Need for speed!

[mpalmbos]

Hello All,
I'm interested in finding the bottle neck before I purchase hardware.
I have a dell inspiron 1526 laptop with a seagate 500GB @ 7200RPM. I'm thinking about getting an express card with usb 3.0 and also an Asus 12x (write speed) External Blu-Ray Burner.

I'm wondering if my the 7200RPM HDD is still too slow or if the express card with the usb 3.0 will be the bottleneck? Or is there something else I'm overlooking?

 

[Pyree]

Thank you. Now you need to go and find an USB 3.0 expresscard.

Purchase advice for the expresscard is- ddon't expect too much.

The card will do the job and won't bottleneck your drives but the fitting is not great so the USB connection is very tight and if you are not holding the card back when pulling the USB out, you will pull the card out with it as well.

I think if you buy the ones with the USB ports sticking out, it will be better for connecting the USB, but of course you have things sticking out of your laptop.

 

[mpalmbos]

more great advice, thanks!
One more question if you don't mind = after spending a while on many other sites it looks like that serial ata 150 (or sata I) has a transfer rate of 150MB/s and a new usb 3.0 express card would move data at 625MB/s but I can not find the transfer rate of a 12x BD burner (had this one in mind by the way - http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135253)

If the BD burner is the slowest link than it must still be faster than the limitation of usb 2.0 which has a transfer rate 35MB/s, correct?

 

[Pyree]

Yes, BD 1x is 4.5MB/s, so 54MB/s @12x.

You are getting this one?

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135253

 

[mpalmbos]

that's the one I was thinking about = good choice?

 

[Pyree]

Don't know. I don't have that burner. But ASUS hardware are generally good.

 

[mpalmbos]

Ok, thanks, now to find a usb 3.0 expresscard!

 

[andrewcarr]

Honestly I'd get the cheaper version (but I'm cheap). Unless the time you intend to use it is more valuable than the money you save consider this one. It does everything the same but just a bit slower.
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135258

 

[mpalmbos]

Ok, thanks for that too, might have to consider that one seeing as how it has the bdxl option available!

 

[Pyree]

That drive doesn't come with software to watch BD.

 

[mpalmbos]

The cheaper one ( http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135258&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=4176827&SID=w4ogrolzmqjf ) does not come with it's own power supply, instead it uses two usb ports - will probably stay away from that one.

Thanks guys, have a good one!