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Sony AW-Q170A 18x Internal DVD±RW DL IDE Drive — main product image
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Sony AW-Q170A 18x Internal DVD±RW DL IDE Drive

★★★★★5.0 (1 reviews)

Sony Optiarc AW-Q170A internal IDE DVD burner delivers 18x write speeds for fast, reliable disc burning and playback.

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Overview

The Sony Optiarc AW-Q170A is an internal DVD±RW DL drive that connects via an IDE (PATA) interface, designed for systems equipped with legacy parallel ATA connections. It burns DVD+R and DVD-R discs at up to 18x speed, handles dual-layer media at 8x, and writes CD-R at up to 48x, making it a versatile option for data archiving, software installation, and multimedia disc creation. Read speeds reach 16x for single-layer DVDs and 12x for dual-layer DVDs, providing smooth playback and ripping performance.

The drive features a 2 MB cache buffer paired with buffer underrun error prevention, which helps ensure burn reliability even when the host system is under load. DVD access time is rated at 160 ms and CD access time at 140 ms. With full compatibility across DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, CD-R, and CD-RW formats, the AW-Q170A handles virtually any standard optical disc you need to read or write. Its beige bezel fits the aesthetic of older tower cases, making it a practical replacement drive for legacy systems that still rely on IDE connectivity.

Key Features

Sony Optiarc AW-Q170A 18x DVD RW DL IDE Drive General Features: Beige bezel IDE interface

2 MB cache buffer 160 ms DVD access time 140 ms CD access time Buffer underrun error prevention

Write Speed: DVD+R: 18x DVD+R DL: 8x DVD+RW: 8x DVD-R: 18x DVD-R DL: 8x DVD-RW: 6x CD-R: 48x

CD-RW: 32x Read Speed: DVD-ROM SL: 16x DVD-ROM DL: 12x DVD+R: 16x DVD-R: 16x DVD+R DL: 12x

DVD-R DL: 12x

Specifications

Brand
Sony
Model
AW-Q170A
Interface
IDE (PATA)
Color
Beige
Cache Buffer
2 MB
DVD+R Write Speed
18x
DVD+R DL Write Speed
8x
DVD+RW Write Speed
8x
DVD-R Write Speed
18x
DVD-R DL Write Speed
8x
DVD-RW Write Speed
6x
CD-R Write Speed
48x
CD-RW Write Speed
32x
DVD-ROM Read Speed (SL)
16x
DVD-ROM Read Speed (DL)
12x
DVD Access Time
160 ms
CD Access Time
140 ms
Buffer Underrun Protection
Yes

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • 18x DVD and 48x CD-R write speeds provide fast disc burning for data and media.
  • Supports both DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW formats for broad media compatibility.
  • Dual-layer burning at 8x enables writing up to 8.5 GB per disc.
  • 2 MB cache with buffer underrun protection reduces the risk of failed burns.
  • Reliable Sony Optiarc design suited for everyday burning and playback tasks.

👎 Cons

  • IDE interface is obsolete on modern motherboards, requiring an adapter for SATA-only systems.
  • 2 MB cache buffer is small compared to later generation optical drives.
  • Beige bezel may not match the aesthetics of modern black PC cases.
  • No Blu-ray support — limited to DVD and CD media only.
  • No included software for disc authoring or media playback.

Frequently Asked Questions

This drive uses an IDE (PATA) interface, not SATA. You will need an available IDE connector on your motherboard or an IDE-to-SATA adapter to install it.
Yes, the AW-Q170A burns both DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 8x speed, allowing you to write up to approximately 8.5 GB on a single dual-layer disc.
The drive writes DVD+R and DVD-R media at up to 18x speed, and CD-R at up to 48x speed.
Yes, the AW-Q170A includes buffer underrun error prevention technology to avoid failed burns caused by data stream interruptions.

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