How Fast Is My Cd Rom ?

Brendalynn · 08-11-2006, 02:16 PM

Hello Friends,

How do I go about looking for how fast my CD ROM is. Like how many X's it is.
In my system information this is what the name says, LG CD-ROM CRD-8400B.
Does this mean the speed is 84X ???
In terms of X's, is this the amount of repetitions it goes round in a second, minute or what. What does this X's refer to.
Thank you
Brenda-Lynn

**Joefireline** · 08-11-2006, 02:22 PM

Hi,
That drive is 40X.

Edit: 40X means 6MB/second.

Brendalynn · 08-11-2006, 02:24 PM

How do you know that and what does the X's refer to ?
If you kneo please explain to me.
Thank you
Brenda-Lynn

**Joefireline** · 08-11-2006, 02:26 PM

I looked up your drive.

That means 6MB/second.

**Ralck** · 08-11-2006, 02:31 PM

The 'x' number means how fast compared to the 'original' speed of a CD-rom drive. Thus, 2x would be twice as fast, 3x would be 3 times as fast, and so on. Basically, that number is meant to give you an idea on how fast the drive goes. The speed of most new drives today is 52x I think. Anything faster than that, is found that it can actually shatter the CD!

Brendalynn · 08-11-2006, 05:29 PM

OK, so if my CD ROM is 6MB/second does that mean it is capable of transmitting 6MB's of information from the CD to my hard drive each second ???
And also I am trying to put Windows XP on my computer (I have Windows 2000 pro edition and Microsoft Office now) is my CD ROM fast enough for this???
Have you read my other threads I posted concerning my problems???
I went to a computer exchange store today with my computer and he glanced at it without even asking what operating system had or even looking inside to see what hardware I had in it...I asked him how much it would cost to install Windows XP on my system. He said it couldn't be done. He said he'd give me $25 as a trade in for a computer he put together in his store with everything I was looking for in a computer. And then he turns around and tell me I could sell my system for about $150 - $175 to help pay for my newer one...Go figure that one out.
Anyways, I would really just like to keep the system I have now and get my CD ROM to work properly so I can install Windows XP.
If you can help, Please do and Thank you
Brenda-Lynn

**Ralck** · 08-11-2006, 06:10 PM

I have read your other threads, but I'm not familiar with your specs. Can you list your hardware again?

Also, I'm guessing that store may have been lying to you. Unless your system is more than 6 years old or so, it can run XP. A friend of mine got it running on a Pentium 1 with only 64MB of memory. Granted, it ran rather slow, but it still ran. Of course, is there a specific reason you want to upgrade to XP? Windows 2000 should work just fine, and would probably be a bit faster.

**koala** · 08-11-2006, 06:33 PM

The 6mb/sec figure is the maximum speed, which is rarely reached. Basically it means you've got a good x40 speed CD-ROM, average for modern systems and fast enough for any application, but it has no bearing on your ability to upgrade. You could just as easily use a x2 speed drive.

The system you've got now meets the minimum requirements for Windows XP but is at the lower end of the scale and will run very slowly. Your specs posted in your other thread show you have an IBM Pentium 111, processor speed 500Mhz, 256MB RAM. I'd stick with Win2000, which is less demanding, unless you really need XP.

Microsoft's official figures (which in real-world terms are very optimistic).....
300MHz or higher CPU recommended; 233MHz minimum required
128 MB RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
1.5GB of available hard disk space

If you're having trouble getting Windows to recognise the CD drive, you could try replacing the IDE ribbon cable as a first step. Can you please tell us how it is setup? Is it a slave on the same IDE cable as the hard drive, or master on its own cable?

