NEC 3520 vs. 3540's

[Santilli]

Hi
Is there much difference? I picked up a couple of the later, since I heard from most that the later were going bad, or something. Can't remember...

Anyway, they have been sitting in a box, waiting for a new machine, and I'm wondering if I should take the time to swap the 3540s for the 3520's, in my server box?

Any compelling reason the later is better then the 3520's? Otherwise, the newer would go in a new work machine, David is building...

Thanks

GS

 

[LiamC]

My understanding is that the 3540 is black and the 3520 is beige. There endeth the differences.

 

[Santilli]

Thanks.

It's one of those things where someone here said buy them, because they're going out of production, or reducing in quality, and, damn, I'm getting old, but I couldn't remember why the hell I bought them? Good price on newegg, and source drying up?

Again,
Thanks

gs

 

[CougTek]

LiamC is unfortunately wrong. Both drives are available in both black and beige. The 3540A has improved reading and writing speed for dual-layer DVDs (both + and -). Read speed for DVD±RW is also improved (13X max vs 8X max for the older model.

You can find reviews of both units at CDR-Labs :

3540A
3520A

Who's David? Not ddrueding?

 

[Mercutio]

time is also a David.

We also have a rather large number of folk who could be called Bill, IIRC. I think we have 5 of those.

Be glad he didn't say "Bill"

 

[CougTek]

But time doesn't live in San Francisco area.

 

[LiamC]

LiamC is unfortunately wrong.

Learn something new everyday

Thanks for the links.

 

[LunarMist]

What about the 3550A? It seems like not long ago the 3500A was the drive of choice. Why do the models change so frequently?

 

[Stereodude]

What about the 3550A? It seems like not long ago the 3500A was the drive of choice. Why do the models change so frequently?

Progress and evolution. Generally, each drive gets a little faster, or has a few extra features. According to NEC's site, there are no differences between the 3550a and the 3540a.

 

[LunarMist]

I have the 3500A and 3550A and there is not much difference.

At the other extreme, Western Digital produced about five variations of 200GB drives with the same model name. Go figure.

 

[ddrueding]

Yea, the David in this case would be me. I've been using this one lately:

BenQ Black ATA/ATAPI DVD Burner With LightScribe Model DW1655 - OEM

 

[Sol]

My experience with BenQ optical drives is that about 1 in 4 of them will actually work. I assume this is not entirely typical, since a product with a 75% failure rate wouldn't last all that long but I still have my doubts about thier reliability.

 

[ddrueding]

My experience with BenQ optical drives is that about 1 in 4 of them will actually work. I assume this is not entirely typical, since a product with a 75% failure rate wouldn't last all that long but I still have my doubts about thier reliability.

I've used...about twenty? No failures. Of course, that's too small a sample to really mean much, but I'll keep buying them until I get at least one that doesn't work.