Are laptop optical drives "standardized"?

[OcFerris]

I have an older HP Pavilion Zn5270 (if memory serves me, that's the model number) and I want to add a DVD writer to it. I don't have any real hardware experience with laptops and was wondering if optical drives are standardized for them as they are with desktop machines. HP's website doesn't list anything and they want some ridiculous amount of money for a CD writer so I figured if the drives are "standard" then anything should work. Is it that easy or should I be looking for external/USB options?

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Not sure if I'm understanding what you mean by "standardized".. do you mean "proprietary"? you're wanting to add an internal DVDRW to your laptop, right? If so you'll obviously have to buy an HP module that's made for your specific laptop model/series. That's just the way it works. -- if it were me, I'd go w/ an external solution which is a whole lot cheaper. Does your lappy have USB2.0? if not no matter, I'm pretty sure you can buy a powered pcmcia adapter card that'll do the trick.. (you DON'T EVEN wanna try and burn DVDs using an external w/ a USB 1.1 port, btw)

 

[bearxor]

Actually, laptop optical drives are standardized with their form factor and the connector type.

Often, however, individual companies will put a shell around a regular drive and give it a special connector to make you buy theirs. Look at this web site for an example of dismantling a Dell D600/D610/600m/8500/8600 CD-RW/DVD combo drive that 'looks' proprietary:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/c/mcdo7795/dell_cdrom/dell_replacement.htm

As you can see, even though it looks like it won't take a regular drive, you just have to know how to take it apart to change it out.

So in other words, open your laptop up, look at your drive, and find out how to replace. Some drives slide out from the laptop and are easily replaced without dismantling the entire laptop. Some will require you to disassemble the chassis and work a couple of screws inside the system to get the laptop free, and some will have a removable chassis that you will have to disassemble like in the site I made.

 

[bearxor]

Doing a search, I did not find a zn5270. I found a zx, zv and ze. Here are links to the service manuals respectively:

ZE5270, page 50:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00246219.pdf

ZV5270US, with video instructions, same instructions for the ZX5270EA:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docu...423725&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00293586


Hope that helps give you an idea of what you need to do.

 

[OcFerris]

Excellent info. Thank you. My question was a little misleading. I should have asked if the form factor was the same, making them interchangable much like optical drives for desktops are interchangable. My desire is indeed to replace my laptop's DVDROM drive with a DVDRW. I did add USB 2.0 ports through a PCMCIA card so it's doable externally but I don't want to go that route unless it's the only option. The model number is n5270 (no "Z"). HP doesn't, and probably never did, offer anything above a combo drive. I'll see if I can turn up the service manual and go from there. Thanks again, I'm one step closer!

 

[bearxor]

To answer your question, I'm not going to say all laptop optical drives are the same form factor, but I would wager 99% (or more) are. You should have no problem buying a drive from newegg and installing.

 

[Brentx]

I know some of the older laptops did not use the "slim" sized DVD/CD Writers that laptops use. I have a Compaq Armada from '01, and the stuff is not standardized. The connector has been moved over about an inch, so you are forced to buy replacement parts from Compaq. Like was said above, about 99% of all laptop drives now are interchangeable. That is the one thing that sucks about laptops, upgradability.