Brendalynn · 08-11-2006, 06:34 PM

OK this is what it said in BIOS setup screen
Processor...Pentium 111 (3)
Processor speed...500Mhz
L2 Cache size....512 KB
Cache state...Enabled with no ECC
System memory....256 MB
Memory Type...non-parity
Video controler...S3 incorporated trio3D
Ethernet supported...enabled
Audio supported....enabled
Diskette Drive A...1.44MB 3.5"
Diskette Drive B....not installed
IDE hard disk drive 0...13020MB
IDE hard disk drive 1...not installed
IDE CD ROM drive 2...installed
IDE hard disk drive 3...not installed

From the System information, System Summary
This is what is listed
OS is Windows 2000 Professional Edition, version 5.0.2195 service pack 4 build 2195
System Model is 6862N4U
System Type...X86-based PC
Processor X86 Family 6 Model 7 Stepping 3 Genuine Intel 497Mhz
BIOS version...IBM BIOS ver NVKT47.0
Boot Device...Device\Harddisk)\Partition 1
and its a 12GB hard drive
There is lots more to list from system summary but I think this should be enough for you to help me.
Thanks again
Brenda-Lynn

Brendalynn · 08-11-2006, 06:45 PM

Sorry forgot to mention why it is important for me to switch to Windows XP.
I have been teaching my mother for about 8 months on an older system, Windows 98. She lives 4 hours away from me and we communicate through msn messenger and phone (but its cheaper through messenger) and she has learned alot and is able to do so much more now. She went out and bought a newer system with Windows XP on it and now I can't help her with some things because they are different from my Windows 2000. So I need to install Windows XP so I can continue teaching her and help her if she gets into trouble with something which she already has.

Brenda-Lynn
E-Mail & MSN Messenger is leepsun [at] hotmail [dot] com if you want to correspond on this matter privately

**Ralck** · 08-11-2006, 06:52 PM

You will be able to upgrade your system. As Koala said, it may run a bit slower, but should be able to run it.

Do you have your XP CD? If you do, you should be able to put it in while loaded into Windows 2000, and select Upgrade (a menu should automatically pop up). This will do everything for you, and then restart when necessary (take the CD out when it does). After that, it should finish the install: click next when it prompts, and enter any information it asks for.
That will even keep all your files/settings intact on the computer! Once it's done doing it's thing, you'll be all set to teach your mother again!

A couple of notes, we can contact you privately through the PM (private message) system of the forum: it's like email for the forum.
Also, don't be afraid to point your mother our way as we'd be happy to help her if she needed it!

08-11-2006, 02:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
Brendalynn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Niagara Falls Posts: 68 OS: Currently Windows 98 SE	How Fast Is My Cd Rom ? Hello Friends, How do I go about looking for how fast my CD ROM is. Like how many X's it is. In my system information this is what the name says, LG CD-ROM CRD-8400B. Does this mean the speed is 84X ??? In terms of X's, is this the amount of repetitions it goes round in a second, minute or what. What does this X's refer to. Thank you Brenda-Lynn

08-11-2006, 02:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Hi, That drive is 40X. Edit: 40X means 6MB/second. Last edited by Joefireline; 08-11-2006 at 02:23 PM.

08-11-2006, 02:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Brendalynn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Niagara Falls Posts: 68 OS: Currently Windows 98 SE	40 x'S How do you know that and what does the X's refer to ? If you kneo please explain to me. Thank you Brenda-Lynn

08-11-2006, 02:31 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	The 'x' number means how fast compared to the 'original' speed of a CD-rom drive. Thus, 2x would be twice as fast, 3x would be 3 times as fast, and so on. Basically, that number is meant to give you an idea on how fast the drive goes. The speed of most new drives today is 52x I think. Anything faster than that, is found that it can actually shatter the CD! __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs

08-11-2006, 05:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
Brendalynn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Niagara Falls Posts: 68 OS: Currently Windows 98 SE	6MB/second??? OK, so if my CD ROM is 6MB/second does that mean it is capable of transmitting 6MB's of information from the CD to my hard drive each second ??? And also I am trying to put Windows XP on my computer (I have Windows 2000 pro edition and Microsoft Office now) is my CD ROM fast enough for this??? Have you read my other threads I posted concerning my problems??? I went to a computer exchange store today with my computer and he glanced at it without even asking what operating system had or even looking inside to see what hardware I had in it...I asked him how much it would cost to install Windows XP on my system. He said it couldn't be done. He said he'd give me $25 as a trade in for a computer he put together in his store with everything I was looking for in a computer. And then he turns around and tell me I could sell my system for about $150 - $175 to help pay for my newer one...Go figure that one out. Anyways, I would really just like to keep the system I have now and get my CD ROM to work properly so I can install Windows XP. If you can help, Please do and Thank you Brenda-Lynn Last edited by Brendalynn; 08-11-2006 at 05:43 PM. Reason: Added new questions

08-11-2006, 02:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	I looked up your drive. That means 6MB/second.

