Replacing NX8220 / NC8230 / NW8240 DVD

I got a marvelous deal on a NX8220!!! Only disappointment is that it's coming with 40 GB and a DVD ROM only (it is not a DVD Writer).

Suppose I decide to replace the DVDROM/CDRW, am I forced to go with the expensive multibay from HP (a whopping 400$!!!) or can I order a generic DVDRW that can fit in (under 100$)?

Also, can I take the faceplate of my DVDROM to put on my new generic DVDRW ?

 

Hmm $400? Heh, Here I thought they were cheaper than that. Faceplate, depends on the generic's "Face plate interface" basically if the tabs on the face plate fit on the front of the drive. You can take them off.. A small flathead screw driver will do it.

BTW: The nc8200 series optical drive is the same as the nc6200 series. So if they list them as cheaper....

 

I am assumimg this is a modular drive? I can't remember about HP drives, does it have the notch in the corner for the eject mechanism? You may want to contact UltraDrives.com. They specialize in amongst other things laptop drives and may know what will fit. Swapping the bezels can be tricky as sometimes the clips that hold it on are in different spots. Master/Slave is sometimes an issue as well.

 

The Drives do not have a master/slave setting.
They are, for the most part, rectangular, but one side is narrower than the other. They have a adapter on the rear of the drive for the connection.

 

Here the link through the Multibay exact product.
http://www.directron.com/pa851a.html

Assuming I will already have the 'casing' around a CDRW/DVD drive, could i mod the ''multibay'' by replacing the HP CDRW unit by a 9.5 mm generic DVDRW ?

 

Any NC8230/6120/NX8220 owners with photos of their multibay drive? Any succesfull modders ?

 

Not true. Master/Slave is usually controlled by the firmware or dip switches inside the drive unlike a desktop drive which uses jumpers to control Master/Slave.

 

Yea I said that wrong, I meant the jumpers.

And that picture does not look like the drive that needs to go into the 6220, 6230, and 8200 series laptops. The bay is not a perfect rectangle and has the ejection springs on the right side (viewing laptop from the cdrom side)
The drive itself narrows on the right viewing from the front of the drive.
The 6120 drive is not the same as the one for the 6200/8200 series and just slides in.
BTW: unless that picture is one inside an enclosure. Here's a picture of what one looks like from the left angle. Behind the face plate is where the "notch" is on the right side.
http://www10.shopping.com/xPO-HP_Multibay_CD_RW_DVD_ROM_combo_drive


Here's something that better describes it. White Sheet

 

I retract that statement. They are the same, only the bracket in the back of the drive is removed for the 6120 and a side bracket as well.