Should I replace my optical drive?

Sooo after much consideration I am heavily leaning towards replacing my optical drive with another HD or SSD and was hoping for some input.
For a while I was considering getting an external HD, but I hardly EVER use my DVD drive. Also, external DVD-RW drives are generally smaller in dimensions than external HDs, logically wouldn't it be better to carry an external DVD-rw drive than an external HD?
My biggest concern is needing to burn DVDs, but I haven't actually needed to since I graduated college last year. Most of my work is in Final Cut/Maya/3DMax/After Effects/Photoshop, so the extra HD would be really lovely, but I'm just having a hard time pulling the trigger.
Are there any downsides to this operation besides losing the DVD drive? To those who have replaced your optical drive, were you happy with your decision? Is it weird having a slot in your computer that basically leads to nothing? I am a bit OCD so another thing that has me reluctant is going into a brand new expensive laptop and modifying it..
I am getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger, I just want to make 100% sure I'm making the right decision before I give it the green light.
EDIT: Also would installing a 2nd drive make it RAID0 so the performance essentially is doubled? Sorry I'm incredibly noob here trying to figure out lingo and workings of stuff that is way above my head at this time! Trying to learn!

I recently replaced my Superdrive with an additional HDD. I didn't spend too much time over the decision, I just figured that I use my HDD a lot more than I used my DVD player and I noticed that I was buying my software online via download anyway. The final straw came when I was running into big time storage issues converting video, etc. So after watching videos on YouTube and on the various sites that sell the conversion kits and reading the various discussions on the issue, I felt confident in cracking open the back of my MBP. I decided on the Momentus XT for my main drive and I relegated the Hitachi 7200rpm that came with my MBP to the media bay.
And you know what? It was pretty darn easy to do and once the new drive was installed, my Mac picked it up right away and I've never been happier. A couple of things I want to point out and this is my experience..
1. SSD vs HDD. I personally did not see the need to spend $1000 on an SSD drive when I really needed storage. So that is your decision. Most people place the SSD in the main HDD location and use it for the OS and programs. The spare drive is used for storage, ie. iTunes, movie and video editing files, etc. I have seen some discussion that the SATA connection to the Superdrive is not as fast, but you need to check that out on your own.
2. Battery life. I don't see any real reduction in battery life. The Hitachi, when mounted, only spins up when I need it. So, I suppose that if I was running both drives then it would impact battery life, but the same would happen if I was running the DVD for a movie or copying files so its a non-sequitur.
3. I found a whole slew of companies selling an adaptor for the Superdrive slot, I chose this guy on ebay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220742814526&ssPageName=STRK: MEWNX:IT . For $30 bucks including shipping it was a great deal. The item fit perfectly, the holes lined up and it was the cheapest I found that wasn't coming from South Korea!
4. Installation was very easy. If you have the dexterity to turn a screwdriver you can swap out the superdrive for the HDD. Just make sure you have the right sized screwdrivers and most important that THEY ARE MAGNETIZED! Also, make a couple of run throughs on watching the videos.
5. I use an external DVD if I need to install something on my computer. Think about it, all you need is a 4G thumbdrive and you have effectively replaced the storage capacity of a DVD. Also, what do you find you do more, slid a DVD into your computer or plug in an external HD that you bought to store stuff on?
6. Dont worry about voiding the warranty. Unless you spill coffee in the machine as you are trying to replace the drive, you can always pull out the drive and re-install your Superdrive before taking the computer for service.
Oh BTW, there are companies out there that will also sell you (or include it in the purchase of the Optibay adaptor) a kit that allows you to keep your Superdrive that you pull out that turns it into an external drive.
I say DO IT! In the end it's much better to have 1.5TB max storage possibility.

