For retro builds I try to stick to slower Speeds as well. I find that faster drives tend to give errors at times reading cd roms that slow drives wont error out on. I think my 486 is 8X which is 4 times faster than my original drive on my original 486

asdf53 wrote on 2026-06-15, 19:25:

DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-06-15, 18:30:

Sorry, I totally forgot you mentioned that. I've slept since. :p But yeah, that would be awesome. Thank you! For the DVD, I doubt I would need to slow that down. It's going to be for the Tex Murphy DVD version than anything else and the faster it can read the disc/videos, the better.

If you want it, just let me know. I mentioned it because I saw you contemplating an 8x Mitsumi for £89 above. That's insane, why pay that if I want to get rid of mine? It's just not very quiet for an 8x because of the seeking noises, some find it charming but I'm not one of them. I could make a video for you to see how it sounds first.

Regarding the DVD, weren't you looking for a 16x or slower for it to be quieter? But now you just said the faster, the better, I'm confused.

Sure. A video would be great. Hopefully the sound of it will be fine. 😀

But yeah, I can't even remember what I said about the DVD drive. I probably did want one that's slower initially. Something a bit more period correct and slower like the Mitsumi. But then after troubleshooting Overseer, it appears the videos load quicker if the DVD drive is faster. At least, that's the result I was getting with 86Box. On my main retro rig, there's like a 7 second delay between videos, which is too slow.

Sorry, it took a bit longer to make the video. Had to move my test rig to the kitchen because there's a construction site across the street.

I tested three drives: Mitsumi 4x, Mitsumi 8x and DVS DSR-1600H (DVD).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iXk6q … 4yq?usp=sharing

Verdict: The Mitsumi 4x wins by a mile. It has a unique seeking noise that fits a retro PC, not quiet but also not bad. What makes it stand out is that it has virtually zero motor noise and vibration. You can barely tell that it's on unless it's seeking.

The Mitsumi 8x was horrible. The seeking is objectively quieter than the 4x, but it has an unpleasant pitch and every motion is accompanied by a loud motor noise. It also vibrates a lot for an 8x drive, and after it spun up, it keeps spinning and vibrating for a very long time even if not doing anything. It also feels cheaper than the 4x.

The DVS is speed-adjustable, I believe I had set it to 6x or 4x. It has the quietest seeking mechanism, but also sounds a bit... futuristic, not very fitting for a retro PC. It also had the quietest motor, but oddly, a ton of vibration. It doesn't really come across in the video, but it made the whole table vibrate. It's only going to be worse screwed into an older case so I can't recommend it, but I'll see if it performs any better at 1x or 2x. It's a great looking drive though, which was the reason why I got it.

After this test, I would rather not send you the Mitsumi 8x unless you insist, because it's just terrible and not even worth the shipping cost. The Mitsumi 4x is currently in my 486 PC so I can't part with it yet unless I find a replacement. The other Mitsumi 4x from the classifieds site would have been perfect, but it's been sold since. I'd say keep looking and I'll send you a message if I find something good.

asdf53 wrote on 2026-06-19, 14:56:

Sorry, it took a bit longer to make the video. Had to move my test rig to the kitchen because there's a construction site across […]
Show full quote

Sorry, it took a bit longer to make the video. Had to move my test rig to the kitchen because there's a construction site across the street.

I tested three drives: Mitsumi 4x, Mitsumi 8x and DVS DSR-1600H (DVD).

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iXk6q … 4yq?usp=sharing

Verdict: The Mitsumi 4x wins by a mile. It has a unique seeking noise that fits a retro PC, not quiet but also not bad. What makes it stand out is that it has virtually zero motor noise and vibration. You can barely tell that it's on unless it's seeking.

The Mitsumi 8x was horrible. The seeking is objectively quieter than the 4x, but it has an unpleasant pitch and every motion is accompanied by a loud motor noise. It also vibrates a lot for an 8x drive, and after it spun up, it keeps spinning and vibrating for a very long time even if not doing anything. It also feels cheaper than the 4x.

The DVS is speed-adjustable, I believe I had set it to 6x or 4x. It has the quietest seeking mechanism, but also sounds a bit... futuristic, not very fitting for a retro PC. It also had the quietest motor, but oddly, a ton of vibration. It doesn't really come across in the video, but it made the whole table vibrate. It's only going to be worse screwed into an older case so I can't recommend it, but I'll see if it performs any better at 1x or 2x. It's a great looking drive though, which was the reason why I got it.

After this test, I would rather not send you the Mitsumi 8x unless you insist, because it's just terrible and not even worth the shipping cost. The Mitsumi 4x is currently in my 486 PC so I can't part with it yet unless I find a replacement. The other Mitsumi 4x from the classifieds site would have been perfect, but it's been sold since. I'd say keep looking and I'll send you a message if I find something good.

