's. Disappointed by variable quality burns w/ a 7240, tried a 7241. No different. __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06) - Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 8
Yikes! A quick look at the ASUS forum and it appears some 24B1ST are iHAS B drives. Gotta research this a bit more 
. __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06) - Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 9
I think you're right! I was having no luck at all flashing the 24B1ST with "ATAPI.iHAS324_A.BL1P.stock" firmware. Or, more accurately, I could flash it, but could not convert it. The drive was basically non-functional afterwards and I could not even restore it with the ASUS 1.04 firmware I had saved off as a .bin file. I was sure I had bricked it.
Then I recalled that I had earlier determined that this might be a "B" series drive, so I flashed it with "ATAPI.iHAS324_B.AL18.stock" firmware. This time the conversion was successful and now it's reporting as an ATAPI iHAS324 B SCSI CdRom Device in Device Manager and burning discs, so all is well (I guess).
Doing some testing right now and here's some preliminary results with CMC Mag AM3 and Verbatim MCC-004. I may also have a media issue with my current batch of MCC-004 as they're not burning anywhere near as good as they have in the past in any of my drives.__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
21-11-2011
- # 10
BTW, I just managed to buy a brand new Optiarc AD-7200S for $29. USD, shipping included from TXcess Surplus in case anyone's interested. Supposed to be a brand-new Optiarc OEM drive for Dell, but the label they show is a stock Optiarc label, rather than a Dell label so maybe no OEM firmware issues.
http://www.txcesssurplus.com__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
22-11-2011
- # 11
Yo pcarey-Quote:Originally Posted by pcarey
BTW, I just managed to buy a brand new Optiarc AD-7200S for $29. USD, shipping included from TXcess Surplus in case anyone's interested. Supposed to be a brand-new Optiarc OEM drive for Dell, but the label they show is a stock Optiarc label, rather than a Dell label so maybe no OEM firmware issues.
http://www.txcesssurplus.com
Thanks for the heads up - I just bought two for my son at $25.56 each shipped.
(When the 'shipping zip code' pops up - put in the correct zip code - and when the 'method' box pops up select "UPS" - it saved me about $9 over the USPS rate)__________________
Mike
(Y) <- - - (a tribute to *someone*)
Brayden & Lil Burnits Proud Cyber Grampie - 'CERCA, TROVA' - 'NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM'
Work Computer = ZT Systems i7-2600 CPU w/16GB DDR3-1333 RAM/ Win7 Pro-sp1 /Intel 510 120GB SSD @ SATA3 /Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB HDD @ SATA3 /Corsair 650 watt PSU /Optiarc 7200S as burner /Pioneer 215D as Reader/Ripper /Dell U2412M 24" ips monitor /XFX Radeon HD6870 w/2GB GDDR5RAM /Ashampoo Burning Studio 2012 /DVDFab 8
Burning Computer = HP xw8400 workstation w/ Two Xeon 5160, dual core, 3.0 mhz CPU's w/ 16gb PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM /Win7 Pro-sp1 /Intel X25-M G2 160GB SSD /Western Digital Caviar Black 640gb w/64mb cache HDD /Corsair 850 watt psu /Optiarc 7200S w/v1.0B fw as Burner /Pioneer 215D as Reader/Ripper /Asus DRW-24B1ST w/1.03 fw as Disc Quality Tester / ATi Radeon HD 5770 w/1gb GDDR5 Ram Videocard /HP 24" LCD /Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 /DVDFab 8
On The Shelf: BenQ 1640 @EW168, Pioneer (2) 115D, (2) Optiarc 7200A, Optiarc 7260A, Asus DRW-24b1ST - Posted:
22-11-2011
- # 12
Those drives from txcesssurplus seem to be gone now. They must not have had that many of them, or someone bought them all up.
Anyway, I second and third the notion that the Optiarc 7200 models were the last really good Optiarc DVD burners. The 7240, 7260, and 7280 models just do not measure up.
It's the same situation with the Pioneer burners. The 115/215 models were the last really good ones. The 116/216 and 117/217 models that followed fell short.
One of the few more recent SATA burners that was really good was the Samsung SH-S243N. That's also a discontinued model.
Last edited by negritude; 22-11-2011 at 13:19. - Posted:
22-11-2011
- # 13
AAAH.....gotta love a happy ending
Sounds like your ASUS is good to go as a Lite-on. Shame about the MCC004. New batch I just received from SMS are testing worse than usual as well. If you'd like some killer good media at a bargain price that are burning beautifully in most any drive, grab some of these Falcon 8x DVD-R's . Sure to get you back to smiling at the end of your quality scans
.
A picture is worth a thousand words......
