Nil wrote:
I'm into my computer build (first since 2006!) that I mentioned in a
previous thread. Parts are on their way, and the first to arrive was a
case I bought from Newegg:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16811352070

I guess I'm behind the times, because I never even consided the
possibility: there are no front-accessible bays to accommodate an
optical disc reader/writer, which I require. I was looking for a case
that was very insulated and quiet and this looked like a good choice,
so now I'm very surprised and disappointed. I have to decide whether to
return it (probably on my dime) or keep it. So...

- I guess I'd be willing to spring for an external USB drive *IF*...
[a] they burn reliable (I guess I still remember the days when the
computer/OS could barely keep up with a burn and you'd get frequent
crap-outs during a write operation). and [b] are the drives within the
caddys replaceable? In my experience, optical (CD/DVD) burners have a
short lifespan and must be replaced every few years. But internal
drives are cheap, so it was no big deal - I consider them to be
consumable items. So, if I can replace the drives in the USB caddys for
$10 - $15, that's acceptible. If I have to replace the whole caddy for
$20 - $40, that's not so acceptible.


I think I'd just return the case, and get
a case I really want.

You can "make" your own optical drive, by buying
a 5.25" enclosure and putting a 5.25" full tray drive
in it. That's what my "floater" optical drive is, a
full sized one. If the drive failed (none have),
I could just replace the mechanism for $20.

If you buy pre-packaged "slim" drives, there's
a good chance you'll be throwing out the thing
if it fails. It has pros and cons. The slim drive
will be smaller than the full-sized one, and take
up less storage space. You pay a premium for slim.

But I'd really rather have the computer case that's
right for the job, and "holds all the junk I have
planned for it". Even if it costs $20-$30 to send
that thing back. That case might be good for an
"SSD person" or something. It wouldn't do me much good,
as I have one machine with average three drives in it,
and the machine I'm typing on has three to five drives
depending on the occasion. A case with two drive bays
total, would be nuts.

Even with SSDs, it's better if you can house them,
just for appearances sake. I had two SSDs hanging down
in the other case (while doing some cloning thing),
and it doesn't look all that good. I don't have any
tray adapters to convert from 2.5" to what my case
has inside it. The SSDs were an after-thought.
(One is for the laptop, the second one is sneakernet.)

Paul