| Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Storage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Hank Tolman - Edited by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 25 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive ReviewBenchmark Reviews recently reviewed the SilverStone SUGO SST-SG06B Case, and supplied with that product was the SST-SOD01 kit. As was mentioned in that review, the case supports only slim optical drives. The SST-SOD01 slim drive kit we received is actually the Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive manufactured for SilverStone. Since many of you will undoubtedly be looking to purchase the SUGO SG06 case or another small form factor case, you will need a slim optical drive. Benchmark Reviews offers for your consideration the Panasonic UJ-875A 8X DVD +/- RW Slot Loading Slim Optical Drive with SATA interface and DVD-Burner capabilities. With the ever increasing popularity of the HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer) and small form factor cases, slim optical drives have become a necessity. In order to keep cases small, light, and ventilated, many small form factor case manufacturers have opted to leave room for only slim optical drives. This venue was once the realm of only notebook computers, but that is no longer the case. The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive was designed for use in the modern HTPC and small form factor case. SilverStone is a leader in the manufacturing of such cases, so offering slim optical drives to fit their cases is an obvious move. The problem with many slim optical drives already available on the market is that were made for notebooks and laptops. This means the connector is different, and won't hook up to a PC motherboard. The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive was designed specifically for use in a PC and uses SATA connectors.
About SilverStone Technology
Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use. Here at SilverStone Technology, we continue to pride ourselves in providing the highest level of standards in designing and manufacturing computer enclosures, power supplies, and accessories. Our pursuit for the first class aesthetic appeal is relentless; our teams of devoted engineers are constantly searching for the best technologies that suit end-users with different needs and will make our products as technologically sound as they are beautiful. Slim Drive Features
UJ-875A Specifications
Closer Look: Slim Optical DriveWhen Benchmark Reviews recently reviewed the SilverStone SUGO SST-SG06 mini-ITX case, we mentioned that the only optical drive slot in the case was for a slim drive. In the past, slim drives have been limited to notebooks and laptops, in order to save space. Also, most of the slim drives found in such machines had proprietary connectors for each brand of laptop.
With the move to small form factor cases, slim drives have become more common for the personal computer. They save space and don't take a lot of power. They also provide all the same benefits of a larger drive.
The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive arrived with the SilverStone SUGO SST-SG06 mini-ITX case. It's packaging mirrored the case quite closely. The packaging was sturdy, but not over the top. The contents were well protected and the box provided that subtle professional look, much like the box the SUGO SST-SG06 came in. The package arrived in pristine condition and I wasn't concerned in any way that the components might have been damaged in shipping. In the box was the drive, a cable, and a manual for the drive.
What stuck out first to me was the proprietary cable that came with the Panasonic UJ-875A Drive. To be honest, I was a little disappointed at first, because it made me think that this was just another notebook drive being converted for use in a PC. Upon further inspection, however, I noticed that the cable was a standard SATA cable and power connector combined on one side because the SATA connectors on the back of the drive are so close together. The other side of the cable is a normal SATA connector for your motherboard and a standard power adapter. Panasonic UJ-875A Detailed FeaturesThe Panasonic UJ-875A Optical Drive is protected on the underside by a thin, but strong, piece of plastic. This adequately protects any of the exposed parts from dust, fingers, screwdrivers; anything that might short or punctured something important.
The drive is shaped just like a slim notebook or laptop drive, the only difference being the SATA connectors as opposed to a propriety manufacturer connector. The Panasonic UJ-875A Optical Drive has two small screw holes on either side for connection to the case. This is also somewhat different than most laptop or notebook drives, as they generally snap into place rather than being secured by screws.
One of the most important details on the Panasonic UJ-875A drive is the fact that it is slot loading. This is ideal for a home theater PC. At home in an entertainment center or on a shelf near the TV exposed an HTPC case to a lot of elements it might be otherwise protected from. By this I mean specifically my toddler, who loves to play with anything she can get her hands on. She has already broken the tray on the DVD player. A slot loading drive means that no matter how many times she pushes the eject button, there will be no tray for her to destroy.
The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive is your basic run of the mill CD/DVD Read/Writer. The speeds aren't outstanding, but they are pretty average, especially for a slim drive. The drive will write up to 24x for a CD-R and up to 8x for DVD+R both using Zoned Constant Linear Velocity (ZCLV). That means that the drive rotates the CD or DVD at different speeds while writing. This helps to keep the data transfer rates the same throughout the disc. It also allows the disc to hold more information on the outside edges than on the inside. The Zoned part means that it splits the disc up into different zones and changes the speed within each zone, rather than across the whole platter. The read cycles for the Panasonic UJ-875A Drive are all at Constant Angular Velocity (CAV). That means the speed remains the same while reading the entire platter.
The Panasonic UJ-875A Optical Drive is very quiet as well. This is a rather welcomed change to my laptop DVD drive, that tends to be rather noisy, distracting from a good movie. The Panasonic UJ-875A has 2MB of buffer memory, helping to keep your recording ahead of schedule and to avoid those nasty buffer underwrite errors. The UJ-875A also supports up to 1.5Gbits data transfer speed through the SATA interface. Slim Optical Drive Final ThoughtsThe Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive is a good option for the modern HTPC or slim form factor case. It provides all the basic necessities of a CD/DVD RW. It doesn't have any frills or thrills and certainly nothing above average. Its read and write speeds are all consistent with run of the mill slim optical drives. It is quite and unassuming. The nicest feature of the Panasonic UJ-875A is that SilverStone has hooked up with Panasonic to make it available and custom fit for the SilverStone cases. This makes searching for an appropriate drive to fit your new small form factor case a very easy task. If the UJ-875A just won't cut it for you, Panasonic offers a Blu-Ray version through SilverStone also; the SilverStone SST-TOB02.
Panasonic UJ-875A ConclusionThe Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive arrived bundled with the SilverStone SUGO SST-SG06B mini-ITX case. The packing paralleled the case's packaging quite nicely. It was well protected and came with all the necessary documentation for installation and setup. It also came with a nice SATA cable made specifically for the drive. The Panasonic UJ-875A is a slot-loading drive. This makes the appearance a little more elegant in my opinion. The plain black face has no logos or phrases on it, which helps it to blend in to the case. The lack of a tray on the Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive helps ensure its long life. It helps prevent accidents and mishaps that often occur when the drive tray is left out. The UJ-875A also has a nice plastic cover over the vital parts on the bottom, protecting them from dust, other components, and inept fingers. The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive is your run-of-the-mill CD/DVD RW drive. The read and write speeds are acceptable and average. The SATA connection helps to boost the transfer speed and make this drive a good, viable option for any small form factor case. The Panasonic UJ-875A Slim Optical Drive currently costs around $54.99. This is about exactly average for a slot loading 8x DVD +/- RW slim drive. There is really nothing over the top about the Panasonic UJ-875A drive, but the fact that SilverStone has it readily available for use in their slim form factor cases is a very nice touch. The drive performs to expectations and at average speeds. It is quiet and subtle, and most importantly, slot-loading. Pros:
+ Slot Loading Cons:
- Nothing over-the-top to set it apart from other drives Ratings:
Final Score: 7.6 out of 10.Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
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