Installing slimline drive in 5.25hh bay

[posix]

Is it possible to install a slimline drive into a 5.25hh drive bay? Does anyone know if this requires sleds and if these are available? Thank you for info.

[jaclaz]

Is it possible to install a slimline drive into a 5.25hh drive bay? Does anyone know if this requires sleds and if these are available? Thank you for info.

Sure it is.

You want to look for a converter or adapter from 5.25" bay to 3.5".

Example:

http://cgi.ebay.it/DRIVE-BAY-ADAPTER-BRACK...id=p3286.c0.m14

(if it's a floppy or zip drive and you need to have front access)

or for mounting brackets.

Example:

http://cgi.ebay.it/5-25-in-bay-to-3-5-in-H...p3286.m63.l1177

if it remains all inside the case

Or by slimline you mean a 2.5" one?

then you will need a cable adapter also.

Example:

http://cgi.ebay.it/Hard-Disk-Drive-HDD-2-5...p3286.m63.l1177

jaclaz

Edited September 5, 2009 by jaclaz

[posix]

thank you jaclaz. maybe i forgot to mention that the slimline drive i want to install is a dvd burner? these have a width of 128mm while 3.5" standard has a width of 101.6mm. therefore i figured that 3.5" slots are not suitable for slimline drives and my only chance would be to try it with a 5.25"hh slot. or am i mistaken?

do slimline-hard disks even exist? i thought it was a standard for optical drivers only.

Edited September 5, 2009 by posix

[jaclaz]

thank you jaclaz. maybe i forgot to mention that the slimline drive i want to install is a dvd burner? these have a width of 128mm while 3.5" standard has a width of 101.6mm. therefore i figured that 3.5" slots are not suitable for slimline drives and my only chance would be to try it with a 5.25"hh slot. or am i mistaken?

do slimline-hard disks even exist? i thought it was a standard for optical drivers only.

You mean one of these?:

http://www.slidirect.com/Combo-Kit-for-Dua...DVD-Black-Bezel

They are pretty rare and expensive AFAIK.

I've seen only "dual slot" ones around.

Corrected above, here:

http://www.slidirect.com/Bezel-Kit-for-Sin...DVD-Black-Bezel

Ain't gonna cheap anyway.

And you will need anyway an adapter card, something like:

http://stores.shop.ebay.it/gamesalor-com19...mp;submit=Cerca

For that total amount of money you can probably find a new "standard desktop" dvd burner of average quality.

Is there a reason for using this "slimline" one on a desktop?

jaclaz

Edited September 5, 2009 by jaclaz

[posix]

hey, wow, thanks again.

the dual bays are indeed interesting. there is another one that comes together with a plextor burner: http://www.plextor.be/products/DVD_CD/px-db608al.html

i wasn't able to find a separate bay sled like you have linked me. thanks.

about the ide adapter, i don't think i will need that if i just buy a sata dvd burner in slimline form factor, right?

the reaons why it has to be slimline is because there is no slot-in dvd burner in the regular 5.25hh form factor. now, the reason why i need slot-in is because i bought a new pc case where all optical drivers have to be installed vertically.

http://www.3rsys.com/english/products/view...amp;idx_num=109

using a tray optical drive is therefore not possible for me, unfortunately.

thanks very much for all further assistance.

side note: i could possibly just buy the plextor burner but i'd rather buy this one from sony:

http://www.sony-optiarc.eu/en/products/dvd...ks/ad7670s.html

Edited September 5, 2009 by posix

[jaclaz]

about the ide adapter, i don't think i will need that if i just buy a sata dvd burner in slimline form factor, right?

Well, you won't need a "PATA slim line to desktop PATA", but you will need to buy a "SATA slim line to desktop SATA":

i.e., you WON'T need any of these:

http://stores.shop.ebay.it/gamesalor-com19...mp;submit=Cerca

BUT you will need one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.it/Slimline-50-Pin-to-SATA...id=p3286.c0.m14

at least for the SONY+SLI "bezel brackets", the Plextor includes the adapter, but the drive is PATA.

