NEC's new ND-3520A DVD+/-RW drive is quite similar to its ND-3500A, but this drive is firmware-upgradeable to be able to record to DVD-R dual-layer (DL) media at 4X speeds. As this pace, the ND-3520A can burn a complete disc of this high-capacity 8.5GB media in less than 30 minutes.

The ND-3520A is also a fast all-around DVD-recordable drive, burning to both traditional DVD-R and DVD+R discs at 16X, DVD+RW at 8X and DVD-RW at 6X. In addition, it holds its own as a 48X/24X/48X CD-RW drive.

The ND-3520A is available in either black or white, so you can choose the version that will best match your tower. There's nothing special about the front of the drive, and there isn't a headphone port for listening to music or movies through the drive itself.

Currently, you can also get a bare-bones OEM version of the ND-3520A as opposed to the full retail version. The OEM version is quite inexpensive, but it doesn't come with cables or recording software. It's a great option for users who already have a software suite such as Ahead Software's Nero Burning ROM, but if you're new to DVD+/-RW drives and applications, it would be wise to purchase the full retail version.

Installing the ND-3520A was a simple task that merely involved replacing our current optical drive with the NEC drive. We were quite pleased with the speeds of which the drive is capable, and a traditional DVD in either "+" or "-" format can be burned in less than 6 minutes. The DVD+/-RW speeds mean you can perform large backups of data to rewriteable media quite quickly.

There's a 2MB buffer, and the drive features buffer under-run protection to prevent burn errors. We didn't have any problems with even high-speed writes with the ND-3520A.

If you want the most versatile drive available, NEC's ND-3520A is ready for the upcoming DVD-R dual-layer technology and has excellent speeds for other writes and rewrites as well.

Pros: Great speeds, upgradeable to DVD-R DL
Cons: OEM version lacks software, manual and cables

Warranty
1 year limited