08-11-2006, 06:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	I have read your other threads, but I'm not familiar with your specs. Can you list your hardware again? Also, I'm guessing that store may have been lying to you. Unless your system is more than 6 years old or so, it can run XP. A friend of mine got it running on a Pentium 1 with only 64MB of memory. Granted, it ran rather slow, but it still ran. Of course, is there a specific reason you want to upgrade to XP? Windows 2000 should work just fine, and would probably be a bit faster. __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs

08-11-2006, 06:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,355 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	The 6mb/sec figure is the maximum speed, which is rarely reached. Basically it means you've got a good x40 speed CD-ROM, average for modern systems and fast enough for any application, but it has no bearing on your ability to upgrade. You could just as easily use a x2 speed drive. The system you've got now meets the minimum requirements for Windows XP but is at the lower end of the scale and will run very slowly. Your specs posted in your other thread show you have an IBM Pentium 111, processor speed 500Mhz, 256MB RAM. I'd stick with Win2000, which is less demanding, unless you really need XP. Microsoft's official figures (which in real-world terms are very optimistic)..... 300MHz or higher CPU recommended; 233MHz minimum required 128 MB RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features) 1.5GB of available hard disk space If you're having trouble getting Windows to recognise the CD drive, you could try replacing the IDE ribbon cable as a first step. Can you please tell us how it is setup? Is it a slave on the same IDE cable as the hard drive, or master on its own cable? __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

08-11-2006, 06:34 PM	#9 (permalink)
Brendalynn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Niagara Falls Posts: 68 OS: Currently Windows 98 SE	OK this is what it said in BIOS setup screen Processor...Pentium 111 (3) Processor speed...500Mhz L2 Cache size....512 KB Cache state...Enabled with no ECC System memory....256 MB Memory Type...non-parity Video controler...S3 incorporated trio3D Ethernet supported...enabled Audio supported....enabled Diskette Drive A...1.44MB 3.5" Diskette Drive B....not installed IDE hard disk drive 0...13020MB IDE hard disk drive 1...not installed IDE CD ROM drive 2...installed IDE hard disk drive 3...not installed From the System information, System Summary This is what is listed OS is Windows 2000 Professional Edition, version 5.0.2195 service pack 4 build 2195 System Model is 6862N4U System Type...X86-based PC Processor X86 Family 6 Model 7 Stepping 3 Genuine Intel 497Mhz BIOS version...IBM BIOS ver NVKT47.0 Boot Device...Device\Harddisk)\Partition 1 and its a 12GB hard drive There is lots more to list from system summary but I think this should be enough for you to help me. Thanks again Brenda-Lynn

08-11-2006, 06:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
Brendalynn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Niagara Falls Posts: 68 OS: Currently Windows 98 SE	Reason for Windows XP Sorry forgot to mention why it is important for me to switch to Windows XP. I have been teaching my mother for about 8 months on an older system, Windows 98. She lives 4 hours away from me and we communicate through msn messenger and phone (but its cheaper through messenger) and she has learned alot and is able to do so much more now. She went out and bought a newer system with Windows XP on it and now I can't help her with some things because they are different from my Windows 2000. So I need to install Windows XP so I can continue teaching her and help her if she gets into trouble with something which she already has. Brenda-Lynn E-Mail & MSN Messenger is leepsun [at] hotmail [dot] com if you want to correspond on this matter privately Last edited by koala; 08-11-2006 at 06:59 PM. Reason: edited email to prevent spam ;-)

08-11-2006, 06:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	You will be able to upgrade your system. As Koala said, it may run a bit slower, but should be able to run it. Do you have your XP CD? If you do, you should be able to put it in while loaded into Windows 2000, and select Upgrade (a menu should automatically pop up). This will do everything for you, and then restart when necessary (take the CD out when it does). After that, it should finish the install: click next when it prompts, and enter any information it asks for. That will even keep all your files/settings intact on the computer! Once it's done doing it's thing, you'll be all set to teach your mother again! A couple of notes, we can contact you privately through the PM (private message) system of the forum: it's like email for the forum. Also, don't be afraid to point your mother our way as we'd be happy to help her if she needed it! __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs