How important are optical drives?

[zingozman]

I've considered getting an NZXT s340, but it has no place for an optical drive, how important are they really in a world of digital content? (don't tell anyone but my games and movies may or may not be legal, so I don't use CDs much)

[Tedster]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The legality of your content isn't our problem as long as you don't condone it and we don't condone it either.

 

Having an internal ODD isn't a big deal anymore. If you need an optical drive, get an external one and you'll be fine.

[Lotus]

I don't ever use mine. Ever. Even when I got an SSD and had to reinstall windows, it was easier for me to make a bootable flash drive than to drive to the store for a DVD and make a bootable DVD.

[Shaqo_Wyn]

Only get one if you need it. With most games being bought on Steam or Origin these days (or acquired through less legal channels) many never use/need it.

 

If you do think you'll need it, at least buy a case that supports one. The $20~ you save getting the S340 instead of the Enthoo Pro for example will be lost having to buy a $35~ external optical drive instead of a $13~ internal one.

[mikat]

an optical drive is a giant waste of money.

[Thorium19]

If you use an optical drive fairly often, say multiple times a month for both reading and writing discs, then I'd say it's worth having an internal optical drive and thus another case than the S340, but if you don't use one that often, maybe a handful of times a year, then just get an external optical drive and store it in a draw when not using it.

[NoMooreMercy]

I collect CDs, so I still have a use for optical drives and they're fairly cheap these days, I mean why not?

[GuruMeditationError]

I've got optical media (including operating system discs), so I always add one, but given the choice I'd have an external drive. 

[A Bubble]

Had an H440 since mid last year and have not once needed an optical drive. I install OSes through USB.

[Dabombinable]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The legality of your content isn't our problem as long as you don't condone it and we don't condone it either.

 

Having an internal ODD isn't a big deal anymore. If you need an optical drive, get an external one and you'll be fine.

Yes to an external drive. I find that it is actually more useful than an internal ODD as I can use it on my laptops when they have their annual bout of issues, and because I can fit more into my computer's case without one being installed.

[ManWithBeard1990]

You know, I don't have one and I don't really need it because most of my physical copies had been ripped already, but I do feel like my machine is incomplete without it. This being a custom case it'll be a bit difficult but I think I'm just going to glue a slim USB slot-loading drive to the underside of the pc because the feet are high enough. I presume if you miss the functionality you could do that too.

[MrRavens]

Yes to an external drive. I find that it is actually more useful than an internal ODD as I can use it on my laptops when they have their annual bout of issues, and because I can fit more into my computer's case without one being installed.

 

This is a great point actually.

[Bravosgrad]

Yeah, just use an external drive, used one on my last build and it allowed me to not only have it for other things but allow me to get the H440

[hak4fun]

I just have a external one that I use when I need to read  dvd/cd Which is like never... So they aren't really all that important. But handy to have for that  1 time that you need you one.

[LancerBG]

Haven't had one in my rigs for a while now but I always have an external one just in case. They are super cheap. 

[Speedbird]

I sometimes wish I had 2 of them.... But anyway, you'll mostly be fine without them. Install your OS from a USB drive, install your games from Steam, install your software from the Internet (be careful to avoid junk), get your music from streaming services, get your movies from, well... video streaming services.

[mr moose]

They really are end user specific at the moment.  Because I sometimes have to send 30-40Gb of data across Australia I find it easier to burn to dvd and parcel post.  than to try and setup digital transfer.

 

Also if you have dvd's you might want to watch you'll need one.  Every now and then you might encounter a pc with dodgy USB and you'll need to install from CD or use a Linux boot cd. 

 

I have one and I have a spare in the cupboard in case any of the other pc's in the house need it.

[c3p0_]

Yeah no not important at all. Used one 2 times the past year and this year probably never at all. If I need one I plug it over power and sata and lay it on the floor. Gheddosystem idk, but why buy an external when I can use my old internal that way   

[TetraSky]

The rare times I use a CD... is the Acronis CD, for restoring a backup because I don't have a dedicated flash drive for it. As I probably don't have access to windows to create a rescue flash drive if I even use the CD in the first place.

 

I could totally buy a dozen 4~8GB flash drives for less than $20, label them and use them for my various needs, Acronis rescue, Windows install, Linux and more...

 

I don't use the cd drive for anything else. All my games are Digital(steam) and there's no point in buying physical copies of movies or music disks anymore.

I get the movies I want to watch on my TV cable box(can also buy/rent them on the google play store and many other places, there's also the nerfed Canadian netflix) and I don't listen to music at all, other than the ones found in games or anime but that can also be obtained easily nearly everywhere online.

 

The convenience of never having to leave the house is great.

[Dabombinable]

The rare times I use a CD... is the Acronis CD, for restoring a backup because I don't have a dedicated flash drive for it. As I probably don't have access to windows to create a rescue flash drive if I even use the CD in the first place.

 

I could totally buy a dozen 4~8GB flash drives for less than $20, label them and use them for my various needs, Acronis rescue, Windows install, Linux and more...

 

I don't use the cd drive for anything else. All my games are Digital(steam) and there's no point in buying physical copies of movies or music disks anymore.

I get the movies I want to watch on my TV cable box(can also buy/rent them on the google play store and many other places, there's also the nerfed Canadian netflix) and I don't listen to music at all, other than the ones found in games or anime but that can also be obtained easily nearly everywhere online.

 

The convenience of never having to leave the house is great.

Another thing is that the cost per GB of CD and DVD is no where near that of a USB.

[SIGSEGV]

They are obsolete

[niofalpha]

Useless.

If by any chance you do need one, get an External one from Walmart for 10$.