Some customers choose a CD DVD Duplicator system that features an on-board hard drive. An "optional" hard drive is usually made available to customers who require a facility to store CD and DVD disc images on the duplicator. This will release the user from the requirement to store master discs. Disc images stored on the hard drive can be recalled at a later date for hard disk to CD DVD burning.

It should be noted that 8X and above DVD duplicator will need to use an onboard hard drive in order to achieve true 8X burn speeds. This is because standard DVD readers cannot extract data from the master disc fast enough to ensure stable 8X DVD recording. For this reason the data must first be extracted from the master disc to the hard drive, then recorded from the hard drive to the blank target discs. An 8X DVD duplicator burning over seven drives without a harddrive will not achieve an 8X burn speed.