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kenmikec 18K Views
Mar 1, 2026 7:01 AM

Dell USB Slim External DVD+/- RW/CD-RW Drive (Black)

$20

$40

50% off
+ Free Shippingat eBay
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Deal Details
Best Buy via eBay has Dell USB Slim External DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive (DW316, Black) for $19.99. Shipping is free.

Best Buy has Dell USB Slim External DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive (DW316, Black) for $19.99. Shipping is free for My Best Buy Members (free to join), or select free store pickup where available.

Note: Availability for store pickup may vary by location.

Thanks to community member kenmikec for sharing this deal.

Features:
  • Multiformat support: For CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, M-DISC media.
  • 8x maximum DVD+R and DVD-R write speed
  • 8x maximum DVD+RW rewrite speed
  • 6x maximum DVD-RW rewrite speed
  • 0.75MB cache buffer and Automatic Buffer Under Run Error Protection
  • USB 2.0 interface

Editor's Notes

Written by qwikwit | Staff
  • Our research indicates that this deal is $20 less (50% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $39.99 at the time of this posting.
  • Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on over 5K Best Buy customer reviews.
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by kenmikec
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best Buy via eBay has Dell USB Slim External DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive (DW316, Black) for $19.99. Shipping is free.

Best Buy has Dell USB Slim External DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive (DW316, Black) for $19.99. Shipping is free for My Best Buy Members (free to join), or select free store pickup where available.

Note: Availability for store pickup may vary by location.

Thanks to community member kenmikec for sharing this deal.

Features:
  • Multiformat support: For CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, M-DISC media.
  • 8x maximum DVD+R and DVD-R write speed
  • 8x maximum DVD+RW rewrite speed
  • 6x maximum DVD-RW rewrite speed
  • 0.75MB cache buffer and Automatic Buffer Under Run Error Protection
  • USB 2.0 interface

Editor's Notes

Written by qwikwit | Staff
  • Our research indicates that this deal is $20 less (50% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $39.99 at the time of this posting.
  • Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on over 5K Best Buy customer reviews.
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by kenmikec

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Top Comments

Papi-Chino
2.6KComments
530Reputation
Computers don't come with cd/dvd drives no more. So, you need this thing to view your Radiology images, cause hospitals still burn Radiology pics on CDs/DVDs for some reason.
Go to Comment
edgarwong
1.2KComments
130Reputation
An 8X DVD drive transfers data at 10.8 MB/s below USB2 so it'll work fine
Go to Comment
dealmeister3000
1.6KComments
211Reputation
What is wrong with people?

You should not be using USB drives from 3rd parties.

Once a USB drive has touched someone else's computer it should be assumed to be infected with malware.
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

This slim external DVD and CD drive is mainly useful for laptops and newer PCs that still need to read discs for medical records, government mailings, or ripping old CDs. It uses USB 2.0 with a mini USB connector, but the 8X drive speed is still fine for typical disc access. The compact design is handy, though it can feel cheap and may need a powered USB hub on newer M1 Macs. Long term reliability seems to depend on the disc media and the drive itself, with some reports of older units failing.

  • This external DVD±RW drive can help access CD or DVD content when a workplace blocks USB flash drives.

    carlson03kenmikecGregg1

  • The 8X DVD transfer rate can be sufficient for typical disc reading and writing tasks despite using USB 2.0.

    edgarwongGregg1

  • The drive can be useful for receiving government mailings that arrive on CD or DVD.

    RogueVariable

  • The drive may be more likely to work than an old desktop optical drive when older drives fail to read discs.

    GandalfNYC

  • The drive uses the older USB 2.0 interface, which can feel slower for optical transfers.

    Gregg1

  • The drive may require a powered USB hub on M1 Macs or newer systems due to power draw.

    frugmale

  • The drive's reliability can be inconsistent, since some Dell external drives reportedly broke after limited time.

    NavySardine761

  • The disc drawer mechanism can be fragile, and one unit reportedly required a paper clip to open after a belt failure.

    The_Sandster

Common Questions (5)

AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago

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55 Comments

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Mar 1, 2026 4:54 PM
315 Comments
Joined Jan 2017
hz.lvMar 1, 2026 4:54 PM
315 Comments
I already have a memorax 8X writer. Is this one any better than memorax, worth buying?
Mar 1, 2026 4:56 PM
1.6K Comments
Joined Dec 2009
dealmeister3000Mar 1, 2026 4:56 PM
1.6K Comments
Quote from masterz13 View quoted comment :

How is a DVD drive getting malware? I'm a security person and haven't heard of that, aside from it having some sort of firmware vulnerability...and even then that's not common. You could put malware on the disc itself, but not really the drive.
USB thumb drive. That is why you use CDs and DVDs.
Mar 1, 2026 4:58 PM
1.6K Comments
Joined Dec 2009
dealmeister3000Mar 1, 2026 4:58 PM
1.6K Comments
Quote from ketamine View quoted comment :
laugh out loud keep assuming that Facepalm
The government and businesses do not accept USB thumbs drives for a reason. It is basic cyber security.
Mar 1, 2026 5:05 PM
5.4K Comments
Joined Nov 2003
xcopyMar 1, 2026 5:05 PM
5.4K Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Quote from ketamine View quoted comment :
laugh out loud keep assuming that Facepalm
I believe he's talking about thumb drives.....

