• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Should I trade my SCSI CD-RW for an IDE one? details inside

P

Possum

Senior member
I've been seeing so many recommendations for the latest Burn-Proof drives, and am wondering if I should trade my SCSI Yamaha CRW8824SZ (8x8x24x) for an IDE TDK VeloCD or Plextor 12x10x32x with Burn-Proof. The only reason I am considering this is because I feel I won't be using my SCSI card for anything else (I've decided not to buy SCSI hard drives anymore after losing >$300 venturing into the SCSI hard drive realm, only to find myself buying a cheaper IDE drive a year later that kills the older SCSI drive in sustained transfers, which matters most to me). Any peripherals (e.g. scanners, cameras, etc.) I buy will probably be using USB or something newer than SCSI (like Firewire). If I had to add more IDE drives, I could buy an IDE controller like the Promise cards, right? The details of the trade are basically no lost money for trading my SCSI Yamaha for either of the IDE TDK or Plextor drives, and I'd get $30 for my Diamond Fireport 40 UW SCSI card.

What do you think? If I don't foresee myself using anymore SCSI peripherals in the future, is it better that I have one of those IDE Burn-Proof drives (12x10x32x) rather than the SCSI Yamaha (8x8x24x)?

Also, a question about the Burn-Proof in action, from a previous post:
Anyone ever hit CTRL-ALT-DEL during a burn with a Burn-Proof drive to bring up the "Close Program" window in Windows 9x/ME? Does the burn resume when you click "Cancel" or is it completely ruined (as with normal burning)?
I'm just wondering because from a quick look at Burn-Proof, it's the ability to stop then resume the burning laser. But does it still work if you pause Windows and the CD burning program (e.g. with CTRL-ALT-DEL, critical error, BSOD, etc.)?
 
Really? What differences do you see between the two? I'm considering this so I can get rid of a PCI card that's only being used for one device. Not that I need the free slot now, but a free PCI slot might help prevent/resolve any incompatibilites and make room for other add-ons in the future.

----------------

I should refine the main question a bit. I'm not trying to decide between SCSI and IDE (I'd always love to have SCSI over IDE), but rather, which of the drives would actually be better in terms of reliability, performance, features... (and any other categories you can think of). The SCSI Yamaha 8x8x24x (CRW8824SZ) or IDE Plextor/TDK 12x10x32x (price not being taken into consideration since it would be an equal trade). I guess this is more of an experience question.
 
After owning three scsi drives and seeing my friend's ide cdr in action, I would definitely keep the scsi drive despite it being a tad slower. The difference from 8x to 12x isn't that much savings in time and I like the fact that I can use my computer to play games at the same time that I am burning 🙂
 
a testament to the power of scsi...

i was doing a err backup of a cd of the fly with my plextor 40x and 8/20.. about three minutes into the process i had a hardcore IE/kernel32/rundll crash with the associated FE/IPF BSOD's... during the BSOD the disc popped out and i surpisingly heard the disc completed sound. to my delite, the damn disc worked🙂 i never did get the desktop back, but after the disc ejected.. i three fingered saluted anyway🙂

now if a scsi combo can copy a disc in a full blown BSOD, it can do anything.
 
Possum
If you want to do something with your system get a SCSI reader and do CD to CD on the fly and play a game or surf and in 9 min see your disk pop out with no errors..... got to love that🙂 That will free up a IDE slot for a drive for you.
 
W/out getting into technical ...

I recently set up a C600@900Mhz 128MB / ATA100 7200rpm HD/ Zip burn proof 12X4X32 CDRW system for my cousin. (I have all SCSI system w/ Imation,plextor 8X20)

Of course, I have no problem nor delay of any kind while CloneCD-ing UT on my system.

On the other, I found that during the buring process, my cousin's IDE sytem become shaky. Although, I can still using ICQ and IE at the same time, but I notice siginicant delay during ICQ msging, keyboard behave very slowly...(by the time, I finished typing entire msg to my friend, I only found "Ho " appear in the msg log)

And the "time" you save from 12X IDE vs 8X SCSI is not noticable.



 
It seems Burn-Proof isn't that necessary with SCSI if the rest of my system isn't slowing down significantly from anything i do. I don't want to spend the money for a SCSI reader though, since I'm happy with my IDE Pioneer DVD-ROM. My argument to myself is "if IDE is comparable to SCSI in the ways that matter to me, then I should go for the cheaper option." I don't play games while burning just to be safe anyway (I don't want to play games THAT badly). So I figure, if theses Plextor/TDK IDE burners can match my Yamaha SCSI burner in features and capabilities (throwing away the separate SCSI vs. IDE price/performance arguments), then why don't I just switch to an IDE burner and free up a PCI slot, since the SCSI card is ONLY there for the SCSI burner? If I need to add more hard drives, an IDE controller card is always an option to fill the slot freed by removing the SCSI card.
 
