Why Do You Need a DVD Drive in a Gaming PC?

DVD (digital versatile disc) drives were used to play CDs (compact discs) or DVDs. Before the discovery and manufacturing of USB flash drives and memory cards, computer users had CDs and DVDs. These were optical storage media, meaning that a laser beam in a DVD drive wrote and erased data on a DVD or a CD-ROM.

In the near past, when online gaming platforms like Epic Games and Steam were not available, the games were available on CDs and DVDs only. In this article, we will not only learn about the storage media that our older gamers had but also solve the riddle of whether you need a DVD drive in a gaming PC.

Why Do You Need a DVD Drive in a Gaming PC?

Nowadays, you do not need a DVD Drive in a Gaming PC. In the old days, the internet was not fast, and the game sizes were small. So people used to buy games on CDs and DVDs. But nowadays, all games are available online on different servers like Steam, Epic, GeForce Now, etc.

It is OK if there is a DVD drive in your Gaming PC because this way, your computer will look much better. You can also use it for watching your precious family images and videos written on CDs or DVDs. Additionally, you can copy all that data and store it online for you and your future generations.

It is also OK if you want to remove the DVD drive from your gaming PC but do not forget to close the hole with a PC case front panel cover. It can either be a simple color or a USB hub with headphones and microphone connections. It will also allow your computer system to attach more USB devices to it.

A DVD drive in your gaming PC can be very annoying if it is out of order and opens up repeatedly without any reason. And if it is connected to your PC motherboard and PSU (power supply unit), it will add a few cents to your electricity bills. Hence, we recommend you remove it in this case.

The DVD drive can also slow the booting process when your computer starts. As a result, an operating system such as Windows 10/11 loads slowly because your PC thinks you want to install something using your DVD drive. A faulty DVD drive can also give you annoying BSOD (blue screen of death).

Reasons for Using DVD Drives in a Gaming PC?

There are several reasons for using a DVD Drive in a gaming PC. As DVD drives are not common nowadays, many manufacturers still add them to their build. But most of the latest PC cases don’t have any DVD space.

• Keep Old Games
  First, It will help you play old games on optical discs such as CDs and DVDs. The games available on DVDs are less expensive than the games available online. Hence, you need a DVD drive on your gaming PC to play them.
• No Download Require
  The games played using a DVD drive are forever for you because you have permanent ownership of them. It is better to use a DVD drive and purchase games on DVDs because this is how the company cannot revoke the license. Nor does your game deletes when the online store decides to remove it from the store.
• Play Games Directly Offline
  Not only that, you can sell them without any issues, and you make some money out of this, especially the games you have played and ended many times already. A DVD drive installed in your gaming PC will help you play a game on a DVD even when there is no internet. There won’t be any lag in your games as, well.

Do Your PC Games Run Better on Disc?

PC games do not run better on discs because, in this way, the gaming becomes laggy and slow sometimes. The level you are playing loads in the RAM from the DVD first. Then the CPU or GPU executes it. During this, the DVD drive keeps making a buzzing sound as the disc keeps spinning continuously.

You should do it if you have a game written on a CD or DVD that allows you to copy it on your computer storage, such as HDD or SSD. That is because HDDs and SSDs are way faster than CDs and DVDs. But there is a chance that some old games cannot be played until the CD or DVD is in the DVD drive.

But it wins prominently when we compare a game played on a slow internet connection with a game written on a disc. Maybe this is why the Windows operating system allows you to play the old games as if you have mounted a disc in your DVD drive, even when you have no DVD drive installed on your PC.

How Much RAM Is In a DVD?

There are different DVD RAMs with different specifications. Most of them are smaller than casual CDs or DVDs. Their size is only 8 cm or 80 mm. The single-sided DVD RAM could store 1.46 GB of data, while the double-sided disc had a capacity of 2.8 GB. And a dual-layer double-sided DVD RAM had a total of 5.6 GB.

DVD RAM (Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory) and DVD ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory) are two different storage media. The first one holds the data and instructions permanently for more or less 30 years, and you can erase this data and write a new one multiple times. 

On the other hand, DVD ROM also permanently stores data and software. But some DVDs are rewritable, and some are not. Simply, some allow you to erase their data or content to write new data, but some don’t. That is why they are called read-only memory (ROM). Blue-ray is best among RAMs and DVD ROMs so far.

Why Do Computers Not Have DVD Drives Anymore?

People have other ways to download and access data, such as the internet, USB flash drives, memory cards, external SSDs, etc. These storage media devices are very small, compact, and portable. Due to these reasons, computer manufacturers have stopped adding computer DVD drives.

Additionally, the websites and torrent software removed the use of DVD drives. In the past, CDs and DVDs contained movies, games, and personal data such as family photos and wedding videos. But now, there are online platforms for downloading and streaming verified games and storing or publishing videos.

The CDs and DVDs were fragile, and in case of a scratch on either of the sides, they could lose the content written on them. Portability was also an issue because there was a risk of cracking them. Also, they needed covers, and multiple DVDs weighed more. The storage capacity of CDs and DVDs was also very low.

The slow read/write speed was also an issue with CDs and DVDs, while the flash storage devices became famous because of their high data transfer rate, more storage capacity, and petite sizes. Hence, for these reasons, the latest computers no longer have DVD drives but USB hubs and audio connectors.

How To Play Disc Games on PC without DVD Drive

The internet is the first source of playing disc games on a PC without any optical drive. Nearly all of the old games are available on the internet. You must change the compatibility settings to make these games compatible with your operating system. That is because these games were for older operating systems.

Emulators also provide you with a huge variety of games you can play on your gaming PC without needing any DVD drive. MAME is an example of an emulator for playing the games present on optical discs without installing a DVD drive. You can copy a game on the USB flash drive to play it on your Gaming PC.

A thumb or USB drive will not only let you play those games that require a DVD drive but is also a faster storage medium than CDs or DVDs. External and internal hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD) are another way to play disc games on a PC without a DVD drive. Just copy and paste the game into a drive.

What is The Disadvantage of a DVD Drive?

The DVD drive is used to play CDs and DVDs only. It is also used for writing and erasing data on them. The DVD drive needs a lot of space in a gaming PC that could be used to install storage devices like HDD, SSD, USB hub, audio I/O connectors, etc. The other disadvantage of the DVD drive is its slow speed.

DVD Drives were more expensive than VCRs, and CD ROM drives. Some DVD drives cannot record at all. Built-in copy protection and regional lockout are two more disadvantages of a DVD drive. Most DVD drives do not have a standard and use lossy digital compression and sampling.

The DVD drive makes a noise when opening and shutting. It also buzzes when the CD or DVD is spinning inside. Its lens has no protection from dust; every time the tray opens and shuts, the dust particles make their way in. As a result, the lens is covered in dust and stops working until cleaned.

Conclusion

CDs and DVDs are not used as primary storage devices in the 21st century due to their slow read/write speed, low storage capacity, fragility, portability issues, and high cost. Nowadays, more efficient methods have been developed, such as USB flash drives, memory cards, external SSDs, etc.