detail information

Now we'll start testing the reading of normal data discs. In the next page we'll take a look at how the Waitec MEGALUS can handle the various copy-protection out there. But first the reading of unprotected data. Let's see how fast the MEGALUS can read data and if it can really reach the claimed 40x.

Unprotected Data
• Intro
• Transfer Speed
• Nero CD Speed
• Seek Times
• Conclusion

Data - Intro:

For the data tests we used a program called Transfer Speed version 0.99.2 by Smart Projects (www.Smart-Projects.net) and we'll also be using Nero CD Speed again (www.cdspeed2000.com) to verify the achieved results and because this program is a little more advanced.

Data - Transfer Speed:

For this test we'll be using Transfer Speed, a simple utility to measure the overall speed of the drive and the amount of kbytes per second the drive can transfer. Below a screenshot of the program and the speeds the MEGALUS reached:

Below we compare these speeds with the Plextor PX-W2410A and the Lite-On 24102B:

Average KB/Second Test

The higher, the better

As you can see the Plextor is the better drive here. The Waitec MEGALUS falls just behind the Lite-On but not far. In the table below you can see an overview of the achieved results compared to the Plextor and Lite-On:

The Waitec MEGALUS reaches about the same speeds as the Lite-On does but the Plextor is still the fastest reader.

Data - Nero CD Speed:

Nero CD Speed is a little more advanced than 'Transfer Speed' and we'll be using this tool to do some verifying of our previous results. First we'll start with the basic Transfer Rate Test:

Below is a screenshot of the transfer speeds. The green line indicates the reading speed and the yellow line indicates the rotation speed (rpm) of the disc:

And another picture of the achieved speeds:

As you can see the Waitec MEGALUS reaches nearly an average reading speed of 31x, a good result for a CD-RW drive. The end speed reaches over 40x so the MEGALUS can read at 40x like claimed.

in the table below you can see an overview of the Waitec MEGALUS compared to the Plextor and Lite-On again:

And again we have the same conclusion: The Waitec MEGALUS reaches about the same speeds as the Lite-On does but the Plextor is still the fastest reader...

Seek Times:

The next test we did with Nero CD Speed was the 'Seek Times Test'. In the graph below we compare the seek times of the MEGALUS with the Plextor and the Lite-On:

Seek Times: Lower is better

As you the Plextor falls behind here and the Lite-On is the fastest drive. The Waitec performs well.

Conclusion:

The Waitec MEGALUS performs very well and can easily keep up with the Lite-On 24102B but the Plextor PX-W2410A is the true 'king' here. It outperforms both drives with ease. But when it comes to seek times the Plextor still has some work to do..

Now we'll start testing the reading of protected data discs...

Read Tests - Audio

Read Tests - Protected Data