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    Found an alternate G73 drive caddy...

    Discussion in 'ASUS Gaming Notebook Forum' started by phideltwj, Jan 3, 2011.

  1. phideltwj

    phideltwj Notebook Enthusiast

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    It's an HP ZD7000 drive caddy. There are two versions - one with 3 side tabs, and one with 4. If interested, be sure to get the 4 tab version.

    http://www.darkerend.com/pub/g73caddy.jpg

    It's not completely identical to the stock bracket, but the holes align, and is just as secure.
     
    phideltwj, Jan 3, 2011
    #1
  2. ValkerieFire

    ValkerieFire God Follower

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    Excellent find. How much was it? Where did you get it?
     
    ValkerieFire, Jan 3, 2011
    #2
  3. samrozzi

    samrozzi Notebook Consultant

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    samrozzi, Jan 3, 2011
    #3
  4. Omniscient

    Omniscient Notebook Consultant

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    Rep for you!

    Great find, I have been using a caddy out of a PS3.

    I may actually grab one of these when i go to put in my new 750.
     
    Omniscient, Jan 4, 2011
    #4
  5. Chastity

    Chastity Company Representative

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    AllUrGroceries, this would be a nice sticky.
     
    Chastity, Jan 4, 2011
    #5
  6. samrozzi

    samrozzi Notebook Consultant

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    yes, please sticky. this has helped me SO much. already bought one on ebay.
     
    samrozzi, Jan 4, 2011
    #6
  7. KuroLionheart

    KuroLionheart Notebook Deity

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    Bought. Thanks for the tip yo.
     
    KuroLionheart, Jan 4, 2011
    #7
  8. Bakkasan

    Bakkasan Notebook Consultant

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    If I hadn't already gone to the felt folded over and stuffed into the compartment, this would rock. Rep up for you.
     
    Bakkasan, Jan 4, 2011
    #8
  9. rschauby

    rschauby Superfluously Redundant

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    Win!!

    You sir deserve some +rep. This is a fantastic find to a problem that has lasted for almost a year!!
     
    rschauby, Jan 4, 2011
    #9
  10. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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    This is hopefully a good solution, people have been paying huge prices to import the silly bracket.

    I added this to the sticky, you can find it under the general section. In the future if you want something added to the sticky you can just reply to it or PM me. :)
     
    ALLurGroceries, Jan 4, 2011
    #10
  11. raydabruce

    raydabruce Notebook Carnivore

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    The Asus Service Center in Fremont, CA had them for a few hours.... they're out of stock again now. Here's a link to the product page and you can leave your email address for notification when they get more in.
    G73 HDD Caddy
     
    raydabruce, Jan 5, 2011
    #11
  12. KuroLionheart

    KuroLionheart Notebook Deity

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    [​IMG]

    Just wanted to say I got mine today. Works perfectly fine, Asus can take their 40 dollar piece of metal and stick it where the sun don't shine. <3
     
    KuroLionheart, Jan 6, 2011
    #12
  13. Ownageful

    Ownageful Notebook Consultant

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    what is a drive caddy?
     
    Ownageful, Jan 6, 2011
    #13
  14. SSX4life

    SSX4life Notebook Deity

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    it is a "cage" that the hard drives is placed in. This "cage" or "caddy" is then screwed to the laptop preventing any movement of the hard drive while in use or in transport.
     
    SSX4life, Jan 6, 2011
    #14
  15. Matt Woller

    Matt Woller Notebook Evangelist

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    I never understood a) why those things were SO EXPENSIVE and b) why they NEVER had them in stock.

    I gave up with my G51 a year and a half ago (after calling them and begging to be told how to order a caddy) and stuffed some notecard paper on the side/top of my second HD. Cost about five cents for the paper and seems to work fine.
     
