2 - Options: Standard Tests

In this window there is a list of all available standard tests that can be done with CD-DVD Speed. In this section will be described only the options panel, and test discussion will be done in the "Basic Tests" section of this guide.





Selected tests

In this panel the user can select which tests will be automatically executed pressing the "Start" button in the "Benchmark" main window. It's also possible to run each test individually, even tests not selected here in the global options of CD-DVD Speed, selecting it from the "Run Test" menu.

Default setting is all tests selected, but user can change this how he/she likes.




Available tests are (as said, more informations on these tests will be given in the "Basic Tests" section of this guide; this is only a list):

1. Transfer rate
2. DAE quality (Digital Audio Extraction quality)
3. Access/Seek time
4. CPU Usage
5. Burst rate
6. Spin up/down
7. Load/Eject
8. Create data disc
9. Verify data

Spin-up time




Before a test can be executed, CD-DVD Speed start a disc rotation for a while. This is important to stabilize disc and drive. It's like a car, when a driver leaves his/her engine running at minimum for a while he/she sets off.

Default setting is 10 seconds, but it can be changed by user. Sometimes, for example, it occur more than 10 seconds for a drive to reach full rotation speed.

Speed




CD-DVD Speed allows you to select both reading and writing speed.

Read speed: This is the speed that CD-DVD Speed use to execute the "Transfer Rate Test". I suggest the use of "Maximum", because in this way the drive and/or discs will be tested in the worst conditions. If a drive is able to read correctly a disc in the worst conditions, then it's a high quality drive. The same can also be applied also to burned media. If a disc is readable under the worst conditions, then burning was successful.

Available options are:

Maximum: maximum speed that the drive can reach.

Current: current speed. CD-DVD Speed does not modify speed in any way. Speed will be determined by other system settings (drive firmware settings, softwares running in background like Nero Drive Speed or Plextools, etc).

Selected: speed is selected manually by the user.

Write speed: This setting requires a special consideration. In CD-DVD Speed versions previous to 4.50, a writing test can be executed only in the "Benchmark" window. Starting from version 4.50, writing test can still be done from the "Benchmark" window, but a new way has been introduced a new way to do the writing test. This test will be described in detail in the dedicated section of this guide.
In this panel of CD-DVD Speed global options, the "Write speed" value is referred to the "classic" test executed in the "Benchmark" window, i.e. is the speed at which the disc will be burned in the "Create Disc Test". This setting has no influence on the writing speed of the "new" Create Disc Test.