God, it hurts to see that CD. I remember when I was a kid, I had PS1 games that my uncle recorded into CDs and some of the time they would get spots all over.
One of my current DVD-RW discs (for live CDs) has disc rot on the edges. It's the only one with the issue. I wonder what really causes it, aside from humidity in the ambient.
Thanks for the recommendation, mate. I didn't know it was a thing, really appreciate it.
I'm pretty sure they're from CMC Magnetics. Depending on how old the stock is and if it's been exposed to light, it could be the reason you're having issues.
Check the disc info with Imgburn if you're on windows. If you're on linux, dvd+rw-mediainfo /dev/sr0 should tell you the same info.
Aside from drives, the rest of the components are fine. But honestly, I use what I had for a computer before upgrading to my current one. Old components you have around can be a good idea.
I don't really like buying drives second-hand, but I suppose it shouldn't be an issue if the drive is relatively new and has had little use.