    Matt Woller, Jan 7, 2011
    #15
  16. samrozzi

    samrozzi Notebook Consultant

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    yup, also got mine, (no pics) but works perfect :)
     
    samrozzi, Jan 7, 2011
    #16
  17. frosty5689

    frosty5689 Notebook Evangelist

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    Out of curiosity, those come with screws? I just noticed how ASUS one says it doesn't come with screws (wth, $22.30 and no screws?).
     
    frosty5689, Jan 7, 2011
    #17
  18. Ownageful

    Ownageful Notebook Consultant

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    my g73 came with 2 hdd's, do i need to purchase one of these?
     
    Ownageful, Jan 7, 2011
    #18
  19. Chastity

    Chastity Company Representative

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    Only if a tech used chewing gum on any of them.
     
    Chastity, Jan 7, 2011
    #19
  20. Boost_

    Boost_ Notebook Consultant

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    Anyone try one of these with a three tab design? Looks like it would work. The tab that is missing would be where a screw would not go anyways, so it should work.
     
    Boost_, Jan 16, 2011
    #20
  21. KuroLionheart

    KuroLionheart Notebook Deity

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    Nope. Had to MacGuyver some screws from elsewhere.
     
    KuroLionheart, Jan 16, 2011
    #21
  22. shava_mng

    shava_mng Newbie

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    I was thinking same as you and bought 3 tabbed version. Since I'm in Mongolia, 3 tabbed version was only available through ebay from Hong Kong. Its tabs are wider and won't fit in. Also screw holes don't match. Will post pics soon

    Do you think seller sent me different HDD caddy?
     
    shava_mng, Jan 25, 2011
    #22
  23. dead4ngel

    dead4ngel Notebook Consultant

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    dead4ngel, Jan 25, 2011
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  24. alienator68

    alienator68 Notebook Enthusiast

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    A little question:
    Asus caddy have holes while HP doesn't have, do you notice a change in temp? Does an HDD installed in the HP caddy get warmer than in the Asus one?
     
    alienator68, Jan 25, 2011
    #24
  25. JehutyZeroshift

    JehutyZeroshift Notebook Evangelist

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    As seen on page 3 of the G73 Service Manual, it said M2.5 but on the image, it states M2.
     
    JehutyZeroshift, Jan 25, 2011
    #25
  26. dead4ngel

    dead4ngel Notebook Consultant

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    thanks. just to confirm. the one i have purchased will fit my new hdd right?
     
    dead4ngel, Jan 25, 2011
    #26
  27. phideltwj

    phideltwj Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yep - this looks like the exact same one I used. As for screws, I used one from the existing drive. The bracket fits in one direction only - if it doesn't align one way, just flip it around. The new bracket is made of pretty heavyweight material... it holds the drive quite sturdily (is that a word?).
     
    phideltwj, Feb 6, 2011
    #27
  28. Melgarh

    Melgarh Notebook Guru

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    Awesome find!

    Ordered myself one as well, for 1/4th price of a new Asus one..

    Now I can remove the manual-stitched up one from non-conductive, heat-transmitting duck-tape, RAM heatsink and double-sided tape.. Yep, thats DIY caddy for 5 bucks :D (First make square pads from non-conductive tape to prevent vibrations, then support them by the RAM heatsink and then the double-sided tape for additional support when you screw-in the plastic cover.)

    -Mel
     
    Melgarh, Apr 13, 2011
    #28
  29. dead4ngel

    dead4ngel Notebook Consultant

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    lol. but yeah thses caddies work perfectly. fit perfectly too. and are so cheap. asus need to fix up and start lowering their prices.
     
    dead4ngel, Apr 13, 2011
    #29
  30. FlyingFalcon

    FlyingFalcon Notebook Evangelist

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    Does it fit in the G53JW as well? I'll be buying an Intel 320 ssd and I'd like to put it in the caddy. Or I'll have to use the 750gb harddisk which is in it as an external later on.
     
    FlyingFalcon, Nov 1, 2011
    #30
  31. FlyingFalcon

    FlyingFalcon Notebook Evangelist

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    Bump. Any help please guys?
     