IMO unless you know their history, they're the equivalent of a used condom... EEK!
1
1
Mar 1, 2026 5:12 PM
5.3K Comments
Joined Dec 2009
masterz13Mar 1, 2026 5:12 PM
5.3K Comments
Quote from dealmeister3000 View quoted comment :
USB thumb drive. That is why you use CDs and DVDs.
Well, yeah. But this is a DVD drive. You're right about USB drives though...it's called a "USB drop attack." Technically with discs too since Windows can be set to autorun the exe on the CD/DVD.
1
Mar 1, 2026 5:16 PM
1.6K Comments
Joined Dec 2009
dealmeister3000Mar 1, 2026 5:16 PM
1.6K Comments
Quote from masterz13 View quoted comment :

Well, yeah. But this is a DVD drive. You're right about USB drives though...it's called a "USB drop attack." Technically with discs too since Windows can be set to autorun the exe on the CD/DVD.
I was responding to people questioning the need for this drive. USB thumb drives are for personal use in the home.

This is for sharing files everywhere else. That is all I was saying. Sorry for the confusion.
Mar 1, 2026 5:17 PM
2.1K Comments
Joined Feb 2007
techie333Mar 1, 2026 5:17 PM
2.1K Comments
Is this a reliable choice for long term storage? I think people were saying the generic brands go bad after a couple uses and storing

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Mar 1, 2026 5:19 PM
315 Comments
Joined Jan 2017
hz.lvMar 1, 2026 5:19 PM
315 Comments
Quote from techie333 View quoted comment :
Is this a reliable choice for long term storage? I think people were saying the generic brands go bad after a couple uses and storing
It's the CD disc that matters. I heard that CD re-witerable disc is the way to go, not regular write once disc.
Mar 1, 2026 5:47 PM
7.3K Comments
Joined Nov 2008
IgnatzMar 1, 2026 5:47 PM
7.3K Comments
Mini-USB cable and connector on this one. That isn't bad per se, but it would be nice to have one with USB-C as it means one less type of cable to have to keep on hand. I know there will be no speed boost with USB-C, it's just nice to have one less cable to have to go hunting for.
Mar 1, 2026 5:50 PM
2.6K Comments
Joined Nov 2006
pdincMar 1, 2026 5:50 PM
2.6K Comments
Quote from dealmeister3000 View quoted comment :
What is wrong with people?

You should not be using USB drives from 3rd parties.

Once a USB drive has touched someone else's computer it should be assumed to be infected with malware.
Instructions not clear, my nuclear reactor is now blown up
1
Mar 1, 2026 6:22 PM
751 Comments
Joined Oct 2019
NavySardine761Mar 1, 2026 6:22 PM
751 Comments
Quote from hz.lv View quoted comment :
It's the CD disc that matters. I heard that CD re-witerable disc is the way to go, not regular write once disc.
It isn't just the CD that matters. This is a dirt cheap drive compared to what we got a couple decades ago in a desktop computer. Many of those drive still work, unlikely one of these will last 20 years. I have one of these and it feels like a toy.
Mar 1, 2026 6:32 PM
78 Comments
Joined Jul 2011
bunheroMar 1, 2026 6:32 PM
78 Comments
$20 to install an older version of microsoft office. microsoft 365 wants $100 a year subscription.
1
Mar 1, 2026 7:59 PM
555 Comments
Joined Aug 2018
The_SandsterMar 1, 2026 7:59 PM
555 Comments
Quote from Papi-Chino View quoted comment :
Computers don't come with cd/dvd drives no more. So, you need this thing to view your Radiology images, cause hospitals still burn Radiology pics on CDs/DVDs for some reason.
Yep. Just found this out. Couldn't believe it when they handed me the disks. Fortunately, I still have a PC with a DVD drive, but I'm buying this drive for my laptop. I had to use a paper clip to open the DVD's drawer, since the belt was so old it must've broke when I tried to eject it. I still have a ton of CD's I'd like to rip to FLAC in the spare time I don't have.
Mar 1, 2026 8:01 PM
869 Comments
Joined Oct 2010
DlickSealsMar 1, 2026 8:01 PM
869 Comments
Is it difficult to mode a working, reliable internal drive into external or is this a more logical choice at $20?

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Mar 1, 2026 8:05 PM
555 Comments
Joined Aug 2018
The_SandsterMar 1, 2026 8:05 PM
555 Comments
Quote from hz.lv View quoted comment :
I already have a memorax 8X writer. Is this one any better than memorax, worth buying?
Not if your current drive is working.

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