Key Points
- Our choice for the #1 Best Overall Laptop with A CD Drive is the Acer Aspire 3.
- A laptop with a CD drive is an excellent choice for people who enjoy consuming content like movies on physical discs and storing their data on CDs instead of the cloud.
- A laptop with a CD/DVD drive lets users play data saved on CDs and DVDs and burn data onto blank disks.
- Before buying a laptop with a CD drive, you should scrutinize its processor, storage, screen specifications, and price to ensure it meets your expectations.
For the past decade, laptop manufacturers have slowly phased out devices with CD drives. The move allows manufacturers to make more portable laptops by reducing their weight. The switch was also prompted by the decreasing demand for CDs/DVDs and improvements in other data storage mediums.
However, some consumers still prefer using laptops with CD drives. Unfortunately, they find it increasingly challenging to find such products as manufacturers make fewer laptop models with CD drives every year.
We set out to review the laptops with a CD drive still found on the market and compiled the list below. Keep reading to learn all about them!
- #1 Best Overall: Acer Aspire 3
- Best Budget: Dell Latitude E6440
- Best 17″ Laptop: HP HD+ Notebook
- Best 15-Inch Display Option: Lenovo IdeaPad 330
- Best Touchscreen Pick: HP Envy 17t
#1 Best Overall Laptop with a CD Drive: Acer Aspire 3
- 17.3-inch screen
- 1 TB hard disk size
- 20 GB RAM
- Windows 10 Home OS
- 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 Quad-Core Processor
The Acer Aspire 3 Notebook tops our list of the best laptops with a CD drive. It is relatively affordable, has a large screen, and reliable hardware. Costing less than $700, this laptop still offers premium specifications and performance.
The Acer Aspire 3 has a 17.3-inch display with an LED backlight. LED technology has several benefits, including lowering power consumption, improving image contrast, and producing a broader range of colors. Consequently, the 17.3-inch Full HD display produces crisp, sharp images and videos with rich colors and tones.
The Aspire 3 runs on a 10th-generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 quad-core processor that packs enough power to handle most tasks. Acer paired this laptop with an expandable 20GB RAM to complement the processor.
However, the device struggles when processing performance-intensive tasks like heavy gaming. Lastly, the Aspire 3 has a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD) storage expandable to 1TB for those who generate and store large amounts of data. This laptop’s main shortcoming is its weight, which is quite heavy and limits its portability.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a large Full HD display. | It is slightly bulky. |
| It is reasonably priced. | |
| Has a capable processor and ample RAM capacity. |
Check out the Acer Aspire 3 on Amazon.
Best Budget Laptop with a CD Drive: Dell Latitude E6440
- 14-inch screen
- 1 TB hard disk size
- 4 GB RAM
- Intel Core 4th Generation i5-4200M Processor
- Windows 7 OS
The Dell Latitude E6440 is the perfect laptop with a CD drive for consumers on a tight budget. The E6440 costs less than $200, making it ideal for high school and college students, as well as people looking for an entry-level laptop.
The Latitude E6440 has numerous appealing specifications because it was initially targeted toward business clients and professionals. For example, the device weighs 4.68 lbs (2.12 kg) and has a 14-inch display, making it the smallest and lightest of all the laptops highlighted on this list.
That means carrying it while moving will not be an issue. The E6440 offers buyers five secure storage options to safeguard and manage data efficiently. Most E6440 laptops have a 256GB self-encrypting SSD or a 320GB hard disk drive (HDD).
However, you can also get a laptop with a 1TB solid-state hybrid drive. Some of the Dell Latitude E6440’s specifications are a bit outdated; this is expected as the device has been on the market for some time.
That includes its 4th generation Intel Core i5-4200M processor, which may frustrate buyers looking for higher processing power.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The E6440 is very affordable. | Has a dated processor. |
| It is lightweight, hence very portable. | Has a short battery life. |
| Offers a variety of storage options. |
Check out the Dell Latitude E6440 on Amazon.
Best 17″ Laptop with a CD Drive: HP HD+ Notebook
- 17.3-inch screen
- 2 TB hard disk size
- 4 GB RAM
- Windows 10 OS
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7 Quad-core Processor
The HP HD+ Notebook has a 17.3-inch display, making it the best large-screen laptop with a CD drive. That means saying goodbye to squinting or worrying about missing details when looking through documents or watching videos.
The 17.3-inch display has an HD+ (1600 x 900 pixels) resolution. Keep in mind that an HD+ display does not produce images as defined as a Full HD screen, which is a bit disappointing. However, the image quality dropoff is negligible and will prove sufficient to the average user.
The Notebook weighs 5.6 lb., making it lighter than most similar-sized devices. This makes it very portable for a laptop of its size.
Now let’s talk about performance. This laptop has a well-designed Intel Core i7 quad-core processor with a base clock speed of 1.8 GHz and a maximum clock speed of 4 GHz — enough to handle your everyday computing tasks.
HP paired the processor with an expansive 2TB storage, which should be enough to store your data, files, and applications. This laptop also offers up to nine hours of battery life powered by a three-cell 41Wh lithium-ion battery. This should be enough to last you through a busy day at work or school.
Its main shortcoming is its 4GB RAM. Also, it can experience delays when launching applications or shifting between tasks, which may put off some users.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a 17-inch display. | Does not offer Full HD screen resolution. |
| Lightweight and easy to carry around. | Has a limited 4GB RAM. |
| Its Intel Core i7 quad-core processor can handle most basic computing tasks. |
Check out the HP HD+ Notebook on Amazon.
