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Today we bring you a review of MSI's newest CD-RW, the CR52-M. Featuring some of the fastest speeds currently available, the CR52-M reads and writes at 52x and is the first drive from MSI to rewrite at 32x. Of course MSI's new drive isn't just about speed. This budget priced writer also has features like SuperLink buffer underrun protection, support for the Mt. Rainier format and some of the nicest looking LED's we've seen.

In this review we take a look at some of the features found on the CR52-M and then put it up against some of the new 52x writers from companies like OptoRite and Lite-On. Does the CR52-M deliver the features and performance you'd expect from a company like MSI? You'll have to check out the review to find out.

[url=http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=201]
MSI CR52-M 52/32/52 CD-RW[/url]

If you have any comments or questions about this review or the MSI CR52-M, please post them in the forum by clicking the link below.

Hello!

Again a nice review, Ian.

Seems to be another good drive from MSI. But is it still an OptoRite-OEM like my CR52-A2? The CR52-A2 has a Sanyo-chipset, not a MediaTek

No, this drive is all MSI.

CR52-M - M for MSI
CR52-A2 - A2 for Accesstek/Optorite

Hello!

MSI make their own drives? Not bad

It's not their first. They also designed that 16x DVD-ROM, the MS-8216M.

I like the media compatibility with this drive.

This CDRW is not made by MSI. It is just another rebadged, cosmetically altered (enhanced?), LiteOn. I was wondering why no mention was made of that in the article when it is so obvious and that what drives MSI used to rebadge were mentioned. It's the same with MSI's DVD ROM - LiteOn too...
. Hey you reviewers! You should be more aware of such things than your audience. Else why should we bother?
.bh.

zepper wrote:This CDRW is not made by MSI. It is just another rebadged, cosmetically altered (enhanced?), LiteOn. I was wondering why no mention was made of that in the article when it is so obvious and that what drives MSI used to rebadge were mentioned. It's the same with MSI's DVD ROM - LiteOn too...
. Hey you reviewers! You should be more aware of such things than your audience. Else why should we bother?
.bh.

If the CR52-M is a rebadged Lite-On, then I'm a rebadged George Clooney!

I have the CR52-M and it resembles nothing like a Lite-On. The SONY, Acer, TDK drives are rebadged Lite-Ons. If you compare them, their similarities are so obvious. Same single button, same LEDs. The firmware is also worlds apart from MSI's. The MSI is a totally different drive!

I had the MSI DVD-ROM (MS-8216M). That is not a very good drive. It couldn't even read fairly clean discs properly. Lite-On LTD-165/166 on the other hand are very good readers. Again there are no similarities.

The MSI drive before that was based on a Pioneer DVD-500M.

I have to agree with motocoke here. MSI has used OptoRite and BenQ designs in the past, but never Lite-On.

motocoke, I didn't know Acer was using Lite-On too. Then again, I haven't used one of their drives in ages.

Yes, it seems that Acer is selling Lite-On drives. Check out Newegg's stock of Acer drives. Strangely, they all say "Seamless Link" in the descriptions, but the drives in the photos are clearly made by Lite-On, and the labels on the drives say "Acer" on them.

Wow; I didn't know Acer was still making CD-RW drives.
I thought Acer was bought out by Benq?

Actually I just googled it, and found that some products are called "Acer Benq" (i.e. share the names of both companies).

Maybe the merchants (like newegg) advertising it as Acer are trading on the Acer name's bigger recognition, or does Acer still exist without the Benq name attached to everything?

Yeah, I was quite surprised a few months ago when I saw a photo of an Acer 52x CD-RW drive that was clearly made by Lite-On. I thought that Benq was part of Acer (or something like that) and that it took over Acer's optical drive operation.

I think that Acer still exists without Benq's name; for example, I think that there are still Acer-branded computers available. I didn't think that Acer still made optical drives, though, until I saw these Acer / Lite-On drives.

True. Acer split it's computing divisions into Benq (Bringing Enjoyment And Quality To Life ) and Acer. Benq for the CD-RW and DVD-ROM drive business + the CDr/RW media business, as well as their scanners.Acer still sells the PCs, laptops and PDAs. This is the first time I'm hearing of rebadged Acer optical drives though. On a side note, did you guys know that AOpen (the motherboard manufacturer) is owned by Acer?

Yes. I actually bought the Acer 52x writer and it is a Lite-On. I flashed the firmware to the Lite-On one because Acer doesn't seem to issue updates frequently for the drive.

The other Lite-On based drive under the Acer brand is their CDRW Combo drive - based on the Lite-On LTC-48161H combo.

Yes, AOpen is (Acer-Open). I opened an old Pentium Acer PC and saw that the motherboard was an AOpen.

Actually, BenQ doesn't do the media either. Another subsidiary called "Daxon Technology, Inc" does that.

If I remember right, Acer and BenQ were having some legal squabbles a few months back. Can't remember what about though.

motocoke wrote:Yes, AOpen is (Acer-Open). I opened an old Pentium Acer PC and saw that the motherboard was an AOpen.

Interesting; AOpen's optical drives are entirely different than the Benq or the Acer (Lite-On) drives! I wonder why all three companies don't use a similar drive design?

Yes, the MSI IS LiteOn! The metal casing is identical - only LiteOn makes that short box. Only difference is MSI had them do a custom front for market differentiation. If I'm not right, I'll eat any MSI drive you send to me.
.bh.

I actually have other optical drives that have a very short case like the Lite-On 52327S that aren't made by Lite-On.

Check out these pictures:




Notice that the headphone connector and the emergency eject hole are in different spots and that the Lite-On has one button and one LED while the MSI has two buttons and two LEDs.




The back of the MSI drive is different from the Lite-On, too. Note that the small block of pins which aren't normally used are in different places. Edit: Actually, none of the connectors are in exactly the same places.




The top and side of the Lite-On drive looks very different from the MSI, too. Edit: Note the number of "dents" in the top of the drive and the small cut-out on the side of the Lite-On.

Basically, my point is that the MSI and Lite-On have so many physical differences that Lite-On would have had to have significantly re-designed the drive if they had made the MSI drive. This is why I don't think they're the same.

zepper, where did you hear that they are the same?

Well guys,I too had thought that MSI had designed this drive themselves.Now I dont know if it's a rebadged Lite-On.But from CD-Recorder's post I do think again that MSI itself has designed that drive.
See ya guys later,


::Pranav::

Ian wrote:It's not their first. They also designed that 16x DVD-ROM, the MS-8216M.

I heard rumors that it was a Benq?

Hello!

@Ian:

I´m looking for this drive and have a question about the MSI. Does the drive slowdown when it writes, like drives like LG and Plextor or burns it with high speed til the end of the disc?

Scour wrote:I heard rumors that it was a Benq?

No their other one was a BenQ though.

I'm not sure what you're asking about the writing speed.

Hello Ian!

When I was able to choose 52x writing speed, does the writer burn this media at 52x or slows it the speed down at middle or end of the disc to 48x, 40x, 32x or lower? It doesn´t matter when the writer does it one time when i burn 100 disc´s, but i hate it, when the writer slows down at the end of every disc or often (like the Samsung at the review from CD-Freaks)

I didn't notice any slow downs when testing it. If I remember right, it lets you choose 52x for all media and adjusts the speed before it starts writing.