Replacing several parts of the T400

i have a dvd rom/cd rw drive, and i would like to change it to a dvd rw drive. how much would this cost, and where can i get one?

also, are keyboards sold as a part in itself separate from the computer itself? several of my keys got messed up and i know how to take out the whole keyboard and change it to a new one; if i can buy the new one somewhere that is.

 

Find the part number and buy either from the Lenovo site or a reseller (or ebay).

The DVD burner is usually found in the Accessories and Upgrades section of the Lenovo site. I believe the part number is 41N5643 and it's on sale at lenovo for $199 but can be had cheaper from resellers.

The keyboard is easy to replace and costs about $50 from Lenovo or cheaper if you can find the right part number on ebay. Part number can be found in this list:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-70429

There are three keyboard suppliers to Lenovo... a lot of people have a preference. If you want an exact replacement then just check the part number on the underside of your current keyboard and order that. There's a "purchase parts online" link on the parts page.

 

wow, a $199 dvd burner? that almost justifies the hassle of transferring stuff over to another computer to burn

who are the resellers? are they reliable? i don't have an ebay account, but i'm willing to buy from any reputable online store. and does it void my warranty if i replace the drive?

it would also be great if someone could point me to retailers for the keyboard as well.

 

It depends. If you buy it from Lenovo or an authorized seller, it would be included into the warranty of your machine. This is probably only a big deal if you have longer than the base warranty as the drive if bought through official channels will have its own one year warranty. If the drive is bought used or pulled from a system then there's probably no warranty.

 

do you have a list of websites of these authorized resellers?

 

You can try Amazon. Its cheaper by like 15 bucks and the 2 day shipping is free if you use Amazon Prime. If you use the CPP discount the dvd burner will be $159.20. Of course, ebay is always an option.

 

Ebay is likely the cheapest option, provided you have the correct part number.

 

Provantage.com has the burners for about $110... no idea if its an authorized reseller, however, but i might offer its own warranty.

 

The keyboard can be purchased by itself. eBay is usually the cheapest option, but be on the lookout for knockoff (non Lenovo OEM) parts.

As far as changing the optical drive...do you burn many DVDs? If not, it will be cheaper for you to simply buy a desktop DVD burner and stick it in a USB enclosure rather than swapping the entire Ultrabay drive.