Best 15-Inch Display Option: Lenovo IdeaPad 330
- 15.6" HD LED-backlit display
- 256 GB hard disk size
- 8 GB RAM
- Built-in HD webcam with an integrated digital microphone
- Windows 10 Home OS
Get the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 if you want a moderately sized laptop with a CD drive. This should be your go-to device if you want a laptop with a considerably large display but smaller than the HP Notebook 17.
The IdeaPad 330 has a 15.6-inch screen with Full HD resolution; it displays video with captivating clarity, brightness, and color. In addition, touchscreen technology can be incorporated into the display for consumers willing to pay extra.
Adding touchscreen functionality helps make work easier, especially for those in graphics design, animation, and marketing. The Lenovo IdeaPad 330 has an Intel i5-8250U quad-core processor with a maximum clock speed of 3.4GHz, which some people might find slow.
If that’s the case, consumers can upgrade to an 8th-generation Intel i7-7500U processor — powerful enough to perform more demanding tasks like video editing.
The device also has an Intel UHD Graphics 620 for graphics processing, though you can find a more powerful GPU among Lenovo’s NVIDIA graphics card options.
This laptop’s 8GB RAM makes launching and running most software applications on the IdeaPad 330 seamless. As for internal storage, the device has a 250GB hard drive that’s expandable to 1TB, which is underwhelming.
Lastly, the device has an average battery life of 5.5 hours. This is also subpar compared to competing devices.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a sizable 15.6-inch screen. | The entry-level processor is slow. |
| You can upgrade the processor and internal storage. | The battery life could be better. |
| Has a reasonable RAM capacity. |
Check out the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 on Amazon.
Best Touchscreen Pick: HP Envy 17t
- 17.3" touchscreen display
- 2 TB hard disk size
- 64 GB RAM
- Windows 10 Pro OS
- 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7
Consumers who want a 2-in-1 laptop with a CD drive should look no further than the HP Envy 17t. This laptop allows you to switch between keyboard and touchscreen modes seamlessly. For those in visual arts positions, the touchscreen mode makes doing projects in graphics design, animation, and videography significantly easier.
In addition, the Envy 17t’s 17.3-inch Full HD display acts as a large digital canvas, making engaging in creative processes more immersive and manageable. Its 1080p resolution provides ideal visibility conditions, allowing users to view and create vivid content. It also has a backlit keyboard that eases typing in low-light rooms.
But how does the HP Envy 17t perform? This laptop has a quad-core 11th-generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor that packs enough power to handle most tasks, including intensive gaming.
HP paired this powerful processor with a storage capacity of up to 2TB, providing users with ample space for their data. The cherry on the cake is this laptop’s 64GB RAM, which is more than enough to handle most, if not all, computing tasks for the average user.
The HP Envy 17t has dual Bang & Olufsen sound speakers that generate immersive sound. This is a huge selling point for music, movie, and gaming fanatics.
Moreover, the laptop’s lithium-ion battery delivers up to nine hours of battery life on a single charge — enough to last you the whole day for a normal work or school day.
The HP Envy 17t’s main letdown is its 6.63 lb. weight. It makes the laptop quite bulky and cumbersome to carry around, especially when not using a personal car.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a touchscreen display. | The Envy 17t is quite bulky. |
| Has a powerful processor and ample storage space. | |
| Has a long battery life. |
Check out the HP Envy 17t on Amazon.
How to Pick the Best Laptop with a CD Drive: Step-by-Step
Below are the primary factors to consider when trying to pick the best laptop with a CD drive:
- Processor
- Storage
- Screen
- Price
Processor
Pick a laptop with enough processing power to handle your tasks. For instance, a laptop should have a high clock speed and several cores if you want to use it for gaming, graphics design, and content editing.
Choosing the wrong laptop may end up frustrating you as the device may hang whenever you launch performance-hungry programs.
Storage
When thinking of storage, consider a laptop’s RAM and hard disk drive. Your laptop’s RAM temporarily stores the files you are working on for quick access. This means the information is erased when you shut down or restart your laptop.
In contrast, a hard disk is a non-volatile storage for your files and data. The term non-volatile means the hard disk retains data even when you switch off or restart your laptop.
A laptop can either have a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid disk drive (SDD). A decent laptop should ideally have at least 8GB RAM and 1TB of hard disk storage.
Screen
Account for a laptop’s screen size and resolution when comparing different models’ display features. Most laptops with CD drives are sizable and come with at least 15-inch screens, but you can get one with a 17-inch display. In addition, the laptop should have a resolution of at least 1080p (Full HD) to let you enjoy high-quality videos.
Price
Once you find a laptop that ticks all items on the checklist, ensure it is within the price range you are willing to pay. Otherwise, you may have to find another device with similar specifications or return to the drawing board and save up more.
Alternatively, you can start by determining how much you are willing to spend on a laptop with a CD drive. Next, filter out any laptops outside your budget and focus on the remaining options.
What to Know Before Buying a Laptop with a CD Drive
A standard CD has a diameter of 4.75 inches, which is significant compared to a laptop’s size. That is why a laptop with a CD drive is often bigger than one without. Laptops with CD drives are also heavier, which affects their portability and can discourage users from carrying them around.
A laptop’s CD drive can have reader only or reader and writer capabilities. A reader drive can only play data stored in a CD, while a reader and writer can play a CD’s data and copy data from the laptop onto a blank CD.
Using a Laptop with a CD Drive: What It’s Like
If you live or work in an environment with a lot of CDs/DVDs, having a laptop with a CD drive is very convenient. It saves you time that is otherwise wasted converting data to other formats. It also saves you money; you do not have to buy an external drive to play CDs.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock.com.
