NEC ND-3540A 16x DVD±RW

Model: NEC ND-3540A 16x DVD±RW
Manufacturer: NEC Corporation
Provided By: NEC Solutions America

As one of the biggest names in the electronics industry, the NEC Corporation doesn't need much of an introduction. Founded more than a century ago, this Japanese company got its start by manufacturing communications equipment. As time went on, they expanded into other markets, adding electronic components and computer hardware to their product lineup. NEC is no stranger to the optical storage industry either. One of the world's leading manufacturers of optical drives, they offer a wide range of products for the OEM and retail markets.

The latest addition to NEC's already impressive line of DVD writers is the ND-3540A. Introduced this spring, the ND-3540A takes DVD writing speeds to the next level. It not only offers 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 6x DVD-R DL writing speeds, it's one of the first drives with the ability to write to DVD+R DL media at 8x. Of course, NEC's new drive isn't just about reading and writing DVD's.The ND-3540A also includes features like 48x CD reading and writing speeds, 32x rewriting speeds, and support for buffer underrun protection.

With specs like this, the ND-3540A has the potential to be one the fastest DVD writers currently available. To give you an idea of what to expect from NEC's new drive we'll take a look at its features and then see how it stacks up against the 16x DVD±RW drives from companies like Sony, ASUS and Plextor. Does the ND-3540A have what it takes? More importantly, is it the best bang for your buck? Read on to see what we had to say.