For a great machine to pair one these drives with, our best laptops roundups collects some of the top portable PCs on the market, or read on for our picks of the best optical drives. The ASUS BW-16D1X-U has fast access times on all types of optical media, so you’ll spend less time waiting around. It can access CD-ROM in 160ms, DVD-ROM in 170ms, and BD-ROM in 180ms. Its read and write performance is also stellar with 40x, 16x, and 8x read speeds in CD, DVD, and Blu-ray, respectively. Likewise, it can burn CD-R at 40x, DVD-R at 16x, and even BD-R at 16x. So, whether you want to rip media from discs or burn data to them, the Asus BW-16D1X-U can get the job done quickly. It also supports BDXL, allowing for storage of up to 128GB on a single compatible disc. Making the package even sweeter, the ASUS BW-16D1X-U supports both Windows and Mac computers. The LG GP65NB60 can read CD-ROM at 24x speeds and DVD-ROM at 8x speeds, meaning it’s not lagging behind most of the competition despite its budget price. Write speeds are also decent, with up to 24x on CD-R and up to 8x on DVD-R. And, the LG GP65NB60 just needs a single USB connection for all of its power and data transfer needs. Further rounding out the package, the LG GP65NB60 support Windows and Mac, can burn archival-quality M-Disc, and comes in a variety of colors, with black, gold, white, and silver on offer. As far as performance goes, the Dell DW316 scores good marks in line with what most of the competition has to offer. It boasts maximum read speeds of 24x for CDs and 8x for DVD. It can offer those same speeds for writing as well. Measuring just 0.45 x 5.24 x 5.75 inches, the Verbatim 70102 is super compact. What’s more, the reduction in size doesn’t mean a bunch of compromises. It’s built with a metal housing, for a premium look and feel, and it’s speedy. It can write CDs at 24x, DVDs at 8x, and Blu-rays at 6x — even supporting M-Disc. Yes, that’s right, it’s a full CD/DVD/BD drive, and it weighs less than half a pound. The Verbatim 70102 is a definite mobility champion, with power and data transfer all happening over USB, so you’ll only need one cable. The ZenDrive offers excellent performance for its size, with CD read and write speeds up to 24x, and DVD read and write speeds up to 8x. Furthering that performance along are quick access times; the Asus ZenDrive can access CD and DVD content in 160ms. For anyone that needs archival quality, the ZenDrive also supports burning to M-Disc for long-lasting data storage. The Asus ZenDrive supports both Windows and Mac, and it includes CyberLink software to help you get started with storing content on physical media. The drive also comes with six months of free cloud storage from ASUS, so you can rip content from your CDs and DVDs and move them there as needed. All the more impressive is that the Lite-On EB1 measures just 0.53 x 5.9 x 5.5 inches and weighs a modest 0.66 pounds. That makes it a viable pick for an on-the-go Ultra HD Blu-Ray reader. It should be noted, though, that special software may still be needed to take advantage of Ultra HD Blu-Ray depending on your PC.
