Are you trying to find computer external optical drives among various brands on the market but aren’t sure where to begin? To assist you in finding the right one, we’ve put together a list of the 7 best to help you pick the perfect one!
We investigated and evaluated a number of the top-selling computer external optical drives on the market in order to create our list of the best. Making a decision among the many options available is never simple. There are an infinite number of models available, each with a distinct price. And as you’ll find out, the best options aren’t usually the ones you imagine! This comparison is rich and relevant because of the numerous factors that were employed. You will find products featured in this ranking not only based on their pricing but also on their features and other customers reviews. To write this review, we completed 14 hours of research and did 53 computer external optical drives tests. You won’t need to pick products at random any more. If you’re unsure of what to look for, browse our list and consult the buying guide!
An overview of our top picks
Table of contents
The best computer external optical drives you can buy today
- 【Plug and Play】 Simply plug the drive into your USB port or Type-C port, wait for the drive to finish installing automatically, open the compartment door, insert the disc and it will be detected and used immediately (for desktops, please connect it to the USB port on the back to avoid power shortage).
- 【Easy to carry and stylish appearance】Recessed cable design for easy cable organisation. The body is slim, sleek and minimalist, scratch-resistant and comes with a fleece pouch. This CD/DVD drive is only 1.8 cm thick and weighs approximately 0.4 kg. It can easily fit into your travel bag, take it with you and connect it wherever you go.
- 【High speed】Features a dual USB 3.0 and Type C port. Maximum DVD reading speed of 8x; maximum CD reading speed of 24x. Giving you faster data transfer speeds (up to 5Gbps), play music and movies without lag or distortion.
- 【Wide compatibility】 It supports Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10/11, Linux, all versions of Mac OS systems. (TV, car player, Chromebook, Surface Pro, Ubuntu, tablet and mobile phone are not supported).
- 【High quality raw materials】Adopt high quality flame retardant PC material, shock resistant and durable. Adopt high performance original magnetic core, which can provide high speed process reading experience, with anti-interference and low impedance capability, no lag and no noise.
- Comprehensive External CD/DVD Disk Drive: Since most modern laptops and desktops are not equipped with built-in cd/dvd drives, our high-quality usb 3.0 External cd drive/dvd drive is the ideal solution for all your cd/dvd reading and writing needs - just as convenient as an internal optical disc drive.
- Effortless Plug & Play: USB-powered with no need for separate installation or drivers. Simply plug into your USB port and the external CD drive will be instantly recognized.
- Compact & Portable: Our slim, lightweight design is ideal for on-the-go use. Whether you're at home, in the office, or on the move, you can easily carry this portable cd/dvd drive with you.
- Multitask External CD Burner&DVD Burner: Our cd / dvd drive is not just a cd dvd rom reader, it’s also a versatile writer, player, burner, recorder, and ripper, supporting various disc types. It can read movies dvds or music cds, burn your favorite content, copy files to your computer, install software, back up data, and more.
- Broad Compatibility: This external USB DVD/CD drive is designed to work seamlessly with Windows (XP/ Vista/ Windows 11/10/8/7), Mac OS, making it suitable for a wide range of PCs, Laptops and Comprehensive Computers.
- 【Note-1】If you see an exclamation mark on the model number of your external drive, it means that there is a computer system error. Please restart it and check for any abnormalities. Our product is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, IOS, and Mac. The instructions included in the package can guide the you on how to operate the product. If the issue persists, please contact us for assistance.
- 【Note-2】If your computer fails to recognize your external hard drive, follow these steps: First, ensure that the player is installed on your computer. Then, change the interface to identify the different HUBs. Different interfaces will produce varying results. Follow the instructions contained in the package. If the issue persists, please contact us for assistance.
- 【Premium External CD/DVD Drive for Laptop PC】Considering that most of the latest laptop and desktop PCs are not equipped with an internal CD/DVD drive. This ROOFULL USB 3.0 external CD/DVD drive is a perfect solution for most computers to read and write CDs and DVDs. Just plug the data cable (not the power supply cord) into your PC's USB port, and insert your CDs or DVDs, it will be recognized automatically, you can then use a media player, burning, or ripping software to read or write your discs, no complex settings, plug and play! (If it is not detected automatically, please reboot your PC and plug it into a different USB port)
- 【What You Can Do With It】It's not only a CD/DVD-ROM reader, but also a writer player burner recorder ripper, supporting reading and writing of CD±R/RW, CD-ROM, DVD±R/RW, DVD-RAM, VCD, and SVCD disks. You can use it to read movies DVDs or music CDs, burn mp3 music/ photos/ videos/ files to blank CDs or DVDs, copy media or data files from disc to your computer, install software/ system/ games, back up data to discs, and more.
