Dell laptop and non-dell parts

matrim

Hi,

A friend of mine has a dell laptop and is looking for a dvdrw. At first I was going ot get him a 5.25" one and make it external. But I just saw this one nec slimline

Would this work in a dell laptop? I've heard that you can have trouble getting non dell parts to work in dell pc's.

Also, if it does work will the dvd\cdrw that comes with the dell work in a compaq laptop?

uberpixie

only one way to find out.......

Dell use fairly standard parts. So you might get it working. Don't know about the compaq though.

Try out the comaq first?

halenger

uberpixie wrote:

Dell use fairly standard parts. So you might get it working.

They do? Since when? Most of their desktops are incredibly non-standardized. I've heard of their laptop hard drives being non-standard also but I've no idea if that follows through to the rest of the system. Ask Komplett. That's your best bet. They should know.

Capt'n Midnight

on the komplette web site it says the interface is IDE - but doesn't say if it's the interface used on 2.5" drives (my guess)

is the dell an inspiron (OEM'd - models vary a lot ) or a latitude ( more standard)

my guess is that you would have to use the adaptor on the old CD drive - if it's a removable one that is - then pop it out , since you will have to do it anyway if you get the drive - usuall warnings about breaking warranty

or you could ask this question on the laptop sub forum

And Dell use fairly standard parts in that you can replace them with stuff you buy elsewhere - older motherboards and PSU's were non-standard - but since a new case with psu was a lot cheaper than cpu+motherboard anyway. Compared to IBM/Compaq back in the 286 days , Dell consumer PC's are bog standard.

kasintahan

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

Dell consumer PC's are bog standard.

They use a non-standard case, PSU and motherboard.
Some use non-standard RAM.

ressem

Depends on what dell laptop. Also whether you can put up with the drive not being flush with the casing (Dells often have an indent on the tray cover, unless you manage to swap fascia without breaking it)

On the Dell laptops (desktop replacement, large types) we've got, I believe it'll work. 50 pin Atapi connector, same shape, if the fascia doesn't stop the tray from closing (hacksaw :?).

ot
As for Dell desktops, you used to have to replace the PSU & rewire the cases' power buttons and lights to work with 3rd party generic motherboard connectors, as Dell lumped the connectors together into one proprietry block.

Wertz

If the dell laptop has a removable media bay type CD drive then there is 99% likely to be a DVD writer drive that will fit it. As someone else said, it may stick out slightly but it'll work no probs.
eBay is a good spot for that sort of stuff and sellers usually list the compatabilty tables. Dell's own website is good to gather data but prices are usually quite high...

It would help a lot if you posted the model/number...

ressem

It's actually the same drive as is used in the Inspiron 6000. So it certainly works in some Dells.