Welcome everyone. I've updated the initial post to give a much cleaner look. I am listing deals at Newegg at Monarch since they seem to be the best ones out there. Enjoy the deal and if you feel something can be improved, do tell. On to the deal then!
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Table of Contents
====================================================================
- Most Recent Updates
- Product Links
- I Need Media Son!
- Price History
- Specifications
- Reviews
- FYI
====================================================================
Most Recent Updates
====================================================================
*** Old updates are incorporated into price history and comments sections***
Update: 9/28/05
Newegg has it for $40.99 with $2.00 3 day shipping
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Product Links
====================================================================
Newegg Link
Monarch Link
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Where to get media for this bomb-diggity burner?
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100pk TY DVD-R Media Hotness Thread[/b]
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Price History best price listed for the day
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9/20/05 - $39.90 [Newegg]
7/27/05 - $40.99 [Newegg]
7/08/05 - $40.99 [Monarch]
7/05/05 - $42.00 [Newegg]
7/02/05 - $42.50 [Monarch]
6/30/05 - $42.99 [Newegg]
6/28/05 - $43.99 w/ free combo cd wallet [Newegg]
6/27/05 - $45.99 [Newegg]
6/25/05 - $48.00 [Newegg]
6/20/05 - $51.99 [Newegg]
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Specifications NEC 3520 & 3540 compared
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*** Differences are in highlighted in bold term***
NEC 3540
16X DVD+R
8X DVD+RW
8X DVD+R DL
16X DVD-R
6X DVD-RW
6X DVD-R DL
16X DVD-ROM
48X CD-R
32X CD-RW
48X CD-ROM
2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM
NEC 3520
16X DVD+R
8X DVD+RW
4X DVD+R DL
16X DVD-R
6X DVD-RW
4X DVD-R DL
16X DVD-ROM
48X CD-R
24X CD-RW
48X CD-ROM
2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM
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Reviews
====================================================================
Review 1 Good speed info on the dual layer and regular functions.
Review 2 Nice short review that gives you the jist of it.
Review 3 Probably the most extensive review I can find.
====================================================================
FYI
====================================================================
Why isn't the price you put in the topic the real price?
Um, what can I say. Companies (particularly Newegg) practice price discrimination. They gauge people's willingness to pay and change the price whenever to get the best outcome for their profit margin. Thus the price is going to change a lot and I can only update so often. On a final note, shipping seems to fluctuate from free to $2 to $4 dollars from time to time. Just wait for the free shipping to show up if you wanna save the most. Newegg changes it multiple times a day. Sucks, but that's the deal!
What's been the best deal so far?
IMHO, Newegg had the best deal so far. The burner was going for 43.00 with free shipping and they threw in a CD/DVD wallet combo on top. The wallet was supposedly valued at 20 dollars. That deal is no longer available. Now they have some other combo items that are not really worth it. The price of the burners are lower now, however.
Pioneer vs. NEC
I don't know if you should buy the pioneer or the NEC, they are both good to me.
NEC 3520 vs NEC 3540
Whether the 3540 is worth the extra money over the 3520, I would say yeah since it's only a few bucks more. Now it seems that the 3540 is dropping lower than its predecessor in some cases. I say thumbs up regardless. Now if you already happen to own a 3520, it's really not worth the upgrade.
Mandatory Nero Software at Monarch? @^%$#@!
You can choose to opt out of the required OEM software. Just change it to "Required if an OEM drive is selected". They will not charge you from what I have been reading. The invoice should confirm this as well.
Just what are the specs on this drive pal?
For some reason I can't get the right specs on this drive. Every damn site seems to have different specs. Note that I have now changed the DVD-R DL speed from 8x to 6x as one of the posters alerted me to this. However, I am still not sure of this because there are some sites claiming (including the german NEC site) that the speed is only 4x. If someome can please confirm this, I would appreciate it. My drive is not here yet so I cannot verify. I am sorry if this affects your purchasing decision. Please understand that I am doing everything I can to prevent misinformation. All the other specs seem to be in order. Best of luck.
