DVDRW Compatibility - HP NC8430

I've been trying to figure out which model will work with my laptop and have found the LG GSA-T10N on eBay and elsewhere for a reasonable price (in the $60 range or so). I just can't seem to get anyone to confirm compatibility.

Help??

Thanks in advance.

Theo

 

is the HP NC8430's optical bay(dvd/cd burner) slot loading(no screws-hot-swappable) or tray loading(you attach the ODD to a tray with screws)?

On the spec pdf guide for the NC8430 its says

so i think its tray loading so any slimdrive nb dvdrwthat is "tray" loaded with a depth of 12.7mm should work just the bezel of the dvdrw might not be flush with the side of the laptop.

 

What drive do you have now? Is there some reason you want to swap drives? I believe the drive is fixed to the chassis on the 8430. I would think it would fit, but don't know for sure.

 

The nc8430 drives are fixed, but only by a single screw. I've changed my drives several times already, though the replacements were HP parts provided under warranty...

 

I have a CDRW/DVD ROM right now and would like to get an internal DVDRW instead. I think that it is a "standard" OEM type 12.7 mm drive that can fit in a few different models but I haven't gotten an answer on whether or not it will actually fit.

 

All the 12.7mm ODDs that have passed through my hands (maybe half a dozen) have all conformed to the same form factor. The fascia / bezel is held on by some plastic clips and the ODD in your notebook probably has some fixing brackets or rails which will need to be moved over to the new ODD.

The sensible way to check is check the model number of your existing ODD and then looks up the specs.

The only possible issue, in my experience, is the IDE channel setting. Whether an ODD is master or slave is set in the firmware. Most notebooks give the ODD the whole of the secondary IDE channel (in which case whether it is master or slave is irrelevant) but a few have the ODD sharing the the primary IDE channel with the HDD. In this case the ODD needs to be slave.

John

 

John, thanks for the info. Here's where I start to get a little confused. The hard drive is SATA but I don't know if the ODD is SATA as well or simply EIDE. After checking the Quick Specs (just now) for the model I have determined that it is in fact EIDE so the IDE channel issue won't have any impact. I guess it should be a go then; now to find the lowest price.