There was a time when every laptop came with a CD Drive pre-installed in it. At that time, the internet was not as fast as it is today. Hence a CD ROM was compulsory for a Personal Computer (PC) to have, as it was the fastest and the only way to transfer data to and from the PC.
Although times have changed and there is everything available on the internet to download, there are a few occasions when there comes a need for a CD Drive on a laptop. For instance, when someone needs to access a piece of data that is quite old and can only be found in someone’s old CD collection. Moreover, in case of the unavailability of an internet connection or the internet connection being extremely slow that downloads become impossible, a CD Drive may come handy.
A few of the best laptops with CD Drive right now in the market that offers an optical drive are given below.
Top 6 Best Laptops with CD Drive
1. HP Envy 17
- BULLET TO REFLECT: PACKED WITH POWER: 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10510U (1.8 GHz, up to 4.9 GHz, 8 MB cache, 4 cores)+NVIDIA GeForce MX250 (4 GB GDDR5). 1 headphone/microphone combo; 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (Data Transfer Only); 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (Data Transfer Only, 5 Gb/s signaling rate); 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (HP Sleep and Charge).
- PREMIUM AESTHETICS: Make a statement whenever you work with your HP touchscreen laptop. You’ll love the aluminum build that creates sleek durability, the full-size backlit keyboard with integrated numeric keypad, and the lifting hinge for ergonomic typing.
- ALL-DAY BATTERY: Stay unplugged for up to 10 hours courtesy of the 3-cell 52 Wh Li-ion prismatic battery, and enjoy crystal-clear communication with the HP Wide Vision HD Webcam with Dual Digital Microphone
HP Envy 17 is a powerful and versatile laptop. It delivers fast performance along with some handy features such as a big screen – 17.3” – and a CD Drive. It provides sufficient features for the need of a businessman as well as an average consumer.
This laptop comes with 10th generation i5 and i7 processors. The RAM can be expanded to 16 GB DDR4. It has two RAM slots, so the RAM can total up to 32 GB. It also comes equipped with NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (4 GB), hence it can also be used for light to medium games.
As far as the display is concerned, HP offers two display options: Full HD IPS and UHD IPS. Both are available in 17.3” size. It also offers a touch display option.
The keyboard of this laptop is a full-size backlit keyboard, which makes typing comfortable on this device.
This laptop is not behind in storage also and has dual or combo storage with both HDD and SSD installed and operable simultaneously.
HP Envy 17 comes with plenty of ports. They include 3 USB Type-A ports, 1 USB Type C, 1 card slot, 1 HDMI port and an audio jack.
Verdict:
HP Envy 17 is a great laptop for its price. It offers a variety of features at not a very high cost. The base model starts at $899.
2. Dell Inspiron 15 5000
- 8th Gen Intel Quad Core i5-8250U Processor (1.6GHz, up to 3.4GHz, 6MB Cache), Intel Integrated 620 Graphics
- 12GB DDR4 2400MHz Memory, 1TB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive, Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
- 15.6 Touchscreen Truelife LED-Backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) Display, DVD-RW (Writes to DVD/CD)
- 802.11 Dual Band Wireless-AC + Bluetooth 4.2, Integrated Widescreen HD Webcam, Backlit Keyboard
- 2x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI, Stereo Speakers with MaxxAudio Pro Audio Processing
When it comes to laptops and PCs, Dell is a very well-known household name, and its Inspiron lineup is no exception. This is a midrange laptop series by Dell which packs useful features along with beautiful designs at affordable prices.
It comes with 8th generation i5 and i7 processors with 8 GB DDR4 RAM, which can be expanded to 16 GB. Since this laptop is not made for gaming purposes, it does not come with a dedicated graphics card. However, it comes equipped with Intel Integrated Graphics, which are sufficient to play a few light titles.
It has a 15.6” 1920×1080 resolution LED display panel, which is also a touch screen display. Being a LED panel, the display produces pretty accurate colors.
It has a full-size backlit keyboard. The trackpad on this laptop is also precise and accurate.
Dell Inspiron 15 comes with a 1TB HDD as a standard storage option. Although it offers plenty of space, it is slow when compared to SSDs.
The ports on this laptop include 3 USB Type A, 1 Ethernet, 1 HDMI, 1 card slot and an audio jack. There is no USB Type C on this laptop.
Verdict:
Although Dell Inspiron 15 is a great laptop, it has several cons. Dell’s competitors, especially HP, offer better laptops in this range. However, if on a low budget, this laptop can be a sensible choice if bought in slightly used condition.
3. Lenovo Ideapad
Lenovo is another big company that makes great laptops. The unique feature of Lenovo laptops is that most of them are geared towards resolving the business needs of a consumer. In this regard, Lenovo Ideapad 15 is a feature-rich laptop.
This laptop comes with an AMD processor and 4 GB of RAM. Although it is less common to see AMD chips in laptops, this should not be mistaken as a low powered chip. When it comes to performance, AMD delivers.
This laptop comes with two display options: a Full HD IPS panel with 1920×1070 resolution and an HD IPS panel with 1366×768 resolution. Unfortunately, this laptop does not come with a touch screen feature.
