The iHAS524 delivers a max write speed of 24X on select DVD recordable media, which is among the fastest available drives in the in the market. The iHAS524 features Lite-On's latest patented LabelTag technology : a unique disc- labeling feature for DVDs and CDs.

LabelTag is the latest disc-labeling feature that eliminates the need for markers, stickers or other labeling methods, making it a perfect way to label discs without using any special media or tools. With LabelTag, users can use any standard optical storage disc to burn data and create a label in a circular motion in the same session.

Conclusion:

As far as DVD-RW drives go, this one is actually quite a good one - with its ability to write "LabelTag" labels, and the inclusion of Nero 8 Essentials, you're onto a winner! Its small form factor is definitely a plus. During benchmarking, we can see that this drive consistently exceeds its specifications. LiteON claim this drive to be the "Worlds Fastest Drive, the reviewer couldn't confirm this claim, however it is pretty fast.

LabelTag Test:

The reviewer tested it by first burning a 10meg file to a 700MB CD-R, and used LabelTag to write a text, This took app. 5 minutes. The text was fairly visible in real-life, however it doesn't quite match LightScribe for clarity, butt you don't need any special media.

Benchmarks:

Nero's Benchmark and Create Disc benchmarking tools.

Test Setup:

• Motherboard : Asus P5Q Pro
• Processor : Intel Core2Duo E8400 @ 4GHz
• Graphics Card - Inno3D GTX275 iChill edition
• Air Cooler : ProLimaTech Megahalems
• RAM : 6GB DDR2 : 4-4-4-12 (Corsair & G.Skill)
• HDD : 2 x Samsung F3 500GB in RAID0, 1TB Samsung F1
• ComputerCase : InWin Maelstrom
• Power supply : OCZ Modxtreme 600w