A while back I took a look at a BluRay drive from Plextor, a well known manufacture in the disc drive market. Today I have the chance to take a look at another BluRay drive from them. This time we will be looking at the B320SA with a speed of 8X in comparison to the 6x speed of the B310SA I reviewed before. 2x doesn't seem like that drastic of a change but will it make a noticeable difference? Read more to find out.
Product Name: Plextor PX-B320SA
Review Sample Provided by: Plextor
Review by: Wes
Pictures by: Wes
Specifications
Packaging
The B320SA's packaging was very similar to the Plextor drives we have reviewed in the past. On the front you have a picture of the drive along with a listing of the drives speeds with each type of media. On the back they kept everything simple with a smaller picture of the drive along with system specifications, drive specifications, and what to expect in the box. Inside two large pieces of foam are formed around the B320SA keeping it safe and secure. Overall the packaging isn't anything special, but it does match Plextor's other products.
Performance
Performance (per Plextors website) |
|
BD Media (Read Only) |
|
BD-ROM SL |
8X Maximum |
BD-R/RE SL |
6X Maximum |
BD DL |
4X Maximum |
DVD Media (Read/Write) |
|
DVD±R |
16X Maximum |
DVD±R DL |
8X Maximum |
DVD+RW |
8X Maximum |
DVD-RW |
6X Maximum |
DVD-RAM |
12X Maximum |
DVD-ROM |
16X Maximum |
CD Media (Read/Write) |
|
CD-R |
48X Maximum |
CD-RW |
32X Maximum |
CD-ROM |
48X Maximum |
Access Time (Typical) |
|
BD Media |
350 ms |
DVD Media |
160 ms |
CD Media |
150 ms |
Buffer Size |
2MB |
BluRay DL disc performance (Plextor rated the drive 4X, this is our testing)
The slight bump in performance over the PX-B310SA we tested before was hardly noticeable in normal use. Movies load a little quicker than before, almost as quick as DVD's load. Just like before, the most impressive thing about the PX-B320SA is its low noise level. This drive is dead silent in all but the most demanding situations. Of course, that is what Plextor is all about. Their drives are all of the highest quality, and came with amazing software.
Overall
Not to sound like a broken record, but the PX-B320SA BluRay drive from Plextor is of the highest quality and performance. The only thing that it is missing is the ability to burn BluRay's but Plextor has that covered with their new PX-B940SA drive. With all of the benefits, the only downside at all is the price tag. Even though BluRay drives have come down considerably, Plextor still stays on the high end compared to their competition. Nevertheless, for that premium price you get the best of the best!