You can use a USB drive or external storage to install Windows without an optical drive.
You can use a USB drive or external storage to install Windows without an optical drive.
You're considering a PC build without an SSD or USB drive for booting Windows, which is a smart approach given current usage trends. There are alternatives to rely on an optical drive—like using a USB bootable installation media or even a cloud-based setup. Regarding the case, you don’t necessarily need external 2.5" bays; many modern builds use standard internal drives and can work without them if you plan to add one later.
Even with a disc installation, you don’t require a case featuring 2.5" bays. Simply insert the optical drive, place it on a table beside the case, install Windows, and remove the drive afterward—no need for it again. Alternatively, you can purchase an external optical drive. However, using a flash drive is the best option.
Purchase windows using a USB stick rather than a physical disc. http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-...B01019T6O0
Additionally, for Windows 10 installation, there is a tool available from Microsoft to generate a bootable USB drive: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software.../windows10.