# Computer troubleshooting: CDROM/burner speed problems **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699 "2003-04-28T16:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![satanslawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@satanslawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satanslawyer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/1 "2003-04-28T16:20:38Z")
OK I know enough about computers to get myself in trouble. I built my last three. But I’ve got a problem that got me frustrated. My new 48x (actually it’s a 52x but we know that’s not yet possible) burner takes9-11 min. to burn a CD. Now that not CD to CD, it took that long to copy a disc and I wondered if that was possibly cause Nero cached it to the hard drive first and that’s what took so long. So I burned a disc of just data files and it still took almost ten min. Not only that but my CDROM seems to be running slow as well. I went to play an episode of South Park that a friend burned for me, and when I tried to play it right off of the disc it kept stuttering. Making sure it wasn’t the disc I tried it on my roomates computer and it played fine. Why the hell are these drives running so slow? The stats: CPU: AMD 1800 Motherboard: ASUS RAM: 512 DDR 266 Primary IDE: HDD-master CDROM (52x)-slave (running UDMA mode 4) Secondary IDE: CDburner (52x) master (running UDMA mode 5) ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/2 "2003-04-28T16:30:12Z")
Hi satanslawyer More questions than answers. What O/S are you running? Do you have all your drivers up to date for your burner? When you say 48x (52)…are you sure you’re not referring to the “read time”…rather than the “write time”? Daizy ---
**Author:** ![satanslawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@satanslawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satanslawyer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/3 "2003-04-28T16:46:38Z")
O/S: Windows 2000pro I never installed other drivers. I guess I could download new ones, but I assumed I wouldn’t need them. One would think the standard drivers would be no problem. as for the burner, it’s a 52x16x52x ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/4 "2003-04-28T17:02:45Z")
Here is a great page with a free CD benchmarking utility. The FAQ section has lots of CD troubleshooting tips. [http://www.cdspeed2000.com](http://www.cdspeed2000.com) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/5 "2003-04-28T22:52:48Z")
What cdrom writer is this? You should put the cd writers on the same channel cause you have it on the same one as the HD. ---
**Author:** ![satanslawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@satanslawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satanslawyer)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/6 "2003-04-29T03:01:16Z")
The writer is a brand new BTC. A friend of a friend has the same one and loves it. I tried the CD speed and both drives averaged a 8.75x speed. Something is definately wrong here. I tried all the windows updates available. And even ran a defrag. just for shits and giggles. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/7 "2003-04-29T10:03:55Z")
In the drive properties in the device manager, do you have the DMA box checked? ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/8 "2003-04-29T13:17:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by satanslawyer \* > > The stats: > > CPU: AMD 1800 > Motherboard: ASUS > RAM: 512 DDR 266 > Primary IDE: HDD-master \*\* CDROM (52x)-slave\*\* (running UDMA mode 4) > Secondary IDE: CDburner (52x) master (running UDMA mode 5) Try moving your CD-ROM drive from the primary IDE controller to the secondary IDE controller. Hope this helps. Peace LIONsob ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/9 "2003-04-29T14:38:46Z")
You see, you got them on the same channel so they are in competition during data transfer. ---
**Author:** ![satanslawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@satanslawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satanslawyer)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/10 "2003-04-29T15:26:17Z")
> [@](#): > > In the drive properties in the device manager, do you have the DMA box checked? Ah, this is something I assumed would have been set in BIOS. I’ll give this a try when I go home tonight. > [@](#): > > Try moving your CD-ROM drive from the primary IDE controller to the secondary IDE controller. > [@](#): > > You see, you got them on the same channel so they are in competition during data transfer. I’ve been told by several computer experts (mostly IT techs) that the set up I have is ideal for the fastest burning. And to never have your burner and reader on the same IDE because you can sometimes have read/write conflicts. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/11 "2003-04-29T19:19:20Z")
The way most CD copying/mastering software works is , read data from CD-ROM , copy data or disk image to a temp file on your hard disk and then transfer temp data file or disk image file to CD-RW drive. Having your CD-ROM and hard disk on the same controller means that instead of writing the data from the CD-ROM directly to the hard disk the controller has to write the data to a RAM buffer and then to the hard disk slowing everything down. My personal computer has 2 hard disks and 2 CD-RW drives(both older 8x8x24x drives with 2 MB. buffers and no “buffer underrun protection” ) , both hard disks are on the primary IDE controller and both CD-RW drives are on the secondary IDE controller and has not to date burned a coaster while copying CDs. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link,IDE controllers are only as fast as the slowest drive connected to them,I am willing to bet that having your CD-ROM on the same controller as your hard disk is slowing down your hard disks read/write speeds. Peace LIONsob ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-troubleshooting-cdrom-burner-speed-problems/171699/12 "2003-04-29T20:11:38Z")
Another vote for putting the CD drives on the same controller. Seriously, don’t worry about what your “computer experts” say. TRUST THE DOPE. Try it, and then tell us what happens!