Enjoy everyone!
====================================================================
Table of Contents
====================================================================
- Most Recent Updates
- Product Links
- I Need Media Son!
- Price History
- Specifications
- Reviews
- FYI
====================================================================
Most Recent Updates
====================================================================
*** Old updates are incorporated into price history and comments sections***
Update: 9/28/05
Newegg has it for $40.99 with $2.00 3 day shipping
====================================================================
Product Links
====================================================================
Newegg Link
Monarch Link
====================================================================
Where to get media for this bomb-diggity burner?
====================================================================
100pk TY DVD-R Media Hotness Thread[/b]
====================================================================
Price History best price listed for the day
====================================================================
9/20/05 - $39.90 [Newegg]
7/27/05 - $40.99 [Newegg]
7/08/05 - $40.99 [Monarch]
7/05/05 - $42.00 [Newegg]
7/02/05 - $42.50 [Monarch]
6/30/05 - $42.99 [Newegg]
6/28/05 - $43.99 w/ free combo cd wallet [Newegg]
6/27/05 - $45.99 [Newegg]
6/25/05 - $48.00 [Newegg]
6/20/05 - $51.99 [Newegg]
====================================================================
Specifications NEC 3520 & 3540 compared
====================================================================
*** Differences are in highlighted in bold term***
NEC 3540
16X DVD+R
8X DVD+RW
8X DVD+R DL
16X DVD-R
6X DVD-RW
6X DVD-R DL
16X DVD-ROM
48X CD-R
32X CD-RW
48X CD-ROM
2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM
NEC 3520
16X DVD+R
8X DVD+RW
4X DVD+R DL
16X DVD-R
6X DVD-RW
4X DVD-R DL
16X DVD-ROM
48X CD-R
24X CD-RW
48X CD-ROM
2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM
====================================================================
Reviews
====================================================================
Review 1 Good speed info on the dual layer and regular functions.
Review 2 Nice short review that gives you the jist of it.
Review 3 Probably the most extensive review I can find.
====================================================================
FYI
====================================================================
Why isn't the price you put in the topic the real price?
Um, what can I say. Companies (particularly Newegg) practice price discrimination. They gauge people's willingness to pay and change the price whenever to get the best outcome for their profit margin. Thus the price is going to change a lot and I can only update so often. On a final note, shipping seems to fluctuate from free to $2 to $4 dollars from time to time. Just wait for the free shipping to show up if you wanna save the most. Newegg changes it multiple times a day. Sucks, but that's the deal!
What's been the best deal so far?
IMHO, Newegg had the best deal so far. The burner was going for 43.00 with free shipping and they threw in a CD/DVD wallet combo on top. The wallet was supposedly valued at 20 dollars. That deal is no longer available. Now they have some other combo items that are not really worth it. The price of the burners are lower now, however.
Pioneer vs. NEC
I don't know if you should buy the pioneer or the NEC, they are both good to me.
NEC 3520 vs NEC 3540
Whether the 3540 is worth the extra money over the 3520, I would say yeah since it's only a few bucks more. Now it seems that the 3540 is dropping lower than its predecessor in some cases. I say thumbs up regardless. Now if you already happen to own a 3520, it's really not worth the upgrade.
Mandatory Nero Software at Monarch? @^%$#@!
You can choose to opt out of the required OEM software. Just change it to "Required if an OEM drive is selected". They will not charge you from what I have been reading. The invoice should confirm this as well.
Just what are the specs on this drive pal?
For some reason I can't get the right specs on this drive. Every damn site seems to have different specs. Note that I have now changed the DVD-R DL speed from 8x to 6x as one of the posters alerted me to this. However, I am still not sure of this because there are some sites claiming (including the german NEC site) that the speed is only 4x. If someome can please confirm this, I would appreciate it. My drive is not here yet so I cannot verify. I am sorry if this affects your purchasing decision. Please understand that I am doing everything I can to prevent misinformation. All the other specs seem to be in order. Best of luck.
Enjoy everyone!
