# RPMs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 24, 1999, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089 "1999-08-24T13:51:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Carl\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@Carl\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Berry)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089/1 "1999-08-24T13:51:00Z")

</div>

How fast does a CD spin?

* * *

Zymurgist

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089/2 "1999-08-24T15:21:00Z")

</div>

that all depends on the media, how it was made and the cd reader.

CD-ROM drives are usually referred to by 8x or 16x or whatnot, this referrs to about 8 times as much data transfer as a single speed drive. Single speed drives are used on audio cd’s and they spin at about 1500 rpms.

* * *

To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Carl\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@Carl\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Berry)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089/3 "1999-08-24T15:37:00Z")

</div>

No wonder I can’t read the label! Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089/4 "1999-08-24T19:43:00Z")

</div>

- 
  - 
    - You sure? I could swear I read it being 300 RPMs (for audio CDs). - MC

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 1999, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rpms/7089/5 "1999-08-24T19:47:00Z")

</div>

- 
  - 
    - The data transfer speed can’t just be related to the RPMs, because a 1500 RPM CD at 40X would be spinning at 60,000 RPMs. Kinda high. - MC