Any purchased device for a computer must meet two conditions - be compatible with other components and have characteristics that ensure a quick and comfortable user experience. DVD drives are no exception.
Instructions
Step 1
Perhaps the first thing to look for when buying a DVD-RW drive is the brand. The most famous companies producing high-quality drives include Plextor, ASUS, Pioneer, LG, BenQ, MSI, Sony, Toshiba, Teac. The first place rightfully belongs to Plextor. Its drives, in addition to excellent performance and high quality, also have software in the form of a set of Plextools Professional utilities that allow numerous tests and adjustments. However, they are more expensive than other brands. If you do not need to save money, buy a Plextor product. Otherwise, give preference to other firms. NEC drives have a poor reputation with users.
Step 2
Don't ignore the product interface. It comes in two types - PATA (IDE) and SATA. The latter is considered to be faster - at least in theory. The choice of interface should be determined primarily by your motherboard - what interfaces and in what quantity it has. If your motherboard has enough SATA connectors (for connecting hard drives and optical drives), purchase a SATA drive.
Step 3
The main technical parameter of DVD-RW drives is read and write speed. It is designated as a number with the letter "x". 1x means the lowest speed - 1385 Kb / s. Drives with 2x, 4x, 6x will have respectively speeds of 2770, 5540, 8310 Kb / s. Do not aim to buy a DVD drive with prohibitive speeds, such as over 40x. To be able to support it, your computer must have the appropriate specifications. If it is not "super cool", the maximum speed of the drive will be unclaimed.
Step 4
Disk drives can be of internal and external design. The former are inserted inside the PC or laptop case, the latter are connected via a USB port. When buying, pay attention to the drive form factor. The 5.25-inch is 146mm wide, matching the box width of a standard PC case. The laptop drive is 128 mm wide.
Step 5
When buying, pay attention to the packaging. There are two types of it: Retail and OEM. The latter means that this is a third-party product that only assembles the product from the purchased components. This type of packaging does not have a standard box with documentation, software and various accessories in the form of cables, screws for fastening, cables, etc. - everything that a Retail product has. There is no information that OEM products are definitely worse in quality than Retail devices. But it is still more convenient to use a product that has documentation, software and accessories. Even if for this you have to pay a little more.
Step 6
Some models of DVD-drives can not only write information to the disc, but also write an inscription or drawing on the surface of the disc. With such a drive, you do not have to stick labels on the discs with information about what exactly is stored on them. This feature is called LightScribe. There is also a similar Labelflash feature, but unlike LightScribe, it requires the use of specially coated discs.
