|
Since the introduction of double layer writing,
we have seen quite a few drives hit the market from a majority of
manufacturers over that past 12 months. However, 16x appears to be the
threshold and a majority of manufacturers have been quite hesitant to
release new models to consumers. They are simply left with having to
improve on their double layer writing and re-writable performance. One drive that truly showed a high level of interest
was the NEC ND-3500A. NEC was one of the first manufacturers to release a
double layer writer and continue to leap ahead the competition by releasing
one of the first writers to support
high speed double layer writing to the new DVD-R DL format. With its
impressive and truly next gen features, the new NEC ND-3540A is about as good
as they come in terms of features. Let's take a thorough look at their
latest offering and see what improvements, if any, have been made.
Packaging & Contents
**click to enlarge**
As with most drives from NEC, they only come as
OEM models and typically not bundled with any software.
The Drive
|
**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
The front bezel design has not changed. It
is identical to the one found on the NEC ND-3500A we previously reviewed.
However, this was a black bezel model and certainly looks much more
appealing the the beige. The back is again fairly standard.
**click to enlarge**
I would also like to clarify something regarding
the dimensions of the drive. While NEC does claim that the 3540A is a
half-height drive, I personally think this is quite misleading. Only
the Lite-On drives we have reviewed here are truly half-height drives.
The above picture is of the drive next to one of the later Lite-ON models.
You can clearly see the difference in overall depth.
**click to enlarge**
Our test sample had a manufactured
date of May 2005.
Specifications
The ND-3540A apparently is not yet listed on
NEC's USA portal site. However, the following specs were taken from
the Global Website.
|
Product |
ND-3540A |
| Interface |
IDE/ATAPI (Ultra DMA33 compatible) |
|
Speed Capabilities by Disc |
Disc |
Writing |
Reading |
|
DVD+R, -R |
16x
CAV |
16x
CAV |
|
DVD+R (DL) |
8x
ZCLV |
12x
CAV |
|
DVD-R (DL) |
6x
ZCLV |
12x
CAV |
|
DVD+RW |
8x
ZCLV |
12x
CAV |
| DVD-RW |
6x
ZCLV |
12x
CAV |
| CD-R |
48x
CAV |
48x
CAV |
|
CD-RW |
32x
ZCLV |
40x
CAV |
|
CD-ROM |
- |
48x
CAV |
|
DVD-ROM |
- |
16x
CAV (SL) |
| 12x
CAV (DL) |
| Tray color |
White
or black |
| LED color |
Green |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) |
42 mm x
148.2mm x 190mm
(with standard bezel loaded) |
| Weight |
Approx.
1 kg |
| Required OS
environment |
Windows(R) 2000
Windows(R) XP Home, Professional(SP2) |
|