Lenovo, like its other laptops, has kept its U-shaped keys keyboard in this model as well. This one also has a number pad on the right-hand side of the keyboard. The keyboard is comfortable for a long typing session, as the keyboards of other Lenovo laptops.
Lenovo Ideapad comes with both HDD and SSD storage options with different configurations according to user needs. It has 2 USB Type-A ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 Ethernet port, 1 card slot, and an audio jack. It does not have a USB Type C port.
Verdict:
Lenovo Ideapad is a great choice for consumers who are on a budget but want a laptop with sufficient features for their college and office needs. It is cheaper and more work-friendly than its competitors.
4. Acer Aspire E15
Acer is a brand known for its affordable machines. It has a huge variety of laptops for all types of consumers. Aspire E15 is a laptop that does not have a modern sleek look. However, it is packed with all the necessary features along with an optical drive.
The laptop is powered by Intel processors. It comes with 8th generation i5 and i7 processors for both light users as well as heavy users. The base model comes with a 4 GB RAM, which is of course expandable. As an option, Acer also offers this laptop with a dedicated graphics card. It comes equipped with NVIDIA GeForce MX150.
The display on this model is a Full HD resolution IPS panel. It is a non-touch display.
It has a full-size keyboard, with a numeric keypad on the right-hand side. However, the keyboard of this laptop is not as good as its competitor by Lenovo. The trackpad is also of decent size.
In the storage department, it comes with a 1TB HDD as standard. However, there is also an option of getting a 256 SSD instead.
It also has plenty of ports. It has 3 USB Type A, 1 USB Type C, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA port, 1 Ethernet, as well as an audio jack. The battery on this laptop is 65 watt-hours, which according to claims by Acer gives 15 hours of backup. It weighs 5.2 lbs.
Verdict:
Acer Aspire E15 is for those consumers who like to use their machine for work as well as for play. It offers a dedicated graphics card which is rare in the laptops in this category.
5. HP HD+ 17.3”
- This refurbished product is tested and certified to work properly. The product will have minor blemishes and/or light scratches. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, and may arrive in a generic box.
A laptop with the latest features can be expensive at times. However, if one wants the latest features and wants to save at the same time, then a refurbished laptop can be a good choice. HP HD+ 17.3” is such a laptop that saves money along with providing all the necessary functionality to the buyer.
This laptop comes with an Intel i5 8th generation processor and 24 GB of RAM. It does not come with a dedicated graphics card though.
The display used in this laptop is the IPS display panel. It does not have Full HD resolution. However, it offers a resolution of 1600 x 900 which is enough for all day to day tasks. This product has a 17.3” large display but does not offer touch functionality.
Like all 17-inch laptops, HP HD+ also has a full-size keyboard along with a number pad. It has a trackpad that also has buttons for clicks on it.
It comes with 1 TB HDD as the storage option, which might become slow after some time.
The port selection on this model includes 3 USB Type-A ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 Ethernet port, a card slot, and an audio jack. The laptop is a little heavy. It weighs 5.4 pounds.
Verdict:
This laptop is only recommended to those who want to save money and get a laptop with all the basic functionality.
6. ASUS X555QA
- Amd Quad Core A12-9700P 2.5GHz (Turbo up to 3.4GHz) and AMD Radeon R7 integrated graphics
- 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB Hybrid HDD (FireCuda). Battery - 37WHrs, 2S1P, 2-cell Li-ion
- 15.6 inch LED backlit HD (1366x768) Display, matte finish
- 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI, 1x VGA ports and 1x card reader
- 8x Super-Multi double layer Optical Drive & Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Asus X555QA is one of the best budget laptops that come with an optical drive. The laptop is significantly inexpensive when compared to other laptops in this category. At the same time, it offers almost all the necessary features for its price.
Asus X555QA comes with an AMD Quad-Core processor with AMD Radeon R7 integrated graphics. It offers 8 GB DDR4 RAM. Though AMD processors are less costly, they provide sufficient power for the daily tasks of a computer.
The laptop has a 15.6” HD display. It has a resolution of 1366×768. This is one of the important areas where this laptop falls short. It would have been a complete package if it had a Full HD resolution display. However, all is not bad with this display. It is a matte display that will keep light reflections unseen on the screen.
It also has a full-size keyboard with a number pad. The trackpad is of sufficient size, but it lacks any buttons for clicks.
This model comes with a 1 TB HDD storage with 5400 RPM speed, significantly slower than SSDs
The laptop is equipped with 3 USB Type-A ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 VGA port, 1 Ethernet port, 1 card reader and an audio jack. Unfortunately it does not have a USB Type C port. It weighs 4.5 pounds.
Verdict:
Asus X555QA is the cheapest laptop on this list of laptops with a cd drive. For the use of college or office work, this laptop offers enough functionality and saves a significant amount of money.
Final Verdict:
In this list, HP Envy 17 is the best all-round laptop as if offers the latest processors along with dedicated graphics chip. It is also very sleek and stylish, giving the laptop a modern look and feel. However, it is one of the expensive laptops in the market. On the other hand, Lenovo Ideapad and Asus X555QA are machines with adequate features but on a budget. Among these two, the former is a better option as it has a Full HD resolution display option as well.
If you have any more questions or want us to review more laptops, please keep us posted in the comments section. We look forward to hearing your queries.