In addition to the MSI drive we tested, Plextor's PX712-SA is also equipped with a SATA interface. Otherwise we have heard of no concrete plans or announcements. In this context, MSI's effort is a laudable one, as we've felt that an optical drive with an SATA interface has been overdue for months.

From a realistic standpoint, the manufacturers have left this market gap unfilled for far too long. That's because users interested in technology are generally happy to spend a few extra bucks for new (and sensible) innovations. For our purposes, an SATA DVD drive would have yielded modest yet worthwhile sales figures back at the start of the year. Too late now, though: MSI is setting the pace.

We view the market launch of the XA 52P as a DVD/CD-RW combo solution as a reasonable compromise. A simple DVD-ROM seems rather banal by now, since it costs only a little more to add the option of burning CDs. To top it off, the DVD drive proved to be quite a wizard at reading, often leaving the burners that we previously tested in the dust.

The drive's compact size makes it suitable for practically any use and the three interchangeable covers add a bit of eye candy for modding enthusiasts, too. All in all, a product that we can recommend - as long as you use a motherboard with an Intel 865/875/848 chipset - the XA52P doesn't yet work with other SATA controllers, and so we have to sit tight for SATA II with ATAPI support.