DVD writer and system performance

[Calin]

Hi
I just bought an LG GSA-4160B (DVD writer). The problem now is that the computer seems underpowered for the load of writing DVDs.
The specifications are: 2.4B Pentium4 processor (533MHz FSB), Intel chipset, single channel DDR memory. The hard drive (master and single on the ribbon) is an 7200rpm, 2MB cache unit (Seagate).
While writing DVDs, either at 2x or 4x the computer screeches to an almost complete halt. I can start Firefox in 5 minutes, even windows Explorer is awfully slow. Could be this because of the fragmented drive that contains the data for the DVD? The HDD LED is lit of flashing all the time.
Also, writing time for DVD is something like 45 minutes, at 2x or 4x writing speed. At 2x writing speed, the time estimates is somewhere at 25 minutes, but the writing time is still 45 minutes

Thanks

 

[VirtualLarry]

Your burner is in PIO mode, it should be in DMA mode instead.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Your burner is in PIO mode, it should be in DMA mode instead.

What he said. Go to Device Manager, right click on the IDE Channel (I'm guessing secondary), and change from PIO to DMA.





KeyserSoze

 

[zanand]

Hello..
I have similar problem. (actually 2)
1. dvdshrink has started underperforming. There is absolutely no change in setup, however now it takes almost 50 mins for the same dvd it use to take around 25mins.
2. i am using enclosure with dvd writer (i/o magic aka btc 8x) and have recently tried 8x media. However, nero takes almost double time in writing 8x discs than what it estimates by itself. Estimation matches the actual time in case of 4x.

Appreciate all your help. Regards- Zanand.

 

[VirtualLarry]

What kind of enclosure? External USB1.1, USB2.0 H-S, Firewire, what? Did you just recently move your drive from being internal, into the external enclosure, or has it always been in the enclosure?

It's possible that the drive can read the discs as 8x, but then the firmware steps down to a slower speed, either due to media-quality or vibration or heat issues, usually. Does the enclosure have a vent/fan? Did this only start happening when you started using 8x media, or had it previously burned at 8x on the same 8x media?

 

[zanand]

I should have clarified more things..sorry for that.
1. dvdshrink is using 16x dvd-rom drive which is internal IDE (only writer is external on usb 2.0hs), Also i can't set mode to dma (it is currently set to pio and is disabled for change). How do we enable this field so that I can change it to dma?

2. I always kept BTC writer in enclosure (usb 2.0). And nero estimations are fine for 4x writing (around 13mins of writing time for 4.7gb on 4x media). Although media is 8x (Nero properly recognized it as 8x and accordingly sets an estimate), it writes it almost like a 4x speed. So far I am not able to burn a single dvd in real 8x speed( 4.7gn in around 7mins).