That's fine. Thanks for the taking the time out to record the videos. It is quite difficult to tell from the videos. The seek sound does sound noisy, but I'm not sure how noisy unless I heard it in person. I'll hold fire for the time being. See if anything comes up or if you manage to find anything else. 😀

Here's something else I found: Some late 90s TEAC 24x-32x CD-ROM drives (CD-532E, CD-532EA, CD-532EB, CD-532S and CD-524EA) can be slowed down in firmware, and even the spin-down time can be adjusted: https://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1105-file … CHG304.EXE.html

These are very common and should be easy to find in good condition. I'll try to find some reviews that talk about noise.

asdf53 wrote on 2026-06-19, 17:13:

Here's something else I found: Some late 90s TEAC 24x-32x CD-ROM drives (CD-532E, CD-532EA, CD-532EB, CD-532S and CD-524EA) can be slowed down in firmware, and even the spin-down time can be adjusted: https://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1105-file … CHG304.EXE.html

These are very common and should be easy to find in good condition. I'll try to find some reviews that talk about noise.

Hmm. Interesting. Thanks for the heads-up. They're not particularly common in the UK by the looks of eBay. They'd have to be imported either from Germany or the States.

Just come across a Samsung SD-606E DVD/CD drive for about 8.99

Turns out I had set the DVS DVD drive to a maximum speed of 20x, here it is again at its minimum speed of 2x: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hEyAu6C0kHKq … ?usp=drive_link

It's really quiet at that setting, a lot better than the Mitsumi 4x even. What's interesting is that reducing the speed not only makes it spin slower, but the seeking mechanism, which is the loudest part of the drive at low rotational speeds, also became slower and quieter.

Found a review of the Teac CD-532E here: https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German- … mode/2up?q=532E

They praised it for being quiet and low-vibration, so together with the speed-limiting firmware, this could be a winner. The firmware tool allows to set it to 4x, 16x and 24x. It's around 25€ on ebay but often 5-10€ on classifieds. I'm really tempted to get one and see how they are.

Thats a lot of money for CD Roms, IMO . I just hit the thrift stores for drives and usually find something for 5 or 6 dollars. I was looking for one last week for a pentium build and got one I am very happy with. I really dont think id be paying 40 dollars or even 30 for one from ebay.

asdf53 wrote on Yesterday, 18:19:

Turns out I had set the DVS DVD drive to a maximum speed of 20x, here it is again at its minimum speed of 2x: https://drive.goog […]
Show full quote

Turns out I had set the DVS DVD drive to a maximum speed of 20x, here it is again at its minimum speed of 2x: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hEyAu6C0kHKq … ?usp=drive_link

It's really quiet at that setting, a lot better than the Mitsumi 4x even. What's interesting is that reducing the speed not only makes it spin slower, but the seeking mechanism, which is the loudest part of the drive at low rotational speeds, also became slower and quieter.

Found a review of the Teac CD-532E here: https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German- … mode/2up?q=532E

They praised it for being quiet and low-vibration, so together with the speed-limiting firmware, this could be a winner. The firmware tool allows to set it to 4x, 16x and 24x. It's around 25€ on ebay but often 5-10€ on classifieds. I'm really tempted to get one and see how they are.

Oooh. That does sound a lot more promising.

I would say 4x or faster but stay away from anything IDE that is faster than 32x
Unless you get a NEW drive and use an IDE to SATA adapter.

Intel486dx33 wrote on Yesterday, 22:36:

I would say 4x or faster but stay away from anything IDE that is faster than 32x
Unless you get a NEW drive and use an IDE to SATA adapter.

Hmm. Guess I should avoid that Samsung one then. As the read speed for the CD-ROM is 48x.

Honestly? I would avoid CDs entirely and use something the upcoming PicoIDE or a PicoGUS as an optical drive emulator. CDROM drives will all eventually stop working and the consumable parts(like the laser assembly) cannot easily be replaced. I can see getting a CD or DVD drive for archival purposes but it's looking like all these drives will die soon. I have had CDROM drives die on my test bench in front of me.

I think if you get a CDROM drive now in 2026 you are throwing your money away.

^Makes sense. On other hand, what does remain if everything physical is gone?
So far, people replaced CRTs by LCDs, serial ball mice by modern optical mice, floppy drives by Goteks, light bulbs by LED bulbs, HDDs by CF cards..
The Amiga people using FPGA builds even switched Amiga keyboards for PC keyboards.

Now people are currently replacing vintage soundcards by PicoGUS etc.
Now, if optical media without wear (CD-ROMs) are also going to be replaced, why even bother to build a vintage PC?
Isn't by this point a fully software-based emulator more authentic? If it emulates the period-correct peripherals?

Amiga emulators do simulate floppy drive sound and an Amiga CRT monitor, for example, I think.
And PCem/86Box do emulate period-correct HDD and CD-ROM controller cards.
Well, except for the 16-Bit ISA card used for the Mitsumi LU005S, maybe. 😉

Eh, I don't agree with the take that we shouldn't buy CDROM drives in 2026.