Falcon 8x DVD-R burned at 12x w/ Optiarc AD-7200
BENQ____DVD_DD_DW1640_12-June-2011_TTH01_edit.png
Falcon 8x DVD-R burned at 8x w/ iHAS324
BENQ____DVD_DD_DW1640_TTH01_22-November-2011.png
ATAPI___iHAS324___A_TTH01_22-November-2011.png__________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06) - Posted:
22-11-2011
- # 14
Just bought the $29.99 from E-bay it is remanufactured, a new one on Amazon is over $60.00.Quote:Originally Posted by deanwitty Flash utility doesn't require a .bin. It does require an unscrambled firmware. Any of the iHAS324 A firmwares from CK's page will get you crossflashed. Or any of the modded firmwares . Follow the directions to convert drive with the eeprom utility after flashing. Back up your current firmware and eeprom first. You can then try any and all iHAS 324A firmwares simply by using the flasher exe. Currently some 7200s at 29.99/shipped and another at 9.99 4 day auction up on E-bay. You'll be able to snag one or two soon without breaking the bank. - Posted:
22-11-2011
- # 15
Quote:Originally Posted by durkinjt Just bought the $29.99 from E-bay it is remanufactured, a new one on Amazon is over $60.00.SCORE
Decent price from a seller that provides a guarantee. Couldn't resist snagging one of those $20.00/shipped 7200s that just showed up there. No return guarantee
, but seller assures "perfect working condition". Several 7200A's on the shelf, but only had one 7200s back-up. Couldn't resist the gamble at that price . __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06) - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 16
I really haven't had that many problems with my 7240s. I prefer my Samsung SH-S203B, but the Optiarc does an ok job with good media. - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 17
Aww, c'mon. That's not fair. A T02 scan makes even a lousy burner look like a keeper. Shame that one of the best media ever created can't quite keep up with a Falcon 
. But seriously, the 7240/41's frustrated the heck out of me. If I wasn't scanning every burn coming out of them, I might have missed it. Using Verbatim and Falcon media, I'd get a number of good burns, then it seemed like the OPC would get out of whack and suddenly a string of marginal to bad burns. Eventually would correct itself, or I could correct it immediately if I re-flashed the firmware. Got sick of it and never could find an easy way to make them behave. The 7200's media tuning ability seems rock stable by comparison. __________________
Currently installed for testing: Lite-on DH20A4P-04(9P54) + Sony Optiarc AD-7200A(1.Z3) x2 "You want WHAT? OK, I can do that". + AD-7200S(1Z2) + BenQ DW1650(BCIC) + BenQ DW1640(BSLB) x2 + Lite-on iHAS324-08 A(BL1H) + Asus DRW-24B1LT@iHAS424(ZLC1) + Asus DRW-24B1ST@iHAS324(BL1H) + Plextor PX-760A(1.03) + LG BD-RE WH10LS30(1.00) + Lite-on iHES208(8LOC) + Sammy SH-BO83L(SB01) + Pioneer BDR206(1.05) + Lite-on iHBS112-29(CLOK) + Pioneer BDR-205(1.12) + LG WH12LS39(1.00) + Lite-on iHBS212@Plextor PX-LB950SA(1.06)
Last edited by deanwitty; 23-11-2011 at 05:25. - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 18
Noticed you did a quality test with a BenQ1620, how do you find it burning, writing lately, I have a gang of old Benq,s 1620, 40, 50, 55 in my garage, stopped using them when my computers started using Sata.Used them a couple times seemed very slow. - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 19
I haven't experienced any periods of poor burns with my Optiarc 7240s (that I know of). It just doesn't quite live up to the Sammy. The 7240s does do some weird fluctuations of device buffer in ImgBurn, but nothing that stops or compromises the burn.
As far as the 1620, it is retired except for the rare times I use it for scanning. Last time I used it to burn dvds, it was still just fine, but it was getting a little cranky reading cds. I probably need to clean the lens. The computer it is in still has IDE connections on the motherboard, so the drive hasn't shown any problems running. - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 20
I'm beginning to think that the AD-7240S was a transitional model with the earlier models being an Optiarc design with a NEC chipset and at some later point, possibly a Lite-On design with a different chipset "re-branded" as an Optiarc AD-7240S. That may be why people are reporting totally different experiences with that particular drive.
It's a shame, but you can no longer depend on a manufacturer's past reputation for building good drives, as their product could could now be designed and built by anyone anywhere. You may think you know what you're buying, but in reality you will probably get a drive you'd never even consider buying. Seems rather disingenuous to me, especially since they don't disclose the fact that the model you bought last week may be nothing like the same model you bought this week.