- 【Compatible with Most Computers】This USB external CD/DVD drive is compatible with Windows 11/ 10/ 8.1/ 7/ Vista/ XP, Linux, and all versions of Mac OS. You can use this ROOFULL USB CD DVD drive on most laptop and desktop computers including Apple MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, HP, LG, Dell, MS, Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Thinkpad, Samsung, Microsoft Surface Pro, etc. For Mac computers, to eject a disc, please right-click on the icon on the desktop and select "eject", or choose "File" > "Eject" button. 【Kindly Note】This drive can not work with Chromebook, Android phone/tablet, TV, iPad, iPhone, projectors, trucks, cars, and Blu-ray discs.
- 【 High-Speed USB 3.0 Type-C 2-In-1 Data Cable】USB 3.0 is an updated version of USB 2.0 that provides higher data transfer rates of up to 5 Gigabits/s, approximately 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The embedded data cable with USB 3.0 type-A and type-C two kinds of connectors that make it easier to plug this device into different Mac and Windows computers without an adapter required, and also no worries about losing the data cable.【Kindly Note】The USB 3.0 data cable is on the back of the drive.
- 【No Power Shortage Issues Anymore】In addition to the USB 3.0 data cable, we also prepared an additional USB to micro USB power supply cable, in case the USB ports on your computer cannot supply enough power for this device through the single data cable. You can use the power supply cord together, and get extra power from another USB port on your PC or a 5V USB power adapter. If there is no power shortage, you can remove this power cord. (Tips: The power cord cannot transmit data, please do not use it alone)
- 【Premium Quality & Reliable Performance】Each ROOFULL external CD/DVD drive for laptop mac is equipped with a brand new movement and goes through a complete production and testing process to ensure smooth operation, and features strong error-correcting, low impedance, and anti-interference ability. You can read, write, and copy your CDs/DVDs quietly without stuttering and noise, and it won't damage your discs.
- 【Compact, Portable, and Secure】The ROOFULL external CD/DVD drive is designed to be slim and lightweight, making it easy to carry with you wherever you go (at home, in the office, or on the go). It comes with a thicker protective storage carrying case that offers maximum protection against dust, water, and drops, ensuring your device stays safe. This external drive also makes for an excellent gift option for hobbyists who collect CDs and DVDs. If you prefer to purchase the product without the carrying case, you can find it by searching for "B07C1VP88H" on Amazon.
- 【Hassle-Free Shopping】As a professional optical drive manufacturer with 8 years of experience dedicated to producing top-quality external optical drives, in additional, each device will go through strict testing processes before shipment. If the CD/DVD drive you received cannot work with your computer for any reason, just reach out to us for tech support, a new device, or a full refund, and we will be responsible for you with no time-limited return window【2 year-long warranty】
- 【8 IN 1 Optical Drive】 Our portable DVD player is not only a CD/DVD reader, but also a CD/DVD burner, including 1 port USB 3.0 hub, 3 USB 2.0 port, SD or TF card reader and 1 USB-C Port, is perfect for transferring photo and video files from your camera by cards to your computer. (Note: SD and TF card cannot be used at the same time).
- 【USB 3.0 HIGH-SPEED DATA TRANSFER】CD Burner with high speed USB 3.0 technology, many of the port cluster connectors are labelled by blue color and backward compatible with USB 2.0. USB 3.0 is an updated version of USB 2.0 which provides higher data transfer rates up to 5 Gigabits/S (625MB/S). It is approximately 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Besides that, The cd drive offers Max 8x DVDR Read Speed and Max 24x CD Write/Read speed, faster than you expected.
- 【Plug and Play】 The external DVD drive is powered by a USB 3.0 port, no internal DVD driver and external power required, is the perfect companion for laptop or desktop that can be used directly by plugging it into USB port. No need for additional drivers. PLUG and PLAY. The CD Rom external drive for laptop has strong error correction, anti-skid and quiet capabilities.
- 【Wide Compatibility】The optical drive supports reading and writing of CD±R/RW, CD-ROM, DVD±R/RW, DVD-RAM, VCD, and SVCD. In addition, This USB-A and USB-C external disk drive supports different devices such as Macbook, iMac, Notebook, Desktop, and Laptop, etc. It's compatible with Windows 11/10 /8 /7 /XP , Vista 7 / 8, Linux, Mac OS10.6 or above. (Cars, TVs, Tablets, Smartphones, Projectors and Blu-ray disk are not supported；Windows 11 requires media player and network).
