1 Best Buy
TDK 24/10/40 VeloCD ReWriter $145 88 Average Very good Outstanding Very good Outstanding 4:09 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.31, one-year warranty, 10.5-hour daily toll-free support. SUMMARY: Substantially the same hardware as last month's number two model, but TDK has replaced its Sanyo drive mechanism with a Lite-On one.
( Oct 01)
2 Best Buy, New
Lite-On LTR-32123S $150 82 Average Outstanding Very good Good Average 3:43 1:06 FEATURES: 32X/12X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 3.12, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: The first 32X drive we've tested has the fastest speed scores on the chart. Lackluster documentation and stingy tech support hours.
3 I/O Magic MagicWriter DR-CDRW2440 $120 81 Inexpensive Very good Very good Good Average 4:11 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.26, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: A $30 price drop boosts this drive six spots higher on the chart than last month. Fast, with easy installation.
( Mar 02)
4 QPS Que Internal 24x10x40x CD-RW $135 81 Average Very good Outstanding Average Average 4:12 1:20 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.23, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: Commendable CD-R and CD-RW performance and a competitive price keeps this model high on the chart.
( Dec 01)
5 Sony CRX175A $150 79 Average Very good Very good Average Very good 4:07 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, BHA B's Recorder Gold 3.01 and B's Clip 2.29, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday and Saturday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Its $150 price holds this model down, but the drive's solid CD-R/RW write performance and top-notch software won't disappoint.
( Feb 02)
6 Yamaha CRW3200 LightSpeed3 $185 79 Expensive Very good Very good Very good Good 4:09 1:16 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 8MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero 5.5 and InCD 2.31, one-year warranty, 8.5-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: High price knocks this speedy drive down the chart. Its excellent software bundle includes Adobe Photo Deluxe 4.0 and Adobe ActiveShare.
( Mar 02)
7 Teac CD-W524E $130 78 Inexpensive Good Very good Average Average 4:30 1:33 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Roxio EasyCD Creator 5.1 and DirectCD 5.1, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: Though this drive is a little sluggish compared with other 24X offerings, Teac includes a better-than-average software bundle.
(. Feb 02)
8 Yamaha CRW2200EZ LightSpeed $165 77 Average Very good Very good Good Good 4:49 1:16 FEATURES: 20X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 8MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.11, one-year warranty, 8.5-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: This model has the slowest CD-R performance on the chart, but it comes with a terrific software bundle.
( Oct 01)
9 New
Sony CRX175M $195 77 Expensive Very good Outstanding Average Very good 4:06 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, BHA B's Recorder Gold 3.01 and B's Clip 2.29, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday and Saturday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Configured very similarly to Sony's fifth-place unit, this is the first CD-RW drive we've tested that has a Memory Stick slot.
( Feb 02)
10 Plextor PlexWriter 24/10/40A $160 75 Average Good Very good Good Good 4:39 1:39 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 4MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Adaptec EasyCD Creator 5.01 and DirectCD 5.01, one-year warranty, 10-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Not as fast as other drives in the same speed class; however, the device's drivers make it easy to create music CDs.
( Dec 01)
TDK 24/10/40 VeloCD ReWriter $145 88 Average Very good Outstanding Very good Outstanding 4:09 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.31, one-year warranty, 10.5-hour daily toll-free support. SUMMARY: Substantially the same hardware as last month's number two model, but TDK has replaced its Sanyo drive mechanism with a Lite-On one.
( Oct 01)
2 Best Buy, New
Lite-On LTR-32123S $150 82 Average Outstanding Very good Good Average 3:43 1:06 FEATURES: 32X/12X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 3.12, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: The first 32X drive we've tested has the fastest speed scores on the chart. Lackluster documentation and stingy tech support hours.
3 I/O Magic MagicWriter DR-CDRW2440 $120 81 Inexpensive Very good Very good Good Average 4:11 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.26, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: A $30 price drop boosts this drive six spots higher on the chart than last month. Fast, with easy installation.
( Mar 02)
4 QPS Que Internal 24x10x40x CD-RW $135 81 Average Very good Outstanding Average Average 4:12 1:20 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.23, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: Commendable CD-R and CD-RW performance and a competitive price keeps this model high on the chart.
( Dec 01)
5 Sony CRX175A $150 79 Average Very good Very good Average Very good 4:07 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, BHA B's Recorder Gold 3.01 and B's Clip 2.29, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday and Saturday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Its $150 price holds this model down, but the drive's solid CD-R/RW write performance and top-notch software won't disappoint.
( Feb 02)
6 Yamaha CRW3200 LightSpeed3 $185 79 Expensive Very good Very good Very good Good 4:09 1:16 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 8MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero 5.5 and InCD 2.31, one-year warranty, 8.5-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: High price knocks this speedy drive down the chart. Its excellent software bundle includes Adobe Photo Deluxe 4.0 and Adobe ActiveShare.
( Mar 02)
7 Teac CD-W524E $130 78 Inexpensive Good Very good Average Average 4:30 1:33 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Roxio EasyCD Creator 5.1 and DirectCD 5.1, one-year warranty, 9-hour weekday support (calls are not toll-free). SUMMARY: Though this drive is a little sluggish compared with other 24X offerings, Teac includes a better-than-average software bundle.
(. Feb 02)
8 Yamaha CRW2200EZ LightSpeed $165 77 Average Very good Very good Good Good 4:49 1:16 FEATURES: 20X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 8MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5 and InCD 2.11, one-year warranty, 8.5-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: This model has the slowest CD-R performance on the chart, but it comes with a terrific software bundle.
( Oct 01)
9 New
Sony CRX175M $195 77 Expensive Very good Outstanding Average Very good 4:06 1:18 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 2MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, BHA B's Recorder Gold 3.01 and B's Clip 2.29, one-year warranty, 12-hour weekday and Saturday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Configured very similarly to Sony's fifth-place unit, this is the first CD-RW drive we've tested that has a Memory Stick slot.
( Feb 02)
10 Plextor PlexWriter 24/10/40A $160 75 Average Good Very good Good Good 4:39 1:39 FEATURES: 24X/10X/40X, 1 IDE, internal, 4MB buffer, buffer underrun protection, Adaptec EasyCD Creator 5.01 and DirectCD 5.01, one-year warranty, 10-hour weekday toll-free support. SUMMARY: Not as fast as other drives in the same speed class; however, the device's drivers make it easy to create music CDs.
( Dec 01)