SLI has a sata one:

http://www.slidirect.com/DIGISTOR-5-25-DVD-Writer-Slot-Load

(this should be "complete" and need not any other adapter)

In other words, all slimline CD/DVD's use a particular connector, a 50 pin one that carries both DATA and POWER, and need an adapter to be connected to a "normal desktop" with SPLIT POWER and DATA cables.

using a tray optical drive is therefore not possible for me, unfortunately.

Yep , there are four "mechanics" :

1. tray with caddy (obsolete)
   
2. tray
   
3. tray with "hooks" like some laptop/slimline have
   
4. slot (practically only slimline available)
   

AFAIK 1) can be mounted vertically, but it is NOT advised to do so, and however I still have coincidentally a plextor SCSI 4x CD burner with that technology, it must be about 15 years old, 2) cannot be mounted vertically, both 3) and 4) can.

It seems like the last full size slot-in ever produced was the Plextor PX716AL/SW:

http://www.superwarehouse.com/Plextor_PX-7...6AL_SW/p/607135

You won't like the price of the ones one can find, however :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00...p;condition=all

jaclaz

Edited September 5, 2009 by jaclaz

[posix]

i thank you so much for all this info ... i would have bought the slimline burner to then notice the plug doesn't fit ...

anyway, to clear this up, i have read some wikipedia on sata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

on any sort of drive you buy that is stated to run via an "S-ATA" interface, what you have to know is whether it's S-ATA or S-ATA slim.

S-ATA: 7pin data connector (drive - mainboard) + 15pin power connector (drive - PSU)

S-ATA slim: 6pin data & power connector (drive - mainboard)

... while with this knowledge i would assume only slimline drives have a S-ATA slim plug. but having only one connector that can handle both data and power seems nice though? does the data transfer rate drop maybe? or why do they still produce drives that require the additional S-ATA power connector?

i now have found out that i'll have to buy a new PSU as well because it has only molex power connectors ... this is just stupid.

can you tell me more about your option 3 and these "hooks" you were speaking of? i have no idea what this is but maybe it can save my problem by avoiding a S-ATA slim adapter? (because my board has only S-ATA and one eS-ATA)

Edited September 5, 2009 by posix

[jaclaz]

A "normal" CD/DVD drive on notebooks has a tray like this one:

You can mount this type vertical allright.

The CD/DVD is kept by three little spring hooks.

ANY Slim-line CD/DVD (anything that has not a "square" plan but rather a "corner cut out" on one side) has a 50 pin JAE connector, see these:

Of course laptops have this connector directly on the motherboard, but you need a converter board (similar to the one depicted above) that has on one side the 50 pin connector and on the other side the appropriate connectors, depending on the drive type (IDE/PATA or SATA):

• • 40 PIN IDE/PATA + POWER:
    http://www.8starshop.com/en/50-pin-laptop-...de-adapter.html
    

OR

• SATA+POWER (this is the type you will need):
  http://www.sourcingmap.com/slim-dvd-driver...er-p-17005.html
  

The POWER connector is the one used for floppy drives, if you don't have one on your PSU, you will need a converter, like this one:

Read about SATA connectors here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

Basically you'll have on your "desktop" case a "desktop" SATA that will use a 8 (please read as 7) pin connector, and a "normal" SATA cable.

The converter seen above is designed to mount laptop CD/DVD's on desktops, thus the SATA connector will be the "normal" one, this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA#Data

FORGET about SATA power connectors, you WON'T need them for the CD/DVD drive.

If you have a SATA hard disk, you may need a Molex to SATA power adapter, like this one, you DON'T NEED to get another PSU:

or this:

http://www.sourcingmap.com/pin-ide-pin-ser...er-p-24149.html

I hope this clears your doubts.

jaclaz

[jcarle]

You do realise that all current DVD burners allow you to insert media vertically, right?

What do you think these tabs are for?