- 【Perfect After-sales Protection】Our external cd/dvd drive for laptop have been tested repeated in the harsh environment of the laboratory, and have obtained the Market and many customers. We treat quality issues with zero tolerance, We offer 2 years after-sales warranty, any questions feel free to contact us on Amazon
- 【5 in 1 CD Drive】External CD DVD drive has an independent SD/TF card slot, 2 USB ports and micro USB ports. It can transfer photos, videos or musics directly from SD / TF card into the computer, USB Hard Drive and flash drive.
- 【Read and Write】CD DVD drive for pc supports any devices of usb or type c, support to read CD, VCD, SVCD, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW and burn CD+/-RW, DVD+/-RW, etc. Max DVD-ROM drive reading speed 8X; Max CD-ROM drive burning speed 24X and DVD drive reading speed 8X; Max CD drive reading speed 24X.
- 【Wide Compatibility】CD drive external is compatible with Windows 11/ 10/ 8.1/ 7/ XP, Linux and all versions of Mac OS. You can use external CD/DVD drive on almost all computers such as MacBook Pro/Air, iMac, Mac Mini, Laptop, and Desktop, PC. Please note: This dvd drive can not work for iPad/ Tablet/ Projector/ TV/ Chrome OS/ Car/ Smart Phone.
- 【Plug and Play】 External CD/DVD drive for laptop equipped with USB 3.0 Type-C two kinds of connectors, just plug it into the USB 3.0, USB-C port, this portable CD/DVD drive will be recognized by your laptop or desktop computer automatically, no need for external driver and power supply.
- 【Ultra Slim & Portable Design】 This CD DVD drive is very slim and lightweight, the embedded data cable is easy to use and organize, pop-up button and disc tray design makes it convenient to read or write discs. Rubber pad prevents sliding on the desktop and unique sleek pleasing form factor and portable, you can easily carry and use this slim external DVD drive anytime anywhere.
- 【Warranty Service】BUNUD CD/DVD burner provides warranty service, 60 days full refund and 1 year quality guarantee. If you have any questions about this CD/DVD player for laptop, please feel free to contact us. We will solve your problem within 24 hours.
- 🔌【Plug and Play】 The external DVD drive is powered by a USB 3.0 port, no internal DVD driver and external power required, is the perfect companion for laptop or desktop that can be used directly by plugging it into USB port. (Note: iPad, phones, Chromebook, TV, cars, Blu ray are not supported)
- 💽【7 IN 1 Optical Drive】 Our portable DVD player is not only a CD/DVD reader, but also a CD/DVD burner, 4 port USB 3.0 hub, SD or TF card reader, is perfect for transferring photo and video files from your camera by cards to your computer. (Note: SD and TF card cannot be used at the same time)
- ⭐【USB 3.0 High-speed Data Transmission】 The CD Burner with high speed USB 3.0 technology, provide fast data transfer speed and stable performance, Max 8x DVD and Max 24x CD Read/Write Speed without lag or distortion. (Backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
- 💻【Wide Compatibility】 Our USB DVD drive is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7, Linux, Mac OS and other systems. You can use this External DVD Drive to play movies/DVDs, burn or rip mp3/CDs, copy photos, install software, install system, install games, backup data to CDs/DVDs, and more.
- 📀【Exquisite & Portable Designed】 Embedded cable design is easy to use and organize. The slim and lightweight design allows can easily put this USB CD burner in your travel bag, take it with you to anywhere and hooked up at any time which is ideal for business and travel. (If you encounter problems in the use process, please contact us on Amazon through your order, and we will provide quality after-sales service.)
- Easy to Use: Plug this DVD drive into your laptop/desktop/PC, open the tray and put a disc inside the drive, it will be recognized and play automatically, No extra driver program is required. This external DVD drive is a perfect companion for computers without the internal drive. (NOTE: There must be a playback software in computer system.) This external CD/DVD drive is compatible with Windows and all versions of Mac OS, Linux OS.
- High Quality CD Drive: NOLYTH external CD drive is made with aluminum alloy shell with latest USB C port, this aluminum silver CD drive is much perfect match with the material of your MacBook/Mac/Laptop. Shockproof, Low Noise, Anti-interference and High durability. We also provide a free USB3.0 adapter with this USB CD drive and it is a good solution to reading and writing your CDs and DVDs on USB port computer.
- Multifunctional and High Speed CD/DVD Drive: NOLYTH DVD drive for laptop supports strong read and write both CDs and DVDs with playback software, burning software and ripping software to complete various tasks such as watching DVD movies, burning/ripping CDs & DVDs, installing software/system/games, backing up data to discs, and more. Max 8x DVD+/-R write and read speed; Max 24x CD-R write and read speed.
