Can I use non-IBM DVD/CDRW combo on T21?

[renhui]

Hi there, guys, I am thinking of upgrading the CD-ROM in my T21 to a combo drive, a local guy has a working pull from a compaq presario
2170, do you think the drive will work in the t21? Also, what do you think is a fair price(here in Canada)?

Thank you in advance.

[djpharoah]

it might work..but then again it might not.
looking at these forums, i have seen ppl get NEC units to work so YMMV

-dj

[schen]

By and large, it's a physical fit issue. If it's the standardized 13mm height with the correct connector, it should be fine. All you'd then have to do is to either put on the IBM rails/connector from your old drive or get another set of them from somewhere (IBM Parts, ebay, etc.). Your machine should go ahead and recognize it. If you do a search, you'll find that lots of folks on this forum have used "non-IBM" drives in their machine. There is a recent thread about a refurbished NEC 6650 drive that several members have bought and tried out (including myself) with good luck. We just had to put on the rails, connector and cut the notch in the faceplate where the Ultrabay release goes.

What you can do is to get the outfit to let you buy it with a full refund agreement if it doesn't work. Than replace it in the adapter rail from your old drive and give it a try. If the faceplate doesn't have a notch, take it off so you don't have to permanantly damage it just in case it needs to be returned.

The price situation is highly subjective one. I've seen them sell for as much as $85 or so, but at this point, anything approacing $100 should be a DVD Burner. So if it was me, I'd look for a sub-$50 price point.

Good luck.

[Nolonemo]

Hi there, guys, I am thinking of upgrading the CD-ROM in my T21 to a combo drive, a local guy has a working pull from a compaq presario
2170, do you think the drive will work in the t21? Also, what do you think is a fair price(here in Canada)?

Thank you in advance.

You can find IBM DVD-read/CDRW combo drives on ebay for under $50 US.

[Gord K.]

I've been thinking about the same upgrade to my T21, is there an IBM part or model number for a CD-RW/DVD combo drive that will work?

Thanks.

Gord.

[been200mph]

You really have to be careful on eBay when buying any Ultrabay parts. Many times the drives are bare, and come without the side and back rails, as well as the spring and 6 screws needed. I got my T22 with a DVD/CD-ROM and wanted to be able to burn at least CD's on the laptop, so I got a bare drive and moved the mounts to it. Then I got two docks, one for home and one for work... and wanted to be able to put a DVD-ROM in each. I got a cheap complete one on eBay, and paid about $20 for just the rails themselves to put on the old drive. In reality, I'd just look on eBay for a complete unit ready to roll. I would guess you'll pay closer to $75 with shipping/etc. to get one.

[schen]

I heartily agree, that complete drives are much better deals if you can get a good price. If you are in a situation where you already have a drive or have the opportunity to get a "special" deal (such as the refurb. NEC), then it might be worthwhile to buy rails. You can get a good price on rails (sometimes around $10), but often you pay another $10 or so for shipping (the hidden ebay cost).

One other thing to watch for when dealing with "bare" drives is that sometimes you get one without a faceplate and those are real problems since faceplates are proprietary to all models and manufacturers.