SCSI to IDE is a downgrade regardless of burn-proofing. Drive for drive, IDE can't compare to SCSI for burn reliability.

If you want to get away from SCSI, then go Firewire!
 
Very good points you all brought up. Thanks 🙂
I guess I'll keep my SCSI card and Yamaha drive until I feel I absolutely need another PCI slot. I never realized how much better my drive was, I guess I was just too satisfied with not having any problems.

Thanks again all!
 
Better yet...

1. Keep the SCSI card.
2. Ditch the Yamaha burner.
3. Buy a Plextor 12/10/32 SCSI burner (not the IDE one)
4. Buy the UltraPlex 40xMax (not the WIDE version)

5. Pat yourself on the back for having the best CD -> CD burner setup available.

P.S. (6) Hopefully, you won't break the bank.

RaysMD
 
:Q I'm going for a value system now, since technology improves quickly and something I buy today will be beat in the near future. So I won't splurge and buy the absolute best (and most expensive) parts anymore, unless I know what I buy is going to remain the best for quite some time (3 years maybe? Too optimistic, I know 🙂). The SCSI card is only in my system to support my SCSI CD-RW (I've decided I won't use it for anything else). If there was reason enough for me to do the trade mentioned above, I would get rid of the card.
 
If you have time to burn same CD twice or have time to don't touch your computer while it's burning CD, go with IDE
If you want to have reliable burns and trouble free CD-RW, keep the SCSI.
 
Ok... so I just tried to play a couple of games while burning a CD with my current SCSI Yamaha. All is fine, burning at 8x with CDRWIN, playing some Quake 3, some Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, until I get to loading Counterstrike. While loading, the game scans my CD drives. The CD burning is interrupted and the CD-RW drive is scanned. Coaster! This also happens sometimes if I load Windows Explorer during a burn and Explorer decides to scan the CD drives too.

With Burn-Proof, would the burn proccess just pause, let the other software scan the drive's contents, then resume burning afterwards? Or will the CD be wasted, just like with the described experience?
 
Possum--from my gf's experience, and the 2 hours I spent trying to crash a burn with Plex 12x10x32 w/burn proof, I would say none of the things you mentioned would crash a burn. I tried for 2 hours. Everything I could think of, short of installing a program (which actually might have worked). Never able to crash it. It still resumed.

Her comment after a couple weeks of use when I asked her how she liked the burn-proof, "Oh...so that's why sometimes it like, um....pauses or something and then later it's finished?".

I'm not sure, but I "think" Nero may do a better job of keeping scans from interrupting the burn. Just my observation. No hard facts.

I have a Plex 12x4x32 SCSI. I don't plan on replacing it now. But, when I do, it will be something with burnproof. So, no, for your situation, I wouldn't replace it. However, I am not afraid to recommend IDE burnproof to friends. Finally a burn situation that almost anyone that can turn on a computer can deal with.

*kjm--LOL....reading from Plex 32x or 40x, writing to Plex 12x, numerous backups of the same cd (cause I'm so anal). Playing Diablo II. Nero pops out the finished burn, I pop another blank in, close the tray, never have to get out of D2. Repeat as necessary. Heck, worst thing is that the tray scares me when it pops out.
--Randy
 
randypj,

What if I had the choice of grabbing my current setup (Yamaha with SCSI card) off a table, or the Plextor/TDK, without paying (just to eliminate any cost biasing)? Which would you choose?
 
Possum,

I would have said SCSI....but, that was before I actually saw the IDE burnproof in action. With your scenario of Yamahammer SCSI or Plex/TDK burnproof IDE, I would have to say the burnproof IDE. So, your scenario is basically as if my brother, who has no SCSI, asked me what to get. Without hesitation, I would recommend the Plex/TDK burnproof IDE.

I would think, especially nice if you can put the burnproof on a port all by its lonesome. That is actually how my g/f has it......using it as her only cd-rom device.

Also, we both use only Nero and CloneCD. I also use CDResq (a version of Ghost that spans cd's) for backups. The proggie came with my SCSI, but didn't come with her IDE.
--Randy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top