Loading times sometimes being longer than usual

[tpgb12]

Hello.  I have a PC Engine DUO-R and have been really enjoying it so far.  I have a question, though.  Is it normal for load times to occasionally be longer than usual?  Here's an example:

I was playing Asuka 120%: Maxima Burning Fest and at the point in Story Mode where it loads the fight, it takes around five seconds to load.  I suck at it, lose, reset the console and try again and do the same thing I did the first time I played.  This time, however, it takes about twelve or so seconds to load the fight once I get to that point.

It's random when this happens and doesn't happen very often, so it really isn't that annoying.  Is this normal, though?  I can't check if the caps are going out because I don't have a security screwdriver bit and I would hope that's not the issue because I got a Duo-R specifically to prevent that from happening.  I have no experience with soldering if this is the case and it also seems really expensive to have my console sent off somewhere.  I've had a prefect experience with the console otherwise.  Also, I am using a Genesis Model 2 power adapter with it.

[Bernie]

Hello.  I have a PC Engine DUO-R and have been really enjoying it so far.  I have a question, though.  Is it normal for load times to occasionally be longer than usual?  Here's an example:

I was playing Asuka 120%: Maxima Burning Fest and at the point in Story Mode where it loads the fight, it takes around five seconds to load.  I suck at it, lose, reset the console and try again and do the same thing I did the first time I played.  This time, however, it takes about twelve or so seconds to load the fight once I get to that point.

It's random when this happens and doesn't happen very often, so it really isn't that annoying.  Is this normal, though?  I can't check if the caps are going out because I don't have a security screwdriver bit and I would hope that's not the issue because I got a Duo-R specifically to prevent that from happening.  I have no experience with soldering if this is the case and it also seems really expensive to have my console sent off somewhere.  I've had a prefect experience with the console otherwise.  Also, I am using a Genesis Model 2 power adapter with it.

I am quite certain this is normal.  I have had some games hang up in loading as well.  Its completely random.  I assume you are using actual discs and not cdr? 

[tpgb12]

Yeah, I noticed this on real discs. 

[esteban]

This can fall within the range of "normal behavior", I believe, since I remember it occasionally happening back in the day (when hardware was brand new). .

I chalked it up to the laser having a difficult time seeking/reading some data/finding a track (due to a scratch/lint, for example).

[Necromancer]

As long as it's not doing it on a regular basis with any and all titles, I wouldn't worry about it.  Sometimes the blazing lazers get lost / fall asleep / etc.

[gheebee]

Well that's a relief; I was wondering about this myself!

[Keith Courage]

This is completely normal as long as it does not do it in the same loading places every time. If the lens misses something it takes a bit for it to retry again. Meaning you may not even hear the lens move around for 5 seconds or so before it makes another pass.

[tpgb12]

This is completely normal as long as it does not do it in the same loading places every time. If the lens misses something it takes a bit for it to retry again. Meaning you may not even hear the lens move around for 5 seconds or so before it makes another pass.

It never does it in the same place.  It's nice to hear that this is normal, by the way.

[wilykat]

You got to remember these CD systems were early technology where the load speed were like 150kib/sec so it load slowly compared to modern CD-ROM and DVD-ROM games.