usb caddy for dvd burner to use externally?

I want to add an SSD to a T530 and move the HDD to the ultrabay. Does anyone know if there is an external usb caddy so that you can use the DVD burner externally? Or is it cheaper/better to just buy an external USB DVD burner?

 

.Yep, I just ordered a HDD caddy for the ultrabay and I purchased the SATA to USB3.0 cable that comes with a rubber housing for the internal optical drive so you can do exactly what your talking about, use it as an external drive.

Got the caddy and external drive cable from:

USB 3.0 External Enclosure for Optical Drive (12.7 mm SATA) [slimSATA-USB-C16] - $25.95 : NewmodeUS, Hard Drive Caddys for Notebooks

Stay away from some of the e-bay HDD caddies if you want a perfect fit and matching finish, the newmodeus HDD caddies cost about 3 times the price of the $14 ebay solutions but you get what you pay for. I am told the Newmodeus caddy is actually better built than the one Lenovo sell.

If you don't care for a HDD caddy and are just looking for a optical drive caddy go to the link I provided and it will take you to the cable and caddy kit, it's only around $25, better than buying an external drive.

The T530 and W530 (My laptop) share the same optical drive so that won't be an issue. You can search by model on the site if you want.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the info.

 

This might be a better consideration. It includes a carrying pouch and, for some reason, the price is a bit less.

 

Or get an enclosure from another manufacturer: Newegg.com - StarTech SLMSOPTB USB to Slimline CD/DVD Optical Drive Black External Enclosure. Quality will vary by manufacturer and models though.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

I was a bit surprised by the first two recommendations, since those types of adapters are not designed for permanent use since the drives are not protected. The last is a true enclosure, although needlessly branded. Despite the recommendation to avoid eBay, you can find similar enclosures of good quality without such branding if you search carefully, even ones featuring "IBM" or "ThinkPad" branding (of course, these are not authentic, but can be of good quality all the same).

 

The drive does not need an extra housing, it's not like a HDD that has an exposed circuit board, the rubber surround housing will give it plenty of protection, maybe more than a standard metal housing as it will absorb some impact if it was to drop. The internal optical drive has no exposed parts apart from the rear SATA connector which is not exactly fragile and is protected by the rubber housing.

An metal housing will serve nothing more than a aesthetic quality over the rubber housing and the only main advantage in my eyes is it does not need you to have a SATA to USB cable with you to connect to the drive, you can use a standard USB.

Regarding e-bay, I was refering to the HDD caddies and yes you can probably find some good caddies but there is also plenty of very poor quality caddies that are cheap and nasty, they do the job but aesthetically they have a poor finish that does not match your Thinkpad or a poor fit with some gaps, some don't support the Lenovo quick release. These are all the things you need to look out for if you buy a e-bay HDD caddy vs just going to a quality seller of caddies like NewmodelUS.

 

I don't know how many you have owned, if any, but it's ridiculously easy to dent or bow in the top of a multiburner to where a disc comes into contact with it. To many, that's irreversible damage if incurred. The enclosure I described is not some after market design, it's a knockoff of an actual enclosure type offered by Lenovo, and previously by IBM for external burners. Aside from the fact that Lenovo considers the wraparound rubber bumper option you posted as insufficient protection, common use proves it to be a fact.

What metal housing are you talking about?

Not the ones I'm speaking of, which satisfy all those requirements.

 

hi, would this style of adapter allow a thinkpad ultrabay optical drive work cross platform via usb 3 on a mac?

USB 3.0 External Enclosure for Optical Drive (12.7 mm SATA) [slimSATA-USB-C16] - $25.95 : NewmodeUS, Hard Drive Caddys for Notebooks

thanks,

 

It should work fine. The link I gave above shows a carrying pouch.

 

I got the one Kaso linked. You get the same cable as the higher priced product. You also get the carrying pouch, which I use and which works really well. In addition, you get an adaptor connector and rubber enclosure for an external HD or SSD. I'm not concerned about having a sturdier external case for the DVD burner because I use it only infrequently and am careful when I do. I was more concerned about damage to the burner when it was not being used but just stuffed in a briefcase or whatever. The carry pouch takes care of that concern.

You can find a 5% discount coupon for Newmodeus on retailmenot.com.