DVD Drive in a Laptop

[yanguboris]

Thinking about buying a laptop over eBay, but none of the models I'm looking at come with a DVD drive. I couldn't find them on Dell's website, and the ones on eBay are like 100 dollars. Is there anywhere else one can go for a DVD drive that will work in a Dell Latitude that isn't too expensive?

[ua549]

What models of Dell laptops are you considering?

[yanguboris]

I think it's either a Dell Latitude CPx J or H

[SkyDog]

$100 seems like a fair price, considering that Dell charges $149 for an 8X DVD drive for your Latitude CPx. (Dell part # 313-7596 / Manufacturer part # 9D172)

You might be able to buy an OEM laptop DVD drive or a drive for a different make and model and swap the Dell cosmetic/mounting parts onto it. I've done that with other laptop types, but have never tried it with a Dell laptop. (You can find other DVD drives for under $50, like an older 2X model for Gateway notebooks HERE (http://www.alancomputech.com/dvdrom.html). I can't guarantee it'll work, though, so you'd be trying it at your own risk!)