- Compact and Portable: With its unique design, high-end atmosphere, sleek and compact, this external CD/DVD player can easily slop into your travel/laptop bag when you hit the road and takes up little space on your desk or tray table when you¡¯re working at home, in the office or on the go. This CD DVD drive is also a great gift idea for hobbyists who collect CDs and DVDs.
- Worry-free Shopping: NOLYTH provides reliable quality and professional customer service for this CD/DVD burner. Please feel free to contact us for help or free replacement if any issues happen after purchasing external CD DVD drive/optical drive, do not need to worry about the time-limited return window.
- 【6 in 1 CD Drive】The external cd/dvd drive for laptop is not only a CD/DVD reader, but also a CD/DVD burner,it has an independent SD/TF card slot, 2 USB ports and micro USB ports. It can transfer photos, videos or musics directly from SD / TF card into the computer, USB Hard Drive and flash drive.
- 【Plug and Play】The external DVD drive is powered by a USB 3.0 port, no internal DVD driver and external power required, just plug it into the USB 3.0, USB-C port, this portable CD/DVD drive will be recognized by your laptop or desktop computer automatically.
- 【USB 3.0 High-speed Data Transmission】 The usb cd/dvd external drive with high speed USB 3.0 technology, provide hign speed data transfer speed and stable performance, Max 8x DVD and Max 24x CD Read/Write Speed without lag or distortion. (Backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
- 【Wide Compatibility】CD drive external is compatible with Windows 11/ 10/ 8.1/ 7/ XP, Linux and all versions of Mac OS. You can use external CD/DVD drive on almost all computers. (Note: iPad, phones, Chromebook, TV, cars, Blu ray are not supported)
- 【Slim & Portable Design】This DVD drive is very slim and lightweight, the embedded data cable is easy to use and organize, The slim and lightweight design allows can easily put this USB CD burner in your travel bag, if you encounter problems during use, please feel free to contact us.
- 【PLUG & PLAY External DVD Drive】CD drive external USB, no need for external driver and Power supply. Just plug it into your USB port, then our Amicool External dvd burner will be detected. USB 3.0 external cd dirve is a perfect companion for computers without the internal drive.
- 【HIGH SPEED USB 3.0 & Type-C】Amicool CD ROM External Drive adopted advanced burning technology, supported DVD+R, DVD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW. With USB3.0 and Type C Interface. Max DVD read speed 8x; Max CD read speed 24x and max CD burn speed 8x. bringing you faster data transmission speed (max 5Gbps), plays music and movies without lag or distortion.
- 【Wide Compatibility】External CD/DVD drive for laptop PC desktop Linux OS Apple Mac MacBook Pro. cd burner dvd player compatible with Windows 10 /8.1/7/XP/Vista, Linux, all versions of Mac OS. Ideal for APPLE / DELL / SONY / SAMSUNG / ASUS / ACER / HP and other brands notebook, Ultrabook, PC, desktop that without drive hardware. Not for chrome / tv / car / tablet
- 【Portable CD drive - Slim & compact】Embedded cable design with slim lightweight body, enough fashionable and scratch-proof exterior. This CD/DVD driver can be slipped in your travel bag, take it with you to anywhere and hooked up at any time.
- 【Multifunctional Optical Drive】Adopted intelligent burning technology, you can read/write/burn your disc or Interrupt recording at your ease. Pop-up button and disc tray design makes it convenient to read or write discs. For desktop, connect it to usb port at the back panel.
- 【External DVD Drive with Wide Compatibility】 External cd/dvd drive for laptop PC Desktop Linux OS Apple Mac Macbook Pro. CD burner compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10, Linux, all versions of MAC OS. For the desktops, this usb cd drive must be connected to usb port on motherboard.
- 【DVD Burner -Plug & Play】 CD drive external usb, no need for external driver and power supply. Just plug it into your USB port, then our Amicool DVD driver will be detected and your happy journey begins.
- 【High Speed USB DVD Drive 3.0】Amicool cd rom drive adopted advanced burning technology, supported DVD+R, DVD-R, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW. Max DVD read speed 8X; Max CD read speed 24X and max CD burn speed 8X. Our dvd drive external is compatible with USB3.0 and backwards compatible with USB2.0 USB1.0, bringing you faster data transmission speed (max 5Gbps), plays music and movies with no lag or distortion.
