https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/do-you-still-have-an-optical-drive.18879095/ showed that more people had optical drives than didn’t. Now, three years later, has the split changed?
Poll: Three years after the ‘do you have an Optical drive?’ Thread, what’s changed?
- Thread starter MissChief
- Start date
Soldato
I've got an internal blu ray burner in my old rig and an external blu ray burner (usb) on my newest rig...
Primarily for backing up data and I've looked into tape drives but cost seems to be an issue there... not to mention I'm not sure I'd actually save any space....
Primarily for backing up data and I've looked into tape drives but cost seems to be an issue there... not to mention I'm not sure I'd actually save any space....
Soldato
didn't have one then, don't have one now. though i do keep an old one in a drawer 'just in case'
Associate
Been about 10 years since I've had one and that was attached to the Laptop.
(cable clutter)
Man of Honour
I have a usb dvd drive but no internals. There's no room for one even if I wanted one.
Soldato
Nope, and it really triggers me that I was able to buy windows 10 on usb but it seems like windows 11 is only on dvd, massive step backwards.
Soldato
Soldato
I’ve got the same one installed that was there 3 years ago. Installed it when I built the PC in 2011 as we had photos backed up on CD-ROMs and I still had a few games that needed the disk in the drive to play them.
Still got the same case, don’t need the space, so it’s still installed.
Still got the same case, don’t need the space, so it’s still installed.
Soldato
Yes, still have a USB one knocking about just in case I ever feel like loading up any of the old games I've got kicking about. Really should bin it, and the old discs tbf.....
The windows media creation tool writes the windows 11 install files to USB.
Soldato
- Joined
- 2 Jul 2019
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Yeah, still got one. Haven't used it in a while though. Unlikely i'll get rid of it any time soon as it is handy. I've still got lots of media on disk.
If matx cases ended up being shorter i'd consider changing case at the next upgrade point on that build, but they just seem overly long with dead space now, so might as well keep the 5" slots and drive rack.
If matx cases ended up being shorter i'd consider changing case at the next upgrade point on that build, but they just seem overly long with dead space now, so might as well keep the 5" slots and drive rack.
Soldato
Great if you have another computer kicking about. But if you're building a computer there's a good chance it's because you don't have one.
I find it very unlikely that someone who's actually building a PC doesn't have access to another PC or has a friend/family member who could do so for them. We're not talking of regular members of Joe public who buy off the shelf laptops/computers which would already have windows installed.
Soldato
So you do have one then...
Don
Still have a drive, but rarely gets used.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
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- 46,005
Haven’t had one for years and years.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Aug 2018
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- 3,548
As many of us still have old CD/DVD etc then we'd still have the drives just in case but I suspect many months may go past without it being used. 
Associate
I still buy the odd CD if it warrants a physical copy for sound quality / add to the collection. I'll rip it to FLAC and pop it on the NAS.