Similar Messages

How much would it cost to replace the optical drive

I have a 48 month old mac pro. I use the optical drive quite a bit for listening or downloading music from my cd's. There is now a loud mechanical noise coming from it , and it is now very choosy about what cd's it wants to play. It is also getting very difficult to eject without having to restart it several times as well as pressing subsequent buttons.
        I have read several discussions on these pages and have gone through several elimmination processes . Including cleaning discs.
          Now i fear that there is no option but to replace the optical drive.
       How much am looking at spending and although its not a perfect remedy , is it cheaper to buy an external drive as much as that would pain me.
Thank you.
Ray.

Optical drives for 2008-2012 Mac pro desktops use the standard SATA connectors.That drive
http://www.lg.com/us/products/documents/GGC-H20LSpec.PDF
has those connections. Thus is should be directly replaceable with your original drive.
http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macpro_2009_opt/
For earlier Mac Pros
https://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/manuals/cdinstall/macpro_optical_install. pdf

(2011 13" Macbook Pro Model 8,1) I want to replace my 320GB HDD and replace it with a 6gb/s 120GB SSD. I also want to replace the optical drive with a 7200RPM HDD 750GB.

I want to use:
The SSD and enclosure to replace the optical drive with the new HDD
So basically, I want to use the SSD in the link above. I want to set this up as either preferrably a fusion drive. If not the smoothest most stable configuration. I have a Macbook Pro Early 2011 13" with 8 GB of ram, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 320GB HDD.
I want to install the SSD directly to the SATA port where the 320 GB HDD is currently. I then want to install the new HDD, preferrably a name brand 750 GB 7200RPM hard drive where the optical drive is now. I want the storage to work in a way in which the OS, and my most used programs and files get stored on the SSD, and everything else gets stored on the larger hard drive. My most preferred method would be Fusion drive, or a SPAN drive.
I would like to use a Seagate Momentus XT, but I learned that there might be issues with compatability with this. I dont mind using the 3 gb/s 500GB option, but would like to know if it would even be smart to do it. I also have no problem settling for a regular 7200 RPM hard drive.
I have read a bunch of stuff online but I still am not sure if this is even possible. I want my machine to run as fluid as possible so any info would be appreciated.

bump

Can I replace the optical drive on a 2010 mac mini with a second hard drive?

i was just wandering how easy it would be (if at all) to replace the optical drive on my 2010 Mac Mini with a second hard drive
we use it as a media server only, and the DVD is almost never used

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/drive_bracket/datadoubler/

I have a HP G71 Model#G71-329WM. I need to replace the optical drive. What is the part Number?

My HP G71 Model#G71-329WM will not load a CD or DVD so I need to replace the optical drive. What is the correct Part number? Thanks
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hi:
Below is the link to the service manual for your notebook.
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01713747.pdf
Replacement optical drives with HP part numbers can be found in Chapter 3, page 33.
You can also read the instructions in chapter 4 on removing the drive and getting the part number off of it which will be normally found on a white sticker. A 6 digit-3 digit part number (123456-001)
You can search by the part number on eBay for a used but working device or you can probably buy one new from HP by entering the part number at the link below.
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/hpparts/Default.aspx?mscssid=6287767FBDD34F3696CF3D0837BDBC96
Paul

Can I replace my optical drive with internal blu-Ray player?

Basically what the question says. I have a MacBook Pro mid-2009, and I'm wondering if I can replace the optical drive with an internal blu-ray drive. I would want to be able to read and write to regular CD and DVD still though, that's a must. Also, if there is an internal drive I can put in, will OSX Mavericks support playing a blu-ray movie just because my computer can read it?
Thanks for any knowledge or advice you guys can offer!

No.

Should I replace failed hard drive in imac 4,1 or run from external or mac mini?

My hard drive failed in my iMac 4,1 (early 2006 intel). I am running from an external drive, but slow. Should I replace the hard drive ($300 at Apple), purchase a better external to run from or a mac mini? I'm trying to determine if it makes sense to invest further in this iMac since its 5 yrs old already. Can any one offer some insight/opinion?

