Drives > Samsung Drives > DVD-ROM

Advantages: Good quality; quiet operation; very affordable
Disadvantages: Rather high CPU usage

...the drive's cache size? The Samsung has only 256kB of cache (as opposed to the Plextor's 2MB). DAE quality was rated "10" (perfect) with the "Accurate Stream" feature present. CPU usage with CD-R dics was fairly good for a quality drive: 0% at 1x, 1% at 2x, 2% at 4x and 4% at 8x. CPU usage reading DVDs seemed staggeringly high at first glance: 6 % at 1x, 19 % at 2X, 47 % at 4X and 77 % at 8x reading a pressed DVD-ROM, and even higher with a burned ...
...% at 4x and "n/a" (out of range? ;-)) at 8X. Then I measured CPU usage with the (generally acclaimed) Plextor drive: it was just as high. Not being an expert in this field I can only speculate that during normal operation CPU usage won't be a problem; DVD film playback occurs at 1x; audio file playback off DVDs also doesn't require higher read speeds. Aside from file copying, the only circumstance I can think of where thed drive would have to provide ... Read review

Advantages: Fast read speed, reliable data reading. Quiet operation.
Disadvantages: None found so far

Found very reliable on reading data from DVD rom discs, cd recordables, cd rewritables, normal cds, dvd videos and audio cds. Would recommend to anyone thinking of getting a DVD drive. Comes with: 512kb buffer 48 speed cd reading (MAX) 16 speed dvd reading (MAX) Reads CD/CDR/CDRW/DVD/DVDVIDEO Plug and play Easy installation takes 5 - 10 minutes, screws included. OEM version doesnt include audio or data cable for installation though. Only ...
...be configured as master or slave - can share with a hard disk or cdrom drive. Once installed, windows 98 onwards will recognise the drive and it will be ready to use. Simply pop a disc in and play away. DVD video software not included, but can be downloaded from various places on the internet. ... Read review

Advantages: saves space in the computer
Disadvantages: a little noisy

...Specs (in summary) = * Samsung 52x24x52x16x Combo drive * internal - 5.25" * Interface: IDE/ATAPI - 40 PIN IDC * Supported CD Formats: CD Text, CD Extra, CD-DA (audio), CD-I, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD, Video CD, CD-ROM * Supported Media Types: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW * Access Time: 110 ms (CD), 130 ms (DVD) * Buffer Underrun Protection is built in with 8Mb of buffer memory. Techie stuff The ...
...memory of 8Mb. This 8MB Buffer of memory is helpful as it ensures that the DVD isn played smoothly so it avoids the annoying stops and starts that can occur with the slower and older DVD drive.. To reduce the noise and vibration, it uses the DVA (Dynamic Vibration Absorber) technology - i am not sure what that means but it sounds good! The drive can be mounted horizontally or vertically. I have mounted it horizontally but it can be useful if you ... Read review

Advantages: Quiet, speedy, compatible drive
Disadvantages: Drivers questionable

...for an existing CD player. Samsung supplies a set of DOS drivers, which may be useful for customers with particular requirements, but in most cases the standard Windows drivers will suffice. Samsung has developed a new technology called Acoustic Noise Reduction System (ARS); effectively a muffler that reduces the noise made by the air flow through the drive. It seems to work - we found the drive to be considerably quieter than most we've looked ...
...is fully compatible with all the previous CD formats including multi session photo CD and will read discs created with gold and silver CD-R(W) blanks. We found it to be one of the few drives we've tested that actually achieved the read speeds quoted in the makers specification literature, which makes a refreshing change. In conclusion, this drive is well built, a solid performer and comes at a reasonable price. RRP £71.30 ... Read review

Advantages: its an all in one
Disadvantages: can be noisy at times!

...one machine, just like this Samsung CD-RW/DVD-ROM. It makes sense to buy this because look at the money your saving instead of buying 2 drives. Now you can free up a drive bay on your PC and utilise it a lot better e.g. why not put a DVD burner in to go with your new DVD-ROM. Making back-ups 'on-the-fly' is a dream with the Samsung. It can read DVD's at 16X which is standard reading speed for DVD's. It can burn CD-R's at a staggering 52X which is ...
...that you dont install the Samsung on older PC's. Another thing that I won't kid you about is the noise factor. Yes she can be a bit noisy with certain media. Why this is so I couldnt tell you, it baffles me as well. When I first installed the drive (in my personal machine) I was in a rush and didn't use all of the attaching screws, the drive did vibrate a bit when media was inserted so I put the other screws in and this cured the noise. Again I ... Read review