Test Results

CD-read

CD-RW-read

DVD-read

We measured an average seek time of 107 ms; the CPU load never exceeded a maximum level of 2% with our test computer with a Pentium 4 processor and 2.2 GHz. In 6:16 min. our audio CD was completely transferred to the hard drive as WAV files, while the recorded time of 8:51 was too long to rip a self-burned audio CD.

Conclusion

While the M1600A cannot replace a stereo system, the idea of adding audio playback capabilities to a PC DVD drive is a good one. Especially in tight spaces such as children's rooms or student dorms, the all-in-one box can serve as a substitute for full-blown stereo system, with some trade-off in quality.

But if Gigabyte also wants to lure more fussy users, the M1600A absolutely has to be able to play back less compressed MP3s before its planned release in January. So far the hardware isn't set up to do that, as glitches occurred when playing back files larger than 128 kbit/s.