Where to buy a CD/DVD drive for a Dell Dimension 3100c?

[mangoh]

My DVD drive doesn't work anymore, I believe the lasers have gone so that is why it doesn't read the discs.

However it does read CD's so I assume the laser has only gone for the DVD drive.

Device manager says

Hl-dt-st cdrw/dvd gcc4482 ata device

Which bit is the important part when trying to buy the component?

Ggc4482 ata device?

Also could someone recommend any links?

Live in the UK

 

[Britton30]

Laptop or tower?

 

[mangoh]

Laptop or tower?

Tower

 

[DocBrown]

I believe that is a typical IDE - ATA optical drive, so you should be able to replace it with a similar one not necessarily a Dell. Maybe eBay / UK ?

 

[Britton30]

You'll need to look at it to see the connector type, this is SATA. It will have 2 cables each about 13mm wide.


If you have a wide, about 55mm, ribbon connector it is IDE and harder to find.

For a SATA any of these will work. I don't know a UK vendor. any brand will work.

Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, CD / DVD Burners & Media, CD / DVD Burners, DVD Burner

 

[mangoh]

The problem I have is as the computer has been passed down my family generation I can't actually see it. I'm going to my family's house this Saturday so if I could order it on Monday it would be great as then it might arrive before Saturday so I could install it.

From recap what DocBrown shown in the image looks right so I'm willing to risk it, what exactly do I search?

Ata-ide optical drive?

P.S. Not bothered about brand, doesn't have to be Dell. I just need something compatible.

 

[DocBrown]

Do you have any Thrift second hand stores in UK? I have found used IDE drives for $3.99 to $7.99. Recently I found a HP CD/DVD LightScribe External drive in the plastic ext case for $4.99. It was missing the ext power supply. I just dis-assembled it and tossed the plastic ext case in the trash.

 

[mangoh]

Do you have any Thrift second hand stores in UK? I have found used IDE drives for $3.99 to $7.99. Recently I found a HP CD/DVD LightScribe External drive in the plastic ext case for $4.99. It was missing the ext power supply. I just dis-assembled it and tossed the plastic ext case in the trash.

No but we have Amazon UK

On a serious note I'm still unsure on what to look for as my questions are still unanswered.

 

[carwiz]

You'll be looking for an IDE interface drive (ATA). It will be called a CD-RW/DVD. Dell shows three different drives for that system. The basic was a CD/ROM with an IDE interface. This drive won't write anything and reads only CDs. The next option was a CD-RW with IDE interface. This drive will read and write CDs only. The top option was CD-RW/DVD with IDE interface. This drive will read and write CDs but only read DVDs. It never had a CD/DVD-RW and available drivers may not support CD/DVD-RW drives.

 

[bobkn]

You need an IDE (also called PATA) drive, of the 5.25" type, of the normal height (1/3 bay).

The HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4482 is a combo drive; it's a burner for CDs, but it can only read DVDs.

I wouldn't worry if all that you can find to replace it is a DVD burner. All of the drives that I've used since the Windows 95 days used the Microsoft drivers. The motherboard uses a 915 chipset, so it's not ancient.

I looked up the specs on the 3100C. It has a single IDE header (which I presume will support the usual 2 devices), and one SATA connector. I suppose that the HD is SATA. If so, your replacement optical drive will have to be PATA.

In the US, I'd get one from eBay.

 

[Britton30]

Another option is to get one of these adapters and then buy one of the drives I linked to previously. SATA drives are very easy to find and likely cheaper than a IDE.
IDE ATA to HDD/DVD/CDROM 100/133 SATA Convertor Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics=

 

[bobkn]

Another option is to get one of these adapters and then buy one of the drives I linked to previously. SATA drives are very easy to find and likely cheaper than a IDE.
IDE ATA to HDD/DVD/CDROM 100/133 SATA Convertor Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics=

You seem to have linked to an IDE to SATA adapter. That's backwards; it would permit an IDE drive to connect to a SATA motherboard.

SATA-to-IDE adapters seem to exist. There are even some bidirectional one that can be used either way (IDE-to-SATA, or SATA-to-IDE). However, unless mangoh can't get an IDE drive for roughly the same price as a SATA one ($20US, at the moment), it could be an expensive way to risk compatibility issues.

 

[Britton30]

You are right Bob, maybe this would work better.
HDE SATA to PATA/IDE Hard Drive Interface Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics