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SuperDrive enclosure or brand new external optical drive?

peanutismint

peanutismint

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 4, 2007
437
9
Cardiff, UK
I'm replacing my MBP's internal superdrive with a second hard drive, so wondering what to do about optical drives with my system.

My choices are, use the superdrive I'm removing in an external enclosure, or buying a completely new external optical drive.

I'd like to hear people's opinions on both options -

If I were to keep my existing superdrive, is there a decent enclosure that people can recommend? Are there any that have a nice-looking bezel on the slot-loading side? The only ones I've seen just leave that end completely open to the elements which just looks rubbish imho...

Or, if I were to get a completely new drive, any suggestions? Are modern drives any faster or compatible with more disc formats than my current superdrive (HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N)? Is it maybe worth moving to a blu-ray drive? I heard most systems don't yet support the playback of blu-ray movies.... I will say, if I were to get a completely new drive, it'd have to be VERY slim/portable. I've seen quite a few that are amazingly small, hardly bigger than a standard DVD!

Anyway, just putting the feelers out there, would love to hear some opinions.
 
Hi, I'm doing the same (except its an iMac) I'm removing the Superdrive and replacing it with an SSD as I already have an external optical drive (I needed a light-scribe so bought an external).

Initially I assumed it would be easy to just stick the Superdrive into a 12.7mm external sata to usb enclosure, they're dirt cheap and in abundance on ebay BUT I cannot find anywhere on this planet that sells the front slot bezel and like you I think it looks rubbish being open ended AND the dust problem will be too much for it I think. So I'll probably not bother as I already have one external drive and external optical drives are pretty cheap already. So unless someone out there can tell us where to get a bezel its off to the spares cupboard for the superdrive!

Just found this, any use to you?...http://mac.macrecycling.com/slot-loading-optical-drive-bezel-panasonicmatshita-p-100903.html
 
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Have a look at the MaxUpgrades kit for a decent option based on pictures I've seen posted here on MR (search for the threads, I don't have them bookmarked).

I'd be interested in peoples experiences with aftermarket drives though too.
 
I'm also looking to fit my SuperDrive somewhere, just in case I need to use it once in a while. Found these bezels on eBay, no.4 seems the right fit, but still looking for an enclosure that would have power and data on one USB cable instead of two. Any suggestions?
 
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