Not to beat the "CDRW" horse to death, but...

[jim.t]

as I mentioned in a previous post I got a really good deal on a Plextor 12/10/32 and bought it and already received it. Now I'm finding out I might not have enough "oomph" with the system (p1-166mmx) OR CD-ROM(12x/16x). Am I gonna have to pump up the PC power as well as get a faster CD-ROM if I want to enjoy the capabilities of the cd writer? I'm planning on getting a newer PC soon, so I really didn't want to invest alot in the old one. What could I do to get by and keep everybody happy with this new Plextor? Gateway told me to install whatever I wanted, but they would only take care of there equipment, which means they would NOT void the parts warranty. Good for me. Any opinions would be welcome and helpful. Thanks, Jim.

[This message has been edited by jim.t (edited 08-15-2000).]

[Warthog]

How much memory? You said you were getting a new pc soon. You can just remove the extra memory from the old system (and the drive) and stick it in the new system. Get 64mb or higher.

If this is not the case....then I don't know http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif.

How long will it be till you get the new comp?

Warthog

[jim.t]

I'm not getting a new one for about a month or two. Looking at a P111-733/800 with 128mb. My initial plans were to use the older one for just a burner and little stuff (it has 64mb ram).

[Warthog]

Well gee.....I didn't think the processor could be such a bottleneck. hmmmmm....maybe try 128mb? http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif I thought 166mhz was enough.

hmmmmm......

Warthog

[Joel Kleppinger]

Warthog, the problem is that you bought an IDE burner (unless I'm mistaken), which REALLY saps resources. Your CPU doesn't have enough go-go juice to power the IDE bus (since it controls the bus directly).

It's HIHGLY recommended that anyone purchasing a CD burner go the SCSI route. SCSI is a much better bus for burning due to bus mastering (control is handled by the controller card rather than CPU).

It will make a massive difference. With SCSI, you can even still use your computer for non-intensive tasks... something you could only dream about with IDE.

[jbob]

Aren't the new CDR's/CD-RW's "Burn (Buffer under-run) Proof"? That allows you to do other stuff while burning. If I'm not mistaken, the Plextor 12x10x32 has burn proof technology.

[shadow]

Or if you're motherboard can go to 2.2 volts and support AMD, try a K6II-350 or 400. Used on a 2x multiplier setting, they are remapped at 6x which makes them ideal for some older socket 7 boards. Check it out here: http://www.romulus2.com/articles/guides/newlife/newlife.htm

[jim.t]

It does have "burn-proof" technology, which will be nice, but will my 12x/16x cd-rom be fast enough to supply the writer on cd-to-cd writes?
I'm also getting a little confused with the install. Is the new cdrw going to take the place of the old cd-rom(primary), as far as cd-rom functions, and the old cd taking a secondary role, or how does that work??
All replies have been helpful, and it would appear that alot more might be neccessary clear this up for me. Thanks folks.

[shadow]

Going by speeds alone I'd think your cdrom should be able to keep up (give it a try) but it's a better idea to burn an image from your HDD rather than a cd - cd copy. Copy the contents of the cd you are copying to the HDD, then burn that file to your cdr, then delete the image taking space on your hdd. Your Plextor software will help you with that one (DiskDupe).

Your burner could take the place of your cdrom, you only need one but if you use cd's alot to play games, listen to music, etc, your better off to wear the cdrom out for that and save the burner's life for burning.
I considered taking my cdrom out and only using the burner but my wife is constantly playing a music cd, so I left both in.

Set the burner up as master on the secondary channel and the cdrom as slave to the HDD. Set the jumpers on each cd device accordingly, Windows takes care of the rest.

Post with anymore questions, have fun http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[jim.t]

Exactly what I thought! I just needed to be reassured. Thanks alot...good info. Jim.

[Bob-NB]

I find that most burner programs work better if you just dump the CD you want to burn on the HD then burn it from there. This eliminates many problems. My 40 gig Maxtor only cost $200.00 - 6 months ago.

[jim.t]

If you had a slower cd-rom as I have(12/16x), would you replace it with the newer Plextor, or install it an other bay and have two cd drives?? It seems like it would be quicker to install in the older cd's bay. Any thoughts??