What speed of CD-ROM drive should be purchased?

When installing a program from a CD (compact disc), a faster CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) speed can make the installation much faster. If you plan on installing and running many disc programs, the higher the speed, the less time you must wait during an install. However, this may not be an important factor if you do not plan on installing many programs from the CD-ROM drive.

Today, the standard CD-ROM recommendation speed would be 24x or higher. However, every CD-ROM, CD-R (compact disc recordable), CD-RW (compact disc re-writable), DVD (digital versatile disc), and Blu-ray disc drive today meets or exceeds this recommendation.