Priorities when buying a computer
1 - Highest (don't cheap out on)
5 - Lowest (cheaping out on is optional)
Motherboard: 0
Ram: 1
Videocard: 1 (if you're not a gamer or working with multimedia 2 or 3)
CPU: 1 (although since you can upgrade this later you can rate it a 2)
Power supply: 2
Harddrive: 2
CPU fan/heatsink (if not water cooling): 2
Optical drives: 3
Floppy: 5
Case: 3
Monitor: 2
Yea DVD drives are backwards compatible with all forms of CDs. You won't be able to burn CDs with the Plextor 12X DVD+/-RW Drive, Black, Model PX-712SA/SW-BL, Retail but you will be able to read them.