Testing (continued):
The first phase of testing was going to be an analysis of the drive using Nero's Info Tool application. Although it could readily identify the internal NEC ND-1100A, it would not report any data on the Cendyne burner, whether it was attached to USB 2.0 or Firewire. In an attempt to locate an alternate means of confirming this data, I came across an application which was new to me, but probably more familiar to people in the know... DVDInfo Pro. I actually like the functionality and detailed reporting provided by DVDInfo Pro better, and the screenshot below confirms all of the basic information presented in Cendyne's published specifications.
The next phase of testing involved a Nero utility which did function properly. Nero's CD-DVD Speed 3.10 Benchmark was used to analyze the Cendyne burner while attached to a Firewire and USB 2.0 connection, as compared to the IDE ND-1100A drive. The original Pinnacle Studio disc was used as the test media in this benchmark, and the table below details the results...
As you can see, there wasn't much of a difference for most categories when tested on this data CD. The points of interest to me are the extremely low CPU usage while connected to a Firewire port, the improved seek times on Firewire/USB 2.0 as compared to IDE, and the impressive burst rate advantage IDE holds over the two external formats.
SiSoft Sandra 2004 Professional was then fired up for the next phase of testing. The CD-ROM/DVD Benchmark module was implemented with Disc 2 of the Star Wars Episode 1 DVD collection inserted as the test media, and the results are available in the table below...
The Firewire test was actually run first, and I was surprised by the high numbers, but after 3 repeat tests I accepted the values as is. The IDE and USB 2.0 figures are very similar to each other, and the length of testing on each was roughly the same, although much longer than required for the Firewire results.
The final phase of testing finally involved some real world action on these drives. Three different rounds of burning tests were conducted as described in the list below:
• CD-R Burning: 32x Khypermedia 700MB media was used to burn 649.4MB at Max (16x) drive speed
• CD-RW Burning: 4x CMC 650MB media was used to burn 649.4MB at Max (4x) drive speed
• DVD+R Burning: 4x TDK 4.7GB media was used to burn 4,225.3MB at Max (4x) drive speed
The same files were used for consistency on the CD-R and CD-RW testing, and consisted of all the backup files (8,489 files/702 folders) for the site and the reviews (mostly small files, mixed between graphics, html, and data files). The 6 files used during the DVD+R testing were all large DiVX movie files.
The table below details the total time it took to burn the files listed above while using Sonic's RecordNow DX, as well as the effective rate achieved for these transfers...
Once again, it is obvious that Firewire and USB 2.0 can hang with a comparable IDE device, as all the results are quite close to each other and no one format looks like a poor choice.
Overall I was very impressed with the performance of the Cendyne drive during the real world testing. It performed on par with expectations and operated quietly during burning. The only tangible rise in noise level comes during high speed spinning. Still, the noise is far less than I am accustomed to on standard CD-ROM / CD-RW drives.
Conclusion:
The construction and appearance of the Cendyne 4x DVD±RW External Drive are top notch, and the testing shows that the performance is just as solid. Installation is nearly foolproof, and one can be up and running burning DVDs and CDs in a matter of minutes with no need to access the inside of their computer. Likewise, the device can just as easily be disconnected and taken to work, school, or anywhere else a versatile device such as this may be required.
With prices dropping on DVD burners across the board, the decision to add one to a system is no longer as tough as it was just a few months ago. Couple this with the high quality, heavy duty construction of the Cendyne 4x DVD±RW External Drive's housing and you have a convenient, reliable upgrade that won't clean out your wallet. A search of PriceGrabber shows that nobody seems to be able to touch the Computer Geeks price on this device! With new units selling at Computer Geeks for $97 and refurbished units available for $89, the closest 'competition' is about $100 higher! Considering the prices of IDE DVD burners, or even IDE CDRW/DVD combo drives, you aren't paying much more to get much greater flexibility and functionality.
The downsides to the product are basic... The Sonic software functioned properly when necessary, during burning, but I encountered a few hang ups that made me wish that something more familiar like Nero had been included. And, although not a true downside, the 4x DVD±RW drive technology is obviously no longer the fastest, so this isn't the drive for those insistent on having the latest and greatest. That being said, the pricing on 4x drives is now all that more appealing as drive speeds rise past 8x and 12x!
For the overall quality of construction, ease of use, and solid performance, I award the Cendyne 4x DVD±RW External Drive 4.5 out of 5 stars... "Readily Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):  
Pros:
• USB 2.0 and Firewire interface
• Heavy duty construction
• Quiet operation, even during burning
• Well priced
Cons:
• Not the fastest technology, but it does live up to printed specifications
• Difficulties with Sonic software, would prefer something like Nero.
Special thanks to Computer Geeks for providing the Cendyne 4x DVD±RW External Drive to BigBruin.Com for review!
Please drop by the BigBruin.Com forum and feel free to discuss this review!
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