ASUS SDRW-08U9M-U/SIL 13mm External DVD Writer, Compatible with USB 2.0 and Type-C for both Mac/PC

I picked this drive for its dual compatibility with USB 2.0 and USB-C, and after several weeks of use, it’s proven to be a great value. Like most compact, budget-friendly external CD/DVD drives, the tray feels a bit delicate, but that’s expected and not an issue if handled with care. I only needed it for occasional use, so extreme durability wasn’t a priority. The USB-C cable has a convenient length, connects easily, and delivers excellent read/write speeds, especially compared to USB 2.0. In terms of build, appearance, performance, and ease of use, everything has been smooth and trouble-free, making this a solid and reliable choice.

When I went to a concert, I bought a lot of CDs as souvenirs, but the problem was that I didn’t have any device to read or play them. To solve this, I decided to get this external CD drive, and it has been such a lifesaver. With it, I was able to easily transfer all the music from my CDs onto my computer, and now I can enjoy listening to them through my speakers anytime I want. It feels really convenient and also makes those CDs so much more valuable, since I can actually make use of them instead of just keeping them on the shelf. For anyone who still collects CDs but doesn’t have a built-in drive, this is definitely a must-have gadget.

Newer laptops don’t have disk drives anymore. Received a new Surface Pro for Christmas. I burn disks for keeping important files. After reading reviews from many reputable sources I settled on this. It works quickly, efficiently and easily. It appears cheaply made and you can definitely think it’s weak but you will be fooled as I was. Reputable manufacturer. The only thing I am not a fan of is the tiny button on the front that pops open the drawer; you still must manually open it further, then watch that you don’t hit the button by accident when you close the drawer. Other than that, it is nice and lightweight and I love the way the USB-C cord stores within the corner of the drive case. I am using Windows 11.

This thing is amazing.For how cheap it is, it does exactly everything I need.It copies my music CDs, it plays DVDs, and it requires no drivers.I have a 2025 MacBook Air M4 15”.People say it’s fragile, but it’s just like every other disc drive. I’ve been using disc players since 1992 and had the 1996 Magnavox portable CD player. It “feels” flimsy, because it cost $20.Having the hidden USB-C cord was an absolute gem of an idea.Noise levels: it’s as noisy as any other disc player I have ever used. It has no internal stabilizer or inertial dampen system. If you want all those bells and whistles, you going to spend $100+ of a disc driver. You might as well just buy their Blu-Ray burner at that price. For how tiny it is, it’s phenomenal. It’s thinner than my MacBook Air.I haven’t tried to burn CDs or DVDs yet, so I can’t speak on that parts. All I know is that it rips CDs without fail.Maybe if I get my music collection back I can make a meme CD and put it in a museum.

Used with my new macbook, worked a treat! one connection, ready to go. No software to add / run works right out of the box. Would recommend

As other reviewers noted, disks won’t show up on Mac out of the box. I have an M1 MacBook Pro. But as long as you have a Windows computer, the manufacturer has a firmware update on their site for this model. Update takes 10 seconds. Then it worked perfectly on my Mac. I only plan to use this drive to read data, not write, so I can only speak to that — but so far flawless.

Works well. Enables me to watch DVDs on my Mac computer. The Mac OS is used for this, and it's clunky, but that's not the fault of this drive, which is fine and less fragile than it looked at first.

I've purchased other brands of inexpensive external disc drives and they tended to work a few times then die soon after. So far this one is working well. Was able to install software from a DVD onto my laptop without any hiccups. This time I bought a padded case for it so hopefully it will last longer than the others! Decent drive for the price.