Modern laptops might've tried to kill off the built-in optical drive, but physical media is far from dead. Case in point: the Dell DW316 Slim external USB DVD-RW drive for $39 at Amazon.
Physical media is making a serious comeback (my hardware editor, with his massive library of films, games, and books, argues that it never went away). In fact, this Dell USB writer proved essential when I wanted to watch my wedding video from 20 years ago, which was locked on DVD.
If you need to rip CDs and DVDs, access archived files, or just kick back and watch a movie, the USB-powered Dell DW316 is an easy recommendation from me.
Why we recommend it
I put the Dell DW316 to good use myself this year when my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. As I mentioned, our wedding video is still on DVD and this gave us an easy way to watch it again.
Beyond digital nostalgia, it's a really practical upgrade to access older software, music, movies and other physical media that would otherwise be left gathering dust.
And unlike files stored on a computer, in the cloud or on a storage device, data burned to a write-once disc can't be accidentally deleted, overwritten or changed, giving you a permanent physical copy. Write-once media can create a physical copy of important documents, photos or other files that can be kept offline and separate from your computer.
The drive is just 14mm thick and weighs 200g. Power comes directly from your laptop's USB port, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter. It can also create discs using CyberLink Media Suite 12 which comes supplied free.
Price context & historical value
This drive has never been priced above $52 (at least, not since 2015), while its lowest price was $16 back in 2020. General trends show it more or less holds its price at around the $35 to $40 mark. For comparison, Dell's external disc drive is also available at the same price, $40 (was $50) at Best Buy.
Should you buy it?
✅ Buy the Dell DW316 if...
You occasionally need to access old CDs, DVDs or disc-based software, or want an inexpensive way to create physical copies of important files. The drive's small size means you can keep it tucked away until you actually need it.
❌ Skip the Dell DW316 if...
You need Blu-ray support or regularly work with large amounts of data. DVDs have limited capacity compared with modern storage devices, and this drive can't read or write Blu-rays.
The Catch: What to know before you buy
The DW316 connects over USB and is an older optical-drive design, so don't expect the transfer speeds you'd get from an external SSD or flash drive. Its purpose is accessing and creating optical media rather than moving large files quickly.
You'll also need compatible blank writable discs if you intend to use it for backups or archiving, adding a small additional cost on top of the $35 price.
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