    FlyingFalcon, Nov 2, 2011
    #31
  32. clstirens

    clstirens Notebook Guru

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    Sorry to bump an old thread, but out of curiosity are there any cheaper options for purchasing a drive caddy? preferably one with screws
     
    clstirens, Jan 22, 2012
    #32
  33. Inferno1217

    Inferno1217 Notebook Consultant

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    Inferno1217, Jan 22, 2012
    #33
  34. rshih

    rshih Newbie

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    I got the hard drive caddy suggested in the OP (for the ZD7000) and it works perfectly. Saved me a couple bucks.
     
    rshih, Jan 23, 2012
    #34
  35. technomack@gmail.com

    [email protected] Newbie

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    [email protected], Feb 3, 2012
    #35
  36. pancakewagon

    pancakewagon Newbie

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    Sorry for the bump, but does the 3 hole version of the HP ZD7000 work? It's a lot cheaper than the 4 hole version.
     
    pancakewagon, Mar 17, 2012
    #36
  37. samuelkwest

    samuelkwest Notebook Enthusiast

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    Wow! I've never bumped a 3-year old thread before... feels like I'm in a time warp. How's everything going for you guys back there in 2012?

    Anyway, yes, I'm from the future, and I just received a ZD7000 in the mail from another futureman... And, alas, it doesn't fit my G73JW!

    I know, you're thinking, "Why did that moron from the future want to buy another caddy, didn't his G73JW come with two?" Yes, it did, but when I pulled the second 500GB drive to replace with a new SSD, I gave it, caddy and all, to a friend who had a G73Jx(?) that only came with one 750GB HDD. I wanted him to have it, because: 1) as has been mentioned, his G73 didn't come with a spare caddy; and 2) I knew that this SSD was so light that practically any solution (foam earplugs, folded cardboard, etc.) would work...

    So, back to the ZD7000. Does anyone know if there were/are variants of that bracket that could account for this situation? It looks right, but it's off (by enough). The guy that sold it (ebay) has it labeled on the outside of the ziplock with 'HD ZD7000', but on the bracket itself is a label: CNF3481SSV. ? Does that ring a bell? Unfortunately that number Googles not.

    It was only $10, so I'm not going to worry too much about it (in fact, as I'm writing this, I'm thinking that a couple of well-placed new holes might render it usable).

    I posted because I'm curious, and because I wanted to alert others that there is, apparently, a ZD7000 caddy variant out there that doesn't fit the G73JW.

    So, farewell, I must return to my own time now. Take heart. The Great Recession, according to many, has ended, Republicans have the majority in both the House and the Senate, and Barack Obama is still president...
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2015
    samuelkwest, Feb 13, 2015
    #37
  38. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    How off is it? Could you use some pliers to manipulate it into the right shape?
     
    Meaker@Sager, Feb 14, 2015
    #38
  39. samuelkwest

    samuelkwest Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not by much.

    Like I mentioned, the thought occurred to me that I might be able to drill some new holes to make it work, but when I opened up the compartment, and laid the caddy over the SSD, I noticed that there are a couple of pads positioned at the shoulder of the SSD (left and right of the connector), which, if they were removed, might allow the thing to work. It's just that those pads are only about 1/16" thick, and it seemed like things were off a little more than 1/16". I was too tired to have another go at it, and I'm a little reluctant to remove those pads... I'll take a picture when I get motivated again.

    Thanks.

    - s.west
     
    samuelkwest, Feb 15, 2015
    #39
  40. thegreatsquare

    thegreatsquare Notebook Deity

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    You mean you're not just supposed to wedge a broken piece of #2 pencil in the gap?
     
    thegreatsquare, Feb 15, 2015
    #40
  41. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    I'm less concerned with an SSD so long as you make sure it is not moving and stressing the connector, it wont vibrate itself of course.
     
    Meaker@Sager, Feb 15, 2015
    #41
  42. thegreatsquare

    thegreatsquare Notebook Deity

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    I did that on a Seagate 320GB. It died in 18-24 months, but it was taken from my refurbished FX 7805u, so I really think it died because it was a Seagate.
     
    thegreatsquare, Feb 15, 2015
    #42
  43. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    Well I would always properly secure a regular HDD as vibration is the enemy to HDD life.
     
    Meaker@Sager, Feb 16, 2015
    #43