Hi moreenie
Your profile does not indicate your geographic location, but there are Authorize Apple Service Providers that can and will do the work for considerably less than your local Apple Store.
http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service/
Call around, at less than $200 to replace the Hard Drive, it makes a little more sense to fix and use it for another year or two...
I replace the Hard Drive in my Early 2006 a couple of years ago not because it died, but because it became to small.
Sorry I can't honestly help you decide, because I'm torn and can't decide for myself. Not liking the Glossy iMac's, I've also been toying with the idea of either a Mac-Mini or used Mac Pro? My biggest problem with the Mac-Mini is, that by the time you do a few upgrades it cost as much as a base iMac.
Dennis

Question on Replacing the Optical Drive on my G5?

I'm trying to replace the Optical drive on my G5 Power Mac. The instructions are very clear.
1. unplug your G5
2. open it
3. open the two latches below the drive
4. slide the drive out of the bay
5. disconnect all cables
6. detach the sliders on the bottom of the drive
7. attach them to the new drive
8. connect the cables
9. slide it into place and close the latches
10. close cover
But my optical drive is stuck solid in the little slides.. It wont budge.
Has anyone got any suggestions who has done this before?
Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve,
Yes, some can seem frozen in place, you need to pry or tap it gently to not so gently to break it loose sometimes, I had to use a screwdriver to jiggle mine loose, have you seen the installation video?
http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/powermacg5opt/

Have you replaced your optical drive with a second hard disk?

Hi guys,
I am currently thinking about replacing my optical drive in my MacBook Pro for a 256 GB SSD, as my main hard drive is getting filled up.
Have you replaced the optical drive in your computer, and what is your experience? I'm looking at either OptiBay or OWC Data Doubler. Which would you recommend?
Thanks!

Actually I'm about ready to do this myself.
I installed a SSD in my Windows 7 desktop PC about 9 months ago and the difference is just amazing.
I bought a new Dell Latitude and got it about a week ago, very fast but not as fast as my desktop. I then ordered a modular bay hard drive enclosure to replace the optical drive and another SSD. Installed the drive I had as my boot drive, a 750GB 7200RPM drive, in the modular bay enclosure and installed the SSD as the main boot drive. System screams.
I then look at my MBP late 2011 with i7 CPU and the 5400RPM drive that comes with it. Slow comparatively.
So I've been hunting around and I think I've settled on the Optibay as it comes with a optical drive enclosure and the proper cable to connect that drive to a USB port.
I will mount the SSD in the optical bay caddy and make that my Boot drive leaving the original HDD where it is as the mounting system for it has shock absorbers. The SSD I will get willl be the 6GB type as but the main SATA port and the optical bay port are both 6GB.

I want to replace the optical drive in my iBook with a SATA-SSD.

I want to replace the optical drive in my iBook with a SATA-SSD (using a HDD-caddy PATA to SATA) and use that as my OS disk. Is there a speed difference between the ATA connections of the optical drive and the hard drive? Mactracker tells me that the Hard Drive Bus is Ultra ATA/100 (ATA-6), but there is no information to the Bus of the optical drive. Is it the same?

There may be a kit from OWC to replace the optical drive in the old iBook G4 with an SSD. They have similar items for other portable Macs of the era where optical drives still were inside.
They do have what they call a 'legacy' ATA/IDE SSD series of portable computer drive for use in older type architecture, but I don't see the kit to replace the optical drive with an SSD on the same page... They do offer a live chat on the page, though. So it is possible to ask questions and hope you get matching results...
•OWC Mercury Legacy Pro:
For all laptops that use a 2.5" IDE/ATA Drive
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_Legacy_Pro
I'd considered upgrading my iBook G4 (mid-2005) 12" 1.33GHz computer with an SSD because the original 38GB HDD is rather tight with Leopard OS X 10.5.8 installed and some applications. And it has the max RAM at 1.5GB. Plus it would need a new battery since both batteries from Apple failed early on with low use cycles. I do like the idea of wear-leveling technologies in their Mercury Legacy drives. And some of the external enclosures look durable enough.
Hopefully they can answer some questions.
Good luck & happy computing!

