optical drive?

[Flawizz]

do i really need one? i mean i can download all drivers via internet, no need for the cd right? (new build from scratch, no second pc) or are there any drivers that cant be downloaded via their website and need a cd?

[CyberFern0]

2 minutes ago, Flawizz said:

do i really need one? i mean i can download all drivers via internet, no need for the cd right? (new build from scratch, no second pc) or are there any drivers that cant be downloaded via their website and need a cd?

It's best to have one.

[Oshino Shinobu]

I haven't used an optical drive for the past 4 years and have never had a need for one during that time. If you really need one at some point, you can pick up a USB optical drive and connect it when it's needed. 

[Darkshruod]

Not likely. Best case is search the driver for all the components your buying ahead of time. If for some reason down the road a driver for X product is only optical you might have to drop 20 bucks for a drive then.

[Ryois]

3 minutes ago, Flawizz said:

do i really need one? i mean i can download all drivers via internet, no need for the cd right? (new build from scratch, no second pc) or are there any drivers that cant be downloaded via their website and need a cd?

I've never used an optical drive on my laptop and any other PCs. If you needed you can always buy an external drive if the time comes and you need to use optical media.

[Crunchy Dragon]

I never had to use an optical drive to install drivers, I just downloaded them off the support page for my hardware

[Enderman]

First of all, windows installs all your drivers for you so you shouldn't have to download them yourself.

 

Second, yes everything that comes on the CD can be also downloaded from the website.

 

3 minutes ago, CyberFern0 said:

It's best to have one.

It's an obsolete potato which is 100% unnecessary.

[RedWhiteDevil]

Depends on what you going to do.

If you're only going to play games then no.

[COUPER MILLAR]

6 minutes ago, Enderman said:

First of all, windows installs all your drivers for you so you shouldn't have to download them yourself.

 

Second, yes everything that comes on the CD can be also downloaded from the website.

 

It's an obsolete potato which is 100% unnecessary.

Windows installs nvidia/amd gpu drivers? This is news to me. 

 

Just because you don't have a work flow that needs one doesn't mean it's an obsolete potato. I convert all my movies to digital to watch on plex. So for me not having one would be an issue. 

[Enderman]

10 minutes ago, COUPER MILLAR said:

Windows installs nvidia/amd gpu drivers? This is news to me. 

 

Just because you don't have a work flow that needs one doesn't mean it's an obsolete potato. I convert all my movies to digital to watch on plex. So for me not having one would be an issue. 

Yeah it does, pay attention next time you do a clean install, it will say "searching for graphics drivers" and then will install them.

Obviously it doesn't install geforce experience or any of that additional software from nvidia/AMD, you do that yourself if you want.

 

And OP is not asking how to convert his movies to watch on plex, he is asking if he needs an optical drive to install drivers. Maybe you didn't read the whole post.

The answer to that is no.

[PlayStation 2]

Most people don't, and I'd imagine you wouldn't need one, either.

I'm one of the few people who use optical drives on the regular, for multiple reasons.