- 【Portable External CD Drive - Slim & Compact】 Embedded cable design with slim lightweight body, this cd external drive can be slipped in your travel bag, and hooked up at any time, which makes it a companion for computers without the internal drive, take it with you to anywhere and anytime.
- 【Multifunctional Optical Drive】 Adopted intelligent burning technology, you can read/write/burn your disc or interrupt recording at your ease. Pop-up button and disc tray design makes it convenient to read or write discs.
How to choose a good computer external optical drives
Does the idea of finding a fantastic computer external optical drives make you anxious? When it comes to purchasing this product, specifically when deciding which model to select, has your head been spinning between options? You are not alone if that is the case. We are aware of the pressure involved in the purchasing process!
Your presence here indicates that you are interested in computer external optical drives. Before choosing which product would be the best for your needs after being inundated with information, locate a reliable source with genuine selections. You can get that information from a variety of sources, including buying guides and rating websites, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, online discussion forums where users can share their own experiences, product reviews that can be found all over the internet, and YouTube channels. You can only get the right product through exhaustive analysis. But you realize that’s not always simple. In order to ease your concerns, we have taken the time to develop a list of the top computer external optical drives products available right now. You might be wondering how we came up with the list. How was this buying guide developed?
First, we used our algorithms to gather as much reliable data as we could about these products. To verify all the data gathered, we used both artificial intelligence and a lot of algorithms.
Then, our experts used criteria that are recognized in the business to evaluate them according to their quality to price ratio, allowing us to choose the top computer external optical drives on the market right now!
The selection of the goods is not arbitrary. Before creating a list, we take into account a number of factors. Below are some of the criteria discussed:
Brand Value: What happens if you choose a dubious brand just because it appears to be a good deal? So the likelihood of receiving a product with a short shelf life increases. That is due to the fact that well-known brands have a reputation to uphold, while others do not. Top computer external optical drives brands strive to provide some distinctive traits that set them apart from the competition. So, hopefully one or more of the items on our list will be perfect for you.
Features: Useful features are all you need, not tons of them. We consider the important aspects and select the top computer external optical drives based on those.
Specifications: Numbers always help you measure the quality of a product in a quantitative way. We try to find products with higher specifications, but with the right balance.
Quality: A product’s quality may always be quantified with the aid of numbers. We look for goods with better standards that strike the proper balance. The best quality product that gets highly appreciated and recommended by experienced users.
Customer ratings: Would it be accurate to suggest that the computer external optical drives were used by hundreds of customers before you? Superior ratings indicate that many customers had better service.
Customer Reviews: Like ratings, provide you with accurate and reliable information about the product from genuine customers. Customer ratings are very important to all of us because they contain accurate and reliable information about the customer service we received from several hundred customers.
Seller Rank: This is very intriguing! Not only do you need a good computer external optical drives, you also need a product with rising sales that is trendy. It accomplishes two goals. First, the expanding user base proves the quality of the product. Second, given that number, producers must be able to offer greater quality and after-sales support.
Value: You get what you pay for, they say, so consider the value. Cheap isn’t always good and expensive isn’t always bad. However, that does not imply that spending a lot of money on a product that is flashy but underwhelming is a good idea. Before adding them to the list, we make an effort to evaluate how much value you can get for your money from your computer external optical drives.
Durability: Durability and reliability are closely related concepts. You will benefit from a strong and long-lasting computer external optical drives for months and years to come.
Product availability: Products come and go, and new ones replace the old ones. Most likely, a few new features and required changes were made. What use is it to use a supposedly good product if the maker no longer supports it? We make an effort to highlight products that are current and offered by one or more trustworthy sellers, if not more.
Negative Reviews: Yes, we do take that into account as well! The goods with the majority of bad reviews are filtered out and disregarded when we choose the best-rated one on the market.
These are the standards by which we selected our computer external optical drives. Do we end our process there? Hell no. The most crucial fact about us that you should be aware of is that we regularly update our website with current and pertinent information. We have one more layer of filtration since we place the greatest importance on reader satisfaction. Please let us know if any product included here is incorrect, irrelevant, subpar, or simply out of date. We always value your opinions, and we’ll work hard to make any necessary corrections to our list in response to them.
Why should you believe us?
There are now thousands of possibilities for these products on Amazon, but choosing the best one can be difficult and time-consuming. And what computer external optical drives should you purchase in 2022?
This guide is the result of more than 10 years of experience in researching, testing and writing about many topics. Each member of our team is an authority in their area. We read every article we could find online and every consumer review on every retail website for seven hours. Additionally, we discovered a ton of websites that offered helpful resources, including buying tips and thorough information on computer external optical drives.