Need to replace my Optical Drive, which one should I get?

I have a Dual 2gig power G5 with 1.5gig ram. The Optical Drive is a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-106D Revision A606. The drive is going bad and needs to be replaced. I use FCE to make my projects then use i-DVD. Once done with i-DVD I create a disc image and use disk utilities to burn using an Imation, or Sony disc media. The last couple of times I tried burning a disc I got errors. I beleive it is the drive. Can someone tell me what kind of replacement Optical Drive I should get.

I use the following Pioneer burners both internally as well as external via FW 400 enclosures and I know they work well for reading or writing to dual and single layer DVD-R using either Verbatim, Maxell, Tiayo Yuden, or RiData:
Pioneer DVR-115D, and Pioneer DVR-110U.
There are other models that work from Pioneer as well as Sony. (Pioneer Burners are normally a safe bet on most macs).
If you want something external / preconfigured then consider LaCie Burners.
All of the above recommendations work well with iDvd as well as Roxio Toast and FCS2 / DVDSP.
Good Luck.
Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in this topic. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information above at your own discretion.

Replacing the Optical Drive on my iMac G4

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Some of the earliest DVD burners went in to the +iMac (Flat Panel)+ model Macs and many users are now reporting problems with their original drives.
Your initial fault finding should include:
Using a drive cleaning disc to ensure there isn't dust build up on the lens.
Try functionality in another OS X user account.
Ensure that the media you are using is suitable. For example, the maximum write speed for the original drives is 4x DVD-R and these drive cannot burn DVD+R or DVD+RW media.
Revert to a recent, known good, clone of your system (i.e. from a previous software state).
<hr width="200">
If it becomes apparent that a replacement is required outside warranty there are two broad options:
Internal.
Most replacement optical drive models should work under Tiger/Leopard fine. Patchburn will enable operation in Panther/Jaguar.
The DVR-115 (20x DVD±RW DL for $35) has been proved good by several users and is great value.
It's fiddly to work inside an iMac G4 so you must be very cautious, especially around the video cable. Always take anti-static precautions. Here are two options for guiding you through the procedure:
MacWorld
xlr8yourmac
There are also some additional photos which you can find here.
Its worth reading the reports on the xlr8yourmac drive database to get other people's experiences before you commence.
You must replace the Thermal Paste when you close the iMac up or it will overheat.
It's probably worth replacing the PRAM Battery whilst you're in there as these have a finite life (once they fail to re-charge you may start to run into problems - it's only a $5 part).
External.
Certainly a whole lot less effort to install. Should you upgrade to an Intel iMac / Mac Mini / MacBook / MacBook Pro / MacBook Air in the future you'll have access to this faster desktop-spec tray loading drive rather than the slower laptop-spec slot drive installed in these current Macs. This means you'll get 20x burning versus 8x and be able to use small-size and mis-shapen discs.
Here's one example - 20x DVD±RW DL burner again:
OWC - External Optical Drive
Links provided are examples and not specific recommendations of a particular product or retailer.
mrtotes
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

You can probably just tape it down with package sealing tape. I would just re-use the old stuff. On my recent upgrade, my tape just barely had enough sticky left.
Edit:
Here is a source I found:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,pickups/Supplies:_Shielding/Conductive_CopperTape.html
Pretty cheap, too.
Message was edited by: Keith Barkley

