HP External USB DVD-RW Drive (F6V97AA#ACJ) — Full Review & Analysis 📘 Quick Summary Product: HP External USB DVD-RW Drive (F6V97AA#ACJ) Type: External optical drive (DVD/CD read & write) Connection: USB (USB-A, USB-powered) Use-case: Add CD/DVD read/write capability to laptops/desktops without built-in drive; play discs, install software, burn DVDs/CDs. Verdict (short): A simple, affordable and reliable external DVD/CD writer — ideal for users who sometimes need disc access or want a portable optical drive. Not cutting-edge, but does its job well at a budget-friendly price. Why This Review Matters Many modern laptops — especially slim ultrabooks — no longer come with built-in optical drives. Still, users occasionally need to: install legacy software from DVD, watch or burn movies, read CD-based data or archives, or create backups on disc. For such occasional disc-based needs, a plug-and-play external DVD-RW drive can be incredibly handy. This review examines whet...
The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 is a business-class laptop that aims to deliver a mix of performance, portability (for its size), and productivity features. With a 16″ WUXGA (1920×1200) IPS display, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD, it’s built to handle multitasking, content creation, office workflows, and general computing with ease. Additional perks like a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and aluminium top cover add to its professional appeal.
For users needing a large-screen laptop that balances power and practicality — from office work to light creative tasks — the ThinkBook 16 makes a compelling case.
The ThinkBook 16 features a 16-inch WUXGA IPS display with 1920×1200 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and anti-glare coating. This gives more vertical workspace than standard 16:9 screens — helpful for writing docs, spreadsheets, browsing, and multitasking.
The panel’s brightness is rated around 300 nits, which suffices for indoor work but might struggle a bit under strong ambient light or outdoor use.
Colour gamut and contrast are modest — adequate for general tasks and office work, but not ideal for professional-grade photo/video editing or colour-critical creative work.
The screen size and resolution make it a strong candidate for productivity, coding, document work, media consumption, and even content creation (on modest levels).
⚙️ Performance — Strong for Productivity and Multitasking
Under the hood is the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS — an 8-core / 16-thread CPU with good performance for multitasking, content creation, office workloads, and more demanding applications.
With 16 GB DDR5 RAM and a 512 GB NVMe SSD, the laptop boots fast, launches apps quickly, and handles multitasking (many browser tabs, office software, background tasks) smoothly.
Integrated graphics (AMD Radeon iGPU) are suitable for everyday graphics tasks, video playback, and content creation (light/moderate), but not meant for heavy 3D work or dedicated-GPU workloads.
For professionals, students, programmers, and business users, this configuration offers a strong “workhorse” base — more than sufficient for office suites, coding, video calls, document editing, data analysis, content creation, etc.
🔐 Build, Features & Usability
The ThinkBook 16 comes with a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and a slim aluminium-top chassis — features that add to its professional/business laptop appeal.
It weighs around 1.7 kg, which is reasonable given the screen size. While not ultrabook-light, it's still manageable for commuting, work-from-home setups, or occasional travel.
Storage and memory architecture allow for efficient workflows — the SSD ensures quick boot and load times; RAM is sufficient for most multitasking. Some sources mention upgradeable RAM (up to a higher limit), which adds to future-proofing potential.
📚 Practical Use Cases — Where ThinkBook 16 Excels
This laptop is a good fit for:
Business professionals — for spreadsheets, presentations, reports, remote work, and multitasking.
Students — coding, assignments, research, documentation, media consumption.
Productivity-oriented users — multitasking, web-based work, data analysis, office workflows.
Anyone needing a large-screen, capable laptop without the bulk and expense of high-end gaming/workstation machines.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
✅ Pros
Large 16″ WUXGA display with 16:10 aspect — excellent for productivity and multitasking.
Strong CPU (Ryzen 7 7735HS) + fast SSD + ample RAM — smooth performance for a wide range of workloads.
Backlit keyboard + fingerprint reader + aluminium-top build — give a premium business-class feel.
Balanced package: size, performance, storage, and features — good value for professionals, students, and creators.
Good for office, content creation, data tasks, programming — versatile “do-everything” laptop.
Reasonable portability for a 16″ machine (~1.7 kg) — manageable for commuting or switching workspaces.
Including Windows 11 + Office bundle (for many sellers) — ready for productivity out-of-box.
❌ Cons / Limitations
Display brightness (~300 nits) is only moderate — may struggle under bright ambient light or outdoors.
Colour gamut/panel quality is okay for general use — but not great for professional-grade photo/video editing or colour-sensitive work.
Integrated graphics only — not suitable for heavy 3D, GPU-intensive rendering, or heavy gaming.
As a 16″ laptop, it’s less portable than smaller laptops — not ideal if you prioritize lightness and extreme mobility.
Battery life may vary — large screen + powerful CPU = higher power draw under load (though acceptable for typical office/work use).
For very heavy workloads (e.g. professional video editing, 3D modelling), a discrete-GPU machine or workstation-class laptop may be more appropriate.
🎯 Verdict — Should You Buy Lenovo ThinkBook 16 (21MWA0R4IN)?
If you’re looking for a reliable, large-screen, performance-oriented laptop for productivity, professional work, content creation, and everyday computing, the ThinkBook 16 is one of the more balanced and value-for-money options in 2025.
✅ It’s a great choice if you want:
A large 16″ display for work and multitasking,
A powerful CPU + SSD + good RAM for smooth performance,
A professional-class build and features (backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, good build quality),
A versatile machine that can handle office work, development, content creation, data tasks, and more — without the bulk or cost of a workstation or gaming laptop.
⚠️ Consider alternatives if you require:
High-end graphics (GPU-heavy workloads) — 3D rendering, heavy video editing, gaming.
Ultra-portability — if you prioritise lighter weight and mobility over screen size.
Premium display quality with high brightness/colour accuracy — for professional-grade media creation.
Overall, the ThinkBook 16 hits a sweet spot: large screen, robust performance, business-class features — a strong “all-rounder” laptop for most users in 2025.
