Do you think optical drives are still necessary?

[iJarbus]

Hi guys just interested in getting your opinions on if you think an optical drive is still useful/necessary? While I personally think that an optical drive ruins the aesthetics of most cases and wouldn't leave one installed I personally think that having one around is still necessary. The reason I think this is because while installing a new copy of Windows 7 onto my machine Windows didn't install the driver for my motherboards network adapter, so I couldn't go and download the driver because I had no internet connection. It wasn't a big deal I just used the disk to install the driver and then downloaded the rest of the drivers but without an optical drive I would have been up the metaphorical creek without a paddle. I'm just curious to see what you guys think and whether you still have an optical drive on hand?

[That Norwegian Guy]

I haven't used one in 3 years, but I put one in an HTPC I built as a present for my parents.

[Phllips]

lol no. there was a pile at school of about 10 but i didnt even bother picking one up. also ruins looks

[kizoku_95]

It is necessary for me coz it takes years to download stuff on the internet connection where I live so I am forced to buy DVD/CD of the games, movies or other stuff that is huge in size to download ! 

[Hans Christian | Teri]

No.

[ShadowCaptain]

I just keep an external usb one around so I can connect it to things if I ever need a drive

[Venusia]

It is necessary for me coz it takes years to download stuff on the internet connection where I live so I am forced to buy DVD/CD of the games, movies or other stuff that is huge in size to download ! 

 

You're from Australia aren't you

[The Crazed Child]

It's still necessary, especially for people like me with a 12mbps down internet connection. I don't particularly feel like downloading the latest copy of Windows when it's faster to go down to the shop and get it.

[TristanK]

Well I also havent used one for some time now, but it is always good to have one around because you never know when you will need it. So not necesary, but good to have one.  

[kizoku_95]

You're from Australia aren't you

Nope.............India !

[Đỗ Đức Huy]

Good to have when you don't have access to the Internet is my take for optical drive. I was cursing myself when I built my very first PC earlier this year and forgot to include a ODD so I can't install an OS and when I'm done installing the OS I can't install any drivers for my stuff. Tech noob mistakes lol. They still have their place but it is a very niche case even for me

[Pyroz]

An optical drive is mostly unneeded but there will be one or two times when you really need one, an external optical drive is great because you can put it in a drawer and then you just have it when you need it, without compromising aesthetics or utility of having one.

[ImBleu]

I don't feel that they are needed, but I like the option for a optical bay If I needed one, mainly for ROG Frontpanels / Fan controllers etc. Blueray/Dvd drives, not so much.

[Dredgy]

Yea. I tried watching a BluRay without one once, was a nightmare.

 

Also I don't live in a country where downloading HD video is feasible.

[Dimwitted]

Yep. Not only because of internet issues but they still haven't sussed out the USB thing. There's a ton of cases on this board where the USB won't work on a new build. Maybe by Skylake they'll have worked it out but it's still not there for reliability to do without.

[soup]

ODDs are NOT necessary but they can be useful. 

I do not feel they detract from the aesthetics at all, and are pretty handy if your connection 'sucks the big one'.

 

A NIC driver can be put onto USB sticks[1] then all updated drivers can be downloaded from the 'net, slowly if your connection "STBO".

 

[1]Building a network from the ground (up i.e. assembling the individual computers[ some with desktop O/Ses some with server O/Ses] then wiring them together) I couldn't get my network to link to the internet I borrowed a WAN driver from a colleague, on a USB (stick whatever you want to call it) and used that to get online.

[Leonard]

It will now be eight years since i have used one, so for me it is not needed.

[Seano123]

Having an external USB optical drive saves space in your rig and you can store them really easily. Only negative is it might make your case look weird if you cant put something else in its place.

[Oscar Cooke-Abbott]

Although most of the time you can get away without optical trays, they still come in handy sometimes, especially when you have technological neanderthals who want you to burn CDs or DVDs for them

[jarl101]

I got a USB DVD drive so I didn't have to buy a new one for every one of the multiple PC's in my house that didn't have one. Unfortunately I still think we will need them for a long time into the future or when global internet speeds are fast enough (probably never going to happen).

[aquablast17]

Not really, has become obsolete over the past few years. Everything is all internet based. Not that aesthetically pleasing too. You could always pick-up an external optical drive and use it through USB, if necessary.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I have room for it in my case but I'd have to open a door to get at it. I do need one but not right away.

[district_11]

I just keep an external usb one around so I can connect it to things if I ever need a drive

 

 

this. When I built my C70 I did buy a blu-ray reader/writer, but used it once or twice so I took it out.

 

I plan to use it one day when I replace my HTPC

[DiscoFingers]

Nope.  YOu can easily set it up to you never need one, even if you have crappy interwebs.

 

I keep a usb with windows installed, so i can run that if i ever need to a clean install.  Any large application like games I just shuffle around onto other hardrives then move back to avoid big downloads.  For me it works as well or better than an optical.

[SeriouslyMikey]

Considering I still buy CDs and DVDs as I hate digital music and films, they are for me. So I always have one laying around and one in my system.