While drives do need maintenance, its possible to keep things working at this point.

There are CD players from the 80's still functional today, so a CDROM drive from a decade or so later likely still has some useful life in it.

Jo22 wrote on Today, 01:36:

Isn't by this point a fully software-based emulator more authentic? If it emulates the period-correct peripherals?

It depends what part of the experience you want to be authentic, to some people the physical interface is the authenticity. I want to put cards into a system, handle discs and floppies, look at a CRT. That is the part of it that makes it authentic. It's not going to be the same or as accessible for many people which is why software emulation is extremely popular. Some people don't even care about that part.

I will probably keep a working CD-ROM in my system as long as it's economically feasible.

For those who are worrying about the availability of CD and DVD drives, as I do DIY electronics projects sometimes I order from industrial component stores, and on these sites I still see CD and DVD drives listed, so while they are starting to disappear from the consumer market, it is still possible to buy one if someone is willing to order it from such a retailer. I haven't yet ordered one of these drives as I still have some working CD/DVD drives in storage in case one of them fails, as in this topic the noise level of the drives was important part of the conversation, I expect industrial grade CD and DVD drives to be louder than the consumer ones, but if someone is simply worried about being able to get a CD/DVD drive in the future then I think these industrial ones will be available for a while.

Also I think some CD/DVD drives will actually outlast the disks as while commercially produced disks(CD-ROM) most of the time have the pits that are being read as physical indentations and not prone to degradation as much, the disks written by consumer CD drives(CD-R) are actually using a dye that the writing laser removes or chemically alters, and that dye can degrade over time even when stored in optimal conditions. (https://www.loc.gov/preservation/scientists/p … _longevity.html)

megatog615 wrote on Yesterday, 23:46:

Honestly? I would avoid CDs entirely and use something the upcoming PicoIDE or a PicoGUS as an optical drive emulator. CDROM drives will all eventually stop working and the consumable parts(like the laser assembly) cannot easily be replaced. I can see getting a CD or DVD drive for archival purposes but it's looking like all these drives will die soon. I have had CDROM drives die on my test bench in front of me.

I think if you get a CDROM drive now in 2026 you are throwing your money away.

Any piece of computer hardware can fail at any point, newer projects are not immune to this. And while PicoIDE is a great project, and I myself own a PicoGUS + mt-32 emulation daughterboard, there is a point where you should ask yourself, what exactly are your goals, with your hardware builds. For me, I didn't care about GUS itself that much but in addition to that, PicoGUS offered optical drive emulation + intelligent MPU-401 + who else what else can this board do in the future. So that, combined with insane prices for genuine MT-32 hardware prompted me to go for emulation in that particular aspect. I'm avoiding emulation otherwise

For CD and DVD drives in particular, I know it's anecdotal, but they have been surprisingly reliable for me. I have one retro Samsung CD ROM and one retro LG DVD ROM, both were just dumped in a basement for 20 years, dirty and dusty inside etc. After cleaning, applying grease in the right places, both are working great now. I also have another newer LG SATA DVD, from 2009 or so. It saw heavy usage over the years and it's still in my modern PC. I did the same cleaning + greasing maintenance just once, all discs read fine and burning works as well.

I'm not sure what you have to do to really wear out a properly built disc drive. Some random component failure causing the laser to burn out? I guess anything they kills the laser for good. Replacement mechanical elements like the laser assembly frame, worm gear etc. could feasibly be precision made in the future.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-02-10, 10:46:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2026-02-10, 06:37:

Sure I must have some beige drives I no longer need that might suit FoC - I'll dig out a list of models if you're interested.

Yeah, that would be great. Thanks. 😀

Said I would do this but never did 🙁 ....better late than never I suppose.

To start have dug out an LG GCE-8240B from 2002 which seems quite quiet to my ear (running Nero DiscSpeed) anyone have any thoughts.

megatog615 wrote on Yesterday, 23:46:

Honestly? I would avoid CDs entirely and use something the upcoming PicoIDE or a PicoGUS as an optical drive emulator. CDROM drives will all eventually stop working and the consumable parts(like the laser assembly) cannot easily be replaced. I can see getting a CD or DVD drive for archival purposes but it's looking like all these drives will die soon. I have had CDROM drives die on my test bench in front of me.

I think if you get a CDROM drive now in 2026 you are throwing your money away.

But if you have a collection of optical media (CDs and DVDs) containing games and software, no emulator can replace an optical drive. If you’re not satisfied with just mounting a game’s .iso image and want to experience the authentic atmosphere—such as the game’s background music through an analog cable connected to a sound card—you’ll need a physical drive as well (with an analog output).

For me, a retro setup isn’t complete without both a floppy drive and an optical drive.