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.

    Optical drive will work in Z96J?

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by camsimple, Mar 4, 2007.

  1. camsimple

    camsimple Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    595
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hi, I have loaded a few pictures of the optical drive I took out of my dead Toshiba Dynabook. Looking to save some money I was wondering if this drive would be able to fit into the Z96J. Thanks!!!
     

    Attached Files:

    camsimple, Mar 4, 2007
    #1
  2. Kdawgca

    Kdawgca rotaredoM repudrepuS RBN

    Reputations:
    5,855
    Messages:
    8,609
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    206
    I think so since its 12.7mm in height but i dont know if it will be flush on the side
     
    Kdawgca, Mar 4, 2007
    #2
  3. NetBrakr

    NetBrakr Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    119
    Messages:
    1,344
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Most drives will work on any laptop, but the only problem is the faceplate. This is not universal. You need either to swap the faceplate from the old drive to the new drive or find a new faceplate.

    JC
     
    NetBrakr, Mar 4, 2007
    #3
  4. camsimple

    camsimple Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    595
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Well I was going to buy barebones so I wouldn't have the new face plate with it. I was totally going to just take my old one and place it into the Z96J.
     
    camsimple, Mar 4, 2007
    #4
  5. NetBrakr

    NetBrakr Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    119
    Messages:
    1,344
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    You dont understand...the faceplate of the drive, not the whole laptop. Or else it will be ugly.

    JC
     
    NetBrakr, Mar 4, 2007
    #5
  6. camsimple

    camsimple Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    595
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yep, I understand I would need to replace the faceplate to make it flush with the Z96J bezel, but I was unclear on where to find the face plate that would match the Z96J model. Does it come shipped with an extra, because if I don't order an optical drive does the notebook come shipped with just a gap as if there wasn't a drive there at all? or is there a plastic place holder? Sorry if this is becoming confusing.
     
    camsimple, Mar 5, 2007
    #6
  7. NetBrakr

    NetBrakr Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    119
    Messages:
    1,344
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    This, I am not sure since I never bought a barebone notebook. Someone, please help.

    JC
     
    NetBrakr, Mar 5, 2007
    #7
  8. Bhatman

    Bhatman Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    19
    Messages:
    655
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    When buying the Z/S96 series in barebones, if you are not getting an Optical drive (in this case you wont because you have one at the moment) there wont be a front bezel. You have to ask your vendor for that plastic bezel.
     
    Bhatman, Mar 5, 2007
    #8
  9. PJPeter

    PJPeter Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    110
    Messages:
    1,122
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    66
    This is a Z69J...I have one and I didn't get a plastic bezel like that. My drive looks almost exactly like the one in the pic except that its flat without that extra line through the middle. The Z96J is quite plain in terms of looks on that side, that should be fine if it fits :)

    Cat
     
    PJPeter, Mar 5, 2007
    #9
  10. camsimple

    camsimple Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    595
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I just had Ken take a look at it and he said it should work well, just that I need to take off the brace that Toshiba uses and install the brace that Asus provides.
     
    camsimple, Mar 5, 2007
    #10
  11. AlexF

    AlexF Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    142
    Messages:
    795
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    When I ordered my Z96Js, it came in the sealed ASUS box with the usual ASUS tape and it had the plastic bezel, as well as a rail guide and a bag of screws that you need to properly mount the unit. However, that was when there was some sort of backorder/shortage of TSST optical drives. It might be that they don't give it automatically anymore.
     
    AlexF, Mar 5, 2007
    #11