Peppins wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 3:35 pm
Internal 5.25" drives offer superior performance and greater reliability for intensive burning and reading thanks to the direct SATA connection and also thanks to the more robust mechanics. Slim USB drives are ideal for portability,, but offer slower speeds and less mechanical robustness. Not to mention the fragile tray that requires you to insert the disc every time, which is eliminated with the 5.25" because the disc is simply placed on the tray and then automatically picked up by the drive.
I have a techpulse120 usb, but really i don't like it. I'm not evaluating its performance because it's not even remotely comparable to the Pioneer 5.25" drive I got from Asmcom a while back. I'm rather evaluating its fragility, and then its size.
It's extremely rare, if not impossible, to find PC cases that accommodate 5.25" drives these days, but don't think this is a good thing, quite the opposite...
Then everyone has their own preferences.
It's like comparing old cars to new ones: technology advances, yes, but many things go backwards...
CLOSED OT
Peppins wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 3:35 pm
With respect, that is not entirely correct.
All Pioneer UHD-capable drives are firmware limited to 4X UHD read speed, regardless of whether they are internal 5.25 inch SATA models or external USB models. There is
no read speed advantage between internal and external Pioneer drives when reading UHD Blu-ray discs.
In addition, the
Pioneer BDR-XS07TS is a slot-loading drive, not a tray-based mechanism. There is
no fragile tray to insert or eject. The disc is inserted directly into the slot, which completely eliminates the tray fragility concern.
From a reliability perspective, our real-world data is very clear. We have sold
well over 2,500 Pioneer BDR-XS07TS units, and we have
not experienced a single mechanical failure related to the slot-loading mechanism. These drives have proven to be
extremely robust and consistent over time.
Internal 5.25 inch Pioneer drives are excellent, but
external Pioneer drives should not be dismissed as fragile or inferior. They use the
same optical mechanisms, the
same firmware limitations, and deliver the
same UHD reading performance. The primary difference is
form factor and installation preference, not speed or reliability.
Everyone has their own preferences, but from a
technical and performance standpoint, there is
no disadvantage to the Pioneer external slot-loading models when compared to their internal counterparts. I personally use two Pioneer Blu-ray drives. The models I use are BDR-XS07TUHD & BDR- X13E-X. Both have never failed me.
Asmcom
.