Replacing an optical drive

Hi! Any advice anyone can offer me on this would be very welcome.
The internal optical drive in my G5 has died and I need to replace it. I've never had to do this before, and am flummoxed as to what I need.
My system profiler says that the current drive is a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-106D. Having looked on the Apple and Pioneer sites, I cannot find this model, so I assume it is now obsolete. Actually, I can't find any optical drives on the Apple site (?).
Anyway - I don't want to order the wrong thing and then find it doesn't work, or doesn't fit. Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for? Any details on the specification, etc. that I should ask a manufacturer about?
I realise this is vague, I'm just not sure where to start.
Thanks in advance,
Mira
1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 Mac OS X (10.2.x) 1.67 GHz PowerBook G4 Mac OS x (10.4.6)

It is a cruel world.
Tiger DVD comes as 10.4.6 and you can happily use your system and optical drive without need for further patching!
David Pogue's "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual (Tiger Ed.) is a good handbook to have.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/resources
Have you visited these news sites?
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com
http://www.macintouch.com
http://www.macfixit.com
Some references from MacGurus:
Guide to Panther Upgrade
Guide to Tiger Upgrade
Index to Tiger Reference
OS X Troubleshooting

I've replaced my optical drive with an SSD drive, now what?

So now I have a formatted 60GB SSD inside my iMac in the optical drive space, alongside my existing 1.5TB spinning drive which holds the Lion OS.
What would be the best way to proceed? Should I . . .
Load up the Lion thumbdrive and install Lion on the SSD (ignoring for now the Lion OS on the 1.5TB drive) and then import all settings from the old drive to the new one?
I want all system and all applications to be loaded on the SSD drive and the remaining space I plan to use for editing purposes, such as movies, photos etc. Load them onto the fast drive for editing then off onto the spinning drive for archiving and later re-editing and use.
So once I have a new OS installed on the new drive, what do I delete off of the old drive to get rid of the operating system there without losing any data?
Just the System folder or the System and Library folders? What about the User folder? It's huge obviously, so I clearly can't bring that in, but are there parts of it that should be on the SSD?
I'm also running Parallels, so should I drag _that_ applications folder over as well, _out_ of the Users folder? How about the Virtual Machines, the Windows.PVM and Linux.Pvm virtual machines?
Instead of installing Lion, maybe I should drag the appropriate folders over?
I'm sure it's going to be a mix of these, but not sure what the optimal mix is.
Thanks,.
JoeL
Atlanta, GA

So now I have a formatted 60GB SSD inside my iMac in the optical drive space, alongside my existing 1.5TB spinning drive which holds the Lion OS.
What would be the best way to proceed? Should I . . .
Load up the Lion thumbdrive and install Lion on the SSD (ignoring for now the Lion OS on the 1.5TB drive) and then import all settings from the old drive to the new one?
I want all system and all applications to be loaded on the SSD drive and the remaining space I plan to use for editing purposes, such as movies, photos etc. Load them onto the fast drive for editing then off onto the spinning drive for archiving and later re-editing and use.
So once I have a new OS installed on the new drive, what do I delete off of the old drive to get rid of the operating system there without losing any data?
Just the System folder or the System and Library folders? What about the User folder? It's huge obviously, so I clearly can't bring that in, but are there parts of it that should be on the SSD?
I'm also running Parallels, so should I drag _that_ applications folder over as well, _out_ of the Users folder? How about the Virtual Machines, the Windows.PVM and Linux.Pvm virtual machines?
Instead of installing Lion, maybe I should drag the appropriate folders over?
I'm sure it's going to be a mix of these, but not sure what the optimal mix is.
Thanks,.
JoeL
Atlanta, GA

How do I remove the display glass on an imac7.1 to replace the optical drive?

I have a 2007 iMac 24inch which has a bad optical drive. How do I remove the display glass to get to the optical drive?

Replacing anything in the newer designed iMacs is not a job for someone inexperienced or a novice.
If you don't like the idea of having to use an extrernal optical drive, It might be best to take your iMac to an Apple store or authorized Apple repair center for repair/replacement.
If you damage anything else while trying to do this replacement yourself, it will cost you even more cash to repair at a repair center later.

Should I replace my optical drive?

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