Got|Apex? Plextor PlexWriter 16/10/40A CD-Rewritable Drive Review 04/11/2001

[DARTH]

Thsi is where you can post your questions and or comments on this review.

http://www.gotapex.com/reviews.php?rev=plextor16/index.html

Thanks for reading,
DARTH

[Radboy]

have u heard anything about plex burners not being able to back-up (copy) safedisc_2 copy-protected cd's with latest firmware revisions?

[Escher]

Darth...you may have wanted to mention the jumper hack in order to get UDMA/33 transfer mode for this drive. Plextor includes an extra jumper, but doesn't tell you about it's use. The two pins that are marked reserve on the left side of the back of the drive when jumpered enable UDMA/33. I got my drive yesterday, put the jumper on, installed it, and just like that UDMA/33!

What's real interesting is that the specs on Plextor's USA site say it can do UDMA/33, but their Euro site doesn't (someone correct me if I'm wrong about this as it's been a few weeks since I saw it).

As for burning SD2 discs, as far as I know, this Plextor isn't able to. There's only been one BIOS (the one it ships with), so maybe a new revision will fix this problem. The "old" 12x Plextor could burn SD2 discs, but only if you had the right TLA# (batch it came from), and firmware. This is the rumor, but seems to be confirmed on a lot of sites.

[LPMiller]

Darth isn't into certain...um...burning hobbies like I am. :grin: Think of it as Average Joe reviewing a Drive; well, averge joe with more computer knowledge then average!

As to safe disc 2, no, though sometimes you get partially lucky in that you can burn it, but it will only work on that drive. Or so I've heard. Right now, only certian phillips drives seem to have any consisiant success with SF2; and plextor seems to be less inclined to support the ...um, burning hobbiest...then they used to.

Its the 12x that using a certian bios, MAY burn safe2 disks to work in all drives, but it's still a bit of a crap shoot.

a good place to start for the...um, burning hobbiest, is the coaster factory : http://www.ping.be/satcp/index.shtml

[DARTH]

UDMA/33 was enabled by default on the dirve I received. I did not have to jumper it. Weird....

[Escher]

Really?! You mind posting your TLA# for that drive Darth? Mine was 0000 and needed the jumper....maybe a new batch has it enabled by default....first I've heard of this.

[Des-Astor]

Darth,

Could you add some comments on the noise levels generated by the drive. My current cd-rom sounds like a jet taking off and I am thinking or replacing it with a cd-r, since they are just as fast.

Thanks for the review

[DARTH]

To be honest it is great challenge to hear anything over the four Delta fans I have going :) But seriously I found this drive to be reasonably quiet considering its speed.

[caddelma]

I want a SCSI version to replace my awesome Plextor 12/4/32 (SCSI version of course)!! Guess I'll have to stick to my usual 5-7 min per cd :)

[Escher]

I don't have a decibel (sp?) meter, but it's VERY quiet. Very little noise is generated, even with that little fan in the back.

[MonkeyBrains]

How about overburning? Does this drive overburn cds and if so by how much?