Many computers today do not have a floppy drive. Optical disks, having a much larger volume and speed of writing / reading, have finally replaced magnetic ones. Accordingly, the question of choosing an optical drive is very relevant. Which drive to choose depends on the requirements for this device.
Instructions
Step 1
Delivery type. All drives come from the factory in either retail or OEM versions. In the first case, the drive will be in a box with a cable, screws and, possibly, even "blanks" of CD or DVD. OEM boxes do not have "bonuses" - maximum antistatic package. At the same time, OEM is a little cheaper than retail.
Step 2
Installation method. There are internal and external drives. The first ones are designed for mounting inside a computer in a 5, 25”compartment.
Step 3
Connection method. Internal drives are connected via connectors of two types: SATA and IDE. According to the specifications, the first option is faster, but in the case of optical drives, this difference is not as important as with hard drives. Therefore, you can choose the connection type according to the connectors on your computer and your personal preference.
External ones are connected to a computer via USB or via IEEE1394 (much less often). Also, external drives almost always require an external power supply.
Step 4
Supported formats and types of drives:
• CD-ROM. Can only read CD. Outdated for a long time.
• CD-RW reads and writes CD only. Also deprecated.
• DVD combo. Writes CDs, reads DVDs. It may be considered obsolete, although it is sometimes found on the market.
• DVD-RW can read and write both CD and DVD. Now it is the best choice in terms of price and functionality.
• DVD-RW / BD-ROM can read CDs, DVDs and BDs, but only writes the first two types of discs.
Step 5
Drive speed. In the specifications of optical drives and on discs, there is always an inscription of the form "16x". This figure represents the maximum read speed of the disk. For CD the "base" speed (1x) is 150 kb / s for CD, for DVD - 1.38 Mb / s and for Blu-Ray - 4.5 Mb / s. It's not worth chasing the maximum speed - 48x is enough for CD, 16x for DVD, 8x for BD. Faster blanks are rare on the market.
Step 6
Manufacturer. The market is relatively stable, so it is not necessary to choose a super-brand at an exorbitant price. At the same time, saving is also not worth it.
