A Laptop computer Magazine reader plucked at my coronary heart strings when he emailed me asking me if I may help him discover the greatest laptop computer with a built-in CD drive. However there’s one drawback — you’ll be exhausting pressed to discover a laptop computer with such an historic function in fashionable instances.
In any case, they get in the way in which of laptop computer firms’ final mission of constructing the slimmest, lightest laptops in the marketplace. You suppose the LG Gram SuperSlim, the world’s thinnest laptop computer, may obtain such a feat with an optical drive inside? Not an opportunity! Plus, there’s little or no want for CD drives these days — every little thing might be downloaded and streamed digitally.
Nonetheless, I do know that there are some folks, together with my father, who’ve intensive CD-based music collections and stacks of DVDs that they’d like to play on their laptop computer. Though I’ve tried to inform my dad, a person who turns his nostril up on the abandonment of inside CD drives, that he can simply plug in an exterior CD drive, he wasn’t having it. “I don’t wish to should continuously plug in and plug out an exterior CD drive — I need it baked in, rattling it!”
As such, I had a little bit of a gentle spot for the Laptop computer Magazine reader who reached out to me. “Certain, I may help you,” I replied. I knew deep down in my soul that I used to be about to go run a idiot’s errand, however an optimistic facet of me thought, “You realize what? Perhaps there is a laptop computer someplace that has a CD drive; I’m simply not trying exhausting sufficient.”
So I reached out to all of my laptop computer contacts: HP, Dell, MSI, ASUS, Acer, and Lenovo. Let me offer you a rundown of their responses.
What occurred after I requested 5 laptop computer firms about their most up-to-date laptops with CD drives?
MSI advised me that it stopped promoting laptops with CD drives in 2016 — that’s eight years in the past! As such, the newest optical drive-packed laptops you will get from MSI are the GE72VR and the GT72VR laptops. They’re so previous, they’ve seventh Gen Intel Core processors. In the meantime, the chipmaker is presently churning out thirteenth Gen CPUs. Yikes!
In actual fact, Laptop computer Magazine occurred to evaluation the GE72VR — and it has longer battery life than I anticipated for an old-school gaming laptop computer: 3 hours and 9 minutes. We gave it three stars; we cherished its snug keyboard, loud audio system, and light-weight design, however despised its dim, uninteresting show. When you don’t thoughts taking a danger in shopping for a laptop computer in secondary markets, I discovered a GE72VR on eBay for $600. (opens in new tab)
My Dell PR contact discovered my hunt to be fairly amusing seeing as he nonetheless carries round a disc pockets and an exterior DVD drive for journeys, however sadly, he advised me advised me that Dell hasn’t rolled out a laptop computer with a built-in CD drive in recent times — and he’s sorry that he can’t be of extra assist. Asus and HP responded equally.
Lenovo didn’t reply in any respect.
Acer’s response, then again, was notably attention-grabbing as a result of the PR rep shared that the final CD drive-packed Acer laptop computer sequence to hit the market was the Aspire E 15 line, which hit retailer cabinets in 2018 and continued to be accessible in 2019.
As an attention-grabbing tidbit, the PR rep added that the final gaming-focused Acer notebooks with CD drives have been bought in 2017. Apparently, at IFA 2018 (a Europe-based tech commerce present), Acer introduced that it was launching a brand new Aspire 3 line with DVD drives, but it surely was not bought in North America. It was, as a substitute, rolled out to the European market.
What’s the perfect laptop computer with a CD drive you will get?
The most effective laptop computer with a CD drive you will get is the Acer Aspire 3 (opens in new tab). However contemplating that it doesn’t have any competitors, that’s not saying a lot.
Nonetheless, if CD drives are vital to you, and also you don’t thoughts snagging a five-year-old laptop computer, the Aspire 3 seems to be the newest laptop computer you will get. The place can you purchase it? Effectively, after doing a deep dive with Google Search, I miraculously discovered one at Walmart for $659.00. (opens in new tab) Try its specs beneath:
- Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU
- Intel UHD graphics
- 8GB of RAM
- 1TB of HDD storage
- Home windows 10 (with free improve to Home windows 11)
- A 17.3-inch, 1600 x 900-pixel show
You must also take into account the Acer Aspire E 15. Fortunately for you, Laptop computer Magazine reviewed it.
On the time, it had a beginning worth of solely $307.99. (You should buy it now on eBay for half the worth at $150 (opens in new tab)). Regardless of its low price ticket, it lasted practically 9 hours on a cost, which — surprisingly — is rather a lot longer than some laptops we’ve reviewed in 2023 (ahem, I’m you Acer Swift Edge and your 7-hour battery life). It additionally delivered robust efficiency scores and provided an excellent number of ports, together with a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, a USB 3.1 Kind-C port, an Ethernet port, a VGA enter, an HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Kensington lock slot. It’s acquired an SD card reader, too!
Different specs the Aspire E 15 packs:
- eighth Gen Intel Core CPU
- Intel UHD Graphics 620
- 6GB of RAM
- As much as 1TB of storage
- A 15.6-inch, 1080-pixel show with a 16:9 facet ratio
It is fairly heavy, too. It weighs over 5 kilos and has dimensions of 15 x 10 x 1.19 inches.
And naturally, the Aspire E 15 comes with the extremely desired 8X DVD-RW double-layer drive. In an previous reviewer’s information I managed to uncover, Acer stated, “the 8X DVD is a function that isn’t as prevalent on notebooks in 2018, however nonetheless in demand by PC customers who need entry and save media on DVDs and CDs.”
Understand that each laptops — the Acer Aspire 3 and the Aspire E 15 — have out of date internals. You’d be higher off getting a zippy, high-performing, au courant laptop computer off our greatest laptops web page and hooking up an exterior DVD drive.
Again to Ultrabook Laptops
