Slot load DVD burner options for standard desktop case

Question

I need a new DVD burner (internal) for my father-in-law's computer. He's apparently broken the current one - he forgot to push the tray back in after doing something and hit it with his chair.

Given this, I'd like to get him a slot-loading DVD burner, so as to avoid the problem entirely. I need an internal device, and I'll be mounting in a 5 1/4" bay. He doesn't need any super-spec device - as long as it can read/write all the standard formats, it's good.

I see a few options at newegg.com, but they all have mixed reviews. Are there any out there that are generally seen as reliable?

How does one go about mounting slimline devices in a standard 5 1/4" bay? Is there a standard faceplate kit for that?

Answer 1

I just finished spec'ing out a computer build that nearly required a slim optical drive. Frankly, I'm not a fan of slot loaders at all, so there's not one I can particularly recommend.

But mounting a slim drive in a full-height 5.25" bay should be doable. Not pretty, but doable. I don't know of a mounting bracket offhand, which is what you'd really want, but I expect you'll be able to juryrig something if you can't find an existing product.

You'll need a slim SATA 7P-to-std adapter cable (like this one -- this is an example, not a product recommendation) to hook up the final product. The optical drive itself won't come with one (unless you're buying a retail version instead of an OEM drive).

Update:
Thanks to Molly's answer, I found the Digistor company that provides bezel kits (including single-slimline and dual-slimline mounts) and a 5.25" SATA slot-loading drive (available in DVD-RW and Blu-Ray varieties):

Answer 2

Enter the Plextor PX-DB608AL dual bay slot-loading DVD writer:

Plextor also had a full size slot-loader, but it seems no longer available.