Despite its relatively slower DVD+/-R write speed of 18x, Asus’s burner turned in a better time than Lite-On’s entry when writing 4.38GB of data to a single-layer DVD+R disc, at least when using Verbatim media: The DRW-1814BLT enjoyed a 13-second lead with a write time of 5:36 (min:sec). Interestingly, with Taiyo Yuden media, Asus’s drive was slower than its competitor, taking 6:01 to fill that disc. Because Verbatim media is easier to come by, we’re giving that score more weight, but consider this point a caveat. The CPU utilization during reads of both discs was below 30 percent.

In our double-layer burn test, the DRW-1814BLT, which is rated for 8x with DVD-DL media, took an acceptable 18:08 to write 7.96GB of data to Verbatim media, with a 6.66x (should we be scared?) average speed. Asus, like Lite-On, tosses in Nero, LightScribe, and DVD-RAM support, but no extra bezel.

All in all, the two drives are pretty close, but we’re more comfortable with the Asus’s CPU usage during disc reads.