With every passing day, laptops are getting slimmer and slimmer, but that ultra-slim form factor comes at a cost. To achieve that, laptop manufacturers have to shed some hardware features like ethernet ports, disc drives, etc. While they typically cover the loss of those features by providing an alternative, the one thing that can’t be replaced is the disc drive. So, if you are planning on using your old CDs/DVDs on your brand-new laptop, then you need to invest in a good quality USB powered disc drive. Here’s a list that will help you in your search. Note that these products have been curated based on their availability on Amazon, as well as their listed features.
HP or Hewlett-Packard is one of the best computer hardware manufacturers in the world, so it’s no surprise that one of their products made it to this list. The HP F6V97AA#ACJ is an external disc drive that doesn’t require a dedicated power source as it can be powered via the USB port on your laptop. This external disc drive by HP can read and write CDs as well as DVDs with high speeds thanks to the USB 3.0 interface. It is even compatible with M-discs which have a much longer life than most storage devices currently present in the market. You don’t need to buy two separate drives for your Windows and Mac PCs as it is compatible with both. It weighs 200g and measures 14.4 x 13.8 x 1.4cm, making it one of the lightest and slimmest USB powered external disc drives out there.
If you’re looking for an external USB disc drive that can read and write CDs, DVDs and M-DISCs, then the ASUS External Slim disc drive is the one for you. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS so you can use your discs in both the ecosystems. ASUS has equipped it with a friendly interface to make burning a disc as simple as dragging and dropping content into the right folder. The password control disc encryption and hidden file functionality make sure that your data is safe and secure. To use it, all you need to do is connect the USB cable to your laptop, and you are good to go. When it comes to build quality, ASUS has made sure to leave no stones unturned by equipping it with diamond cut hard plastic casing. This 280g external disc drive has a thickness of 2cm and is sturdy enough that you can carry it around without worrying about accidental drops.
Dell is considered one of the best PC manufacturers in the world, and now they are trying their hand at manufacturing USB disc drives. The Dell DW316 is a plug and play disc reading and burning solution which uses your PC’s USB port for power. It works with Windows as well as Mac and can be used to read and burn CDs and DVDs without any trouble. To make it easy for the user to burn discs, Dell has pre-loaded this external USB disc drive with the CyberLink Media Suite. This external disc drive from Dell weighs 200g and measures 13.6 x 14.4 x 1.5-cm, which makes it easy to carry around. Its durable, minimalistic, slim and lightweight construction makes it the perfect travel partner so you can enjoy all those old classics that you have lying around while on holiday.
If you’re looking for a good-looking external USB disc drive, then you should check this one out. It is USB powered, which means you don’t have to carry around external power bricks to power it. The plug and play functionality, when combined with the bundled Power2Go media burning software, makes sure that burning a disc is as easy as it can get. It can read and burn CDs as well as DVDs without any hiccups and at a pretty good speed thanks to the USB connectivity. It has support for both Windows and Mac OS, meaning you can go back and forth between them smoothly. The Transcend TS8XDVD-K has a thickness of 1.39cm and a weight of 245g so the user can carry it around without feeling the bulk.