Of course they all say that their "policy is one of continuous improvement (in the bottom line) and they reserve the right to change design and specifications without notice."__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 21
I think you'll find nothing but NEC chipsets in the 7240s and 7260s drives. Don't think any of them use Mediatek. I'm willing to be proved wrong if you want to find a few and open them up.
The 7280s uses a Renesas chip, but it is actually a joint development between NEC and Renesas, and seems to be primarily derived from the chips used in the 7240/7260 line. See here: http://club.myce.com/f61/considered-...moment-323323/ - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 22
That's why I used words like "I think" and "possibly" and you may very well be right about the chipsets. I have also seen AD-7240's that were physically very different from each other, so I assumed that there may have been a chipset change also. As we used to say "To assume is to blunder".
I do know that I have an Optiarc AD-7260S and an ASUS DRW-24B1ST that, disregarding the logos on the bezel and the label on the bottom, are absolutely physically identical to each other and to Lite-On models. The bezels are interchangable and if you open the tray, it's design is identical. The DRW-24B1ST can be flashed with certain models of Lite-On firmware and I think the same may be true of the AD-7260S. I believe it's been established that there was definitely a chipset change in the ASUS DRW-24B1ST between FW 1.03 and 1.04.
In any case, they're both Lite-On's and not what I thought I was buying!__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 23
You could get an external USB enclosure and use it that way. That's what I did with my ND-3540A.Quote:Originally Posted by pcarey My very best all-time drive was an NEC ND-3500A, but that's ancient history now as my new MOBO doesn't even have an IDE controller.
FWIW, I found my 7260S and 7261S do the same thing with the buffer status in ImgBurn.Quote:Originally Posted by Kerry56 I haven't experienced any periods of poor burns with my Optiarc 7240s (that I know of). It just doesn't quite live up to the Sammy. The 7240s does do some weird fluctuations of device buffer in ImgBurn, but nothing that stops or compromises the burn.
In dual layer land I generally found the 7260S/7261S to be a better burner of MKM 001 and MKM 003 than the SH-S203B, or NEC ND-3540A. - Posted:
23-11-2011
- # 24
When I said the ND-3500A was history, I meant it's gone. The only IDE drive I currently have is a Plextor PX-740UF External USB/Firewire drive which is, in reality, a BenQ 1640 and flashed with BenQ 164B (external version of the 1640) firmware that I use for quality testing.
I do have a Vantec eSATA enclosure on a Silicon Image SiI3114 SATA non-RAID PCI bus controller that I use for easily swapping out various ODD's for testing. One thing I like about eSATA is that the system and the software can't tell the difference between an internal SATA drive and an external eSATA drive.
As good as the ND-3500A was, I sure don't miss IDE drives with the big ribbon cables, master/slave jumpering, etc.
__________________
Asus P6X58D Premium LGA1366 motherboard
Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHz Quad-Core Hyper-Threading
12GB DDR-3 1333 PC3-1066 Triple-Channel RAM @1178MHz
Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II internal HDD on ICH10R RAID 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA II external HDD in Vantec eSATA case
nVidia GeForce GT240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 x16
ASUS DVD-E616A2 DVD-ROM w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Asus CRW-5232AX CD-R/RW w/ Vantec CB-IS100 IDE-to-SATA adapter
Optiarc AD-7200S SATA DVD+R/RW DL
External ASUS DRW-24B1ST SATA DVD+R/RW DL (cross-flashed to Lite-On iHAS324 B) in Vantec e-SATA case
External Plextor PX-740UF External Firewire DVD+R/RW DL (BenQ 1640 w/ 164B BEGB F/W) for disc quality testing
Antec Performance II series case w/ 700W modular PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
ODD's on the shelf: Pioneer DVR-215D, Optiarc AD-7260S, Optiarc AD-7200S (brand new)
- Posted:
25-11-2011
- # 25
How much differnce is there in internal/external Sata's? T.I.A.Quote:Originally Posted by pcarey When I said the ND-3500A was history, I meant it's gone. The only IDE drive I currently have is a Plextor PX-740UF External USB/Firewire drive which is, in reality, a BenQ 1640 and flashed with BenQ 164B (external version of the 1640) firmware that I use for quality testing.
I do have a Vantec eSATA enclosure on a Silicon Image SiI3114 SATA non-RAID PCI bus controller that I use for easily swapping out various ODD's for testing. One thing I like about eSATA is that the system and the software can't tell the difference between an internal SATA drive and an external eSATA drive.
As good as the ND-3500A was, I sure don't miss IDE drives with the big ribbon cables, master/slave jumpering, etc.
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