The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    BluRay Sata Drive from Desktop...Will this work

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by ghhowell84, Jan 17, 2013.

  1. ghhowell84

    ghhowell84 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    good afternoon all! Just wanted to run this by some of you for your thoughts. Now that I have my M17x, I no longer need my desktop. I was wondering if I could remove my 5.25" BluRay drive from my desktop, install it in an external enclosure, and run it thru my eSata port as it is a Sata drive.

    The enclosure i have is from a SCSI tape drive. I can remove the tape drive and drop the BR drive in with no issues. Obviously the SCSI interface will not work with Sata so I'll have to run a sata to eSata cable out the back to my laptop right? Does the cable matter or do i have to have a specific Sata to Esata cable? I will then use the four pin molex to power the drive from within the enclosure.

    In theory this should work right? Just wanted thoughts prior to spending my time doing this and then being upset because it wouldn't work. Thanks!
     
    ghhowell84, Jan 17, 2013
    #1
  2. Alienware-Luis_Pardo

    Alienware-Luis_Pardo Guest

    Reputations:
    1,141
    Messages:
    1,459
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    56
    It definitely should, the enclosure covers the only aspect I was curious about (power).
     
    Alienware-Luis_Pardo, Jan 17, 2013
    #2
  3. KCETech1

    KCETech1 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,527
    Messages:
    4,112
    Likes Received:
    449
    Trophy Points:
    151
    it works just fine. I use an ASUS BD burner in an ESATA enclosure all the time. even a USB 3.0 enclosure works very well
     
    KCETech1, Jan 17, 2013
    #3
  4. ghhowell84

    ghhowell84 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Thanks guys! Much appreciated.

    My other question is do you have to have a specific cable for the esata or does a standard sata cable work?
     
    ghhowell84, Jan 17, 2013
    #4
  5. KCETech1

    KCETech1 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,527
    Messages:
    4,112
    Likes Received:
    449
    Trophy Points:
    151
    it is a different cable. and usually comes with the enclosure
     
    KCETech1, Jan 17, 2013
    #5
  6. radji

    radji Farewell, Solenya...

    Reputations:
    3,856
    Messages:
    3,074
    Likes Received:
    2,619
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Yup, I do just like KCETech1 does. You're gonna want to get a small 12v power adapter that has a molex and/or SATA power plug on the end of it to plug into your system. The larger desktop ODDs need that 12v sometimes and that's not a power level your notebook can supply easily. As far as the cable goes, if you get a USB (or other connection-type) enclosure, you will need the USB to USB or fire-wire to USB cable to hook it to your system, etc. But the simplest solution is to get a SATA to eSATA cable. That would go directly from the back of your desktop ODD drive to the notebook without converting it and gives the highest possible speed. All's you would use the enclosure for is to protect your ODD from damage then.
     
    radji, Jan 18, 2013
    #6