Life expectancy of a burner?

Computer Hardware
#1

Hey guys,

i got a mitsu 4809, and i’ve always been curious about the lifespan of the laser when it comes to burning cds. I’ve checked the manufactures MTBF is 50,000 hrs POH min. But, this number is useless to me, and mileage does vary.

A friend of mine had told me that his old 8x(i don’t know what brand) did a little over a 1000 cds before it died. I’m hittin the 400 mark as we speak…

So the question i’m asking you guys is, how many cds can you burn before a cdrw drive dies? Personal testimonial would be greatly appreciated No matter what brand or what speed, tell me your story. Thanks.

#2

Depends on the brand, I guess.
One of my first burners; an HP6020 (2x!) is still operational.
And so is my old Plex4/2/20. If you use your burner only for writing, it’ll last longer. Using it for reading decreases the lifetime.

You get what you pay for, that’s why I started using Plextor about 7 years ago.:slight_smile: My old Plex12x (reader, not writer) still works like a charm and reads protected audioCD’s (Key2audio and Cactus).

Plex4/2/20, Plex12TS, Plex12/4/32, Plex32TS, Plex40TS and Plex40/12/40, I guess I’m an addict :stuck_out_tongue:

#3

Try not to burn cdrw media, as it takes a higher intensity of the laser to read/burn data.

And using your burner as a reader will for certain decrease life span of the burner.

When you can get a 32x for $40 USD it really shouldnt concern u have long the burner will last :stuck_out_tongue: I say just burn as much as u want at these prices

#4

Usually nowadays they have a MTBF of 100000 POH (10% duty).

In general that means you can leave it on for 100 thousand hours , and in 10% of that time you write cd’s with it. (So basically 10 thousand hours of writing).

It highly depends on the correct usage of the device , the temperature and humidity fluctuations and what kind of cd’s you put in. In general the lens will become dirty and when that’s beyond cleaning it’s bye bye writer.

If you have your system (with the writer) installed in a climate controlled environment with 20 degrees celcius and a humidity of less than 85% , and the writer can get rid of the generated heat (fans) you will have an optimum environment on which the writer will last the longest.

Then there are moving parts in it that deteriorate over time. And static electricity collects dust real quick :slight_smile:

#5

I have a Yamaha 8x that’s been in use for almost 2.5 years and a Liteon/Sony 16x that’s been in use for a year and a half.

Both are working fine without any problem so far.

More than life expectancy due to usage, I’d say that the lifespan would be reduced due to changes in technology.

For instance, if double layer/side CDs became popular, if DVD +xx becomes cheap enough to rival mainstream CD burners, if…

A lifespan of 2 years should be enough to justify purchase and most burners being